Immediate past regent of the Warri kingdom, Prince Emmanuel Omotsho Okotie–Eboh, has said the current economic hardship is a result of past mismanagement.

Okotie–Eboh, in a statement made available to Vanguard, said institutionalised corruption has taken the country backward.

He wondered if Nigeria could move forward with the continuous looting, lamenting that the nation’s financial resources were drying up.

According to him, the citizenry must join hands together to put the nation back on the path of growth.

His words: “That there is a suffocating economic hardship in Nigeria today is self-evident. And this endemic suffering is without regard to religion, tribe, or political affiliation. It knows no bounds and therefore must not be placed squarely at the doorsteps of President Bola Tinubu though the bulk end on his table rightly as the President of the current Africa hungriest but richest nation.

“It is a quagmire of over 60 years ago when the military boated out of leadership the real patriots and founders of Nigeria in the personalities of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mbadiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Okotie-Eboh, Mbakwe and others and imposed mediocre as leaders on the Nigeria nation.

“Indeed, the ascendance of the near ignorant self–styled Messiahs after the 1966 putsch marked a watershed and instituted lootocracy, plutocracy, and all manner of unfathomable corrupt practices that saw our hitherto buoyant, economy nose diving into abyss to date.

“What happened to all the manufacturing firms of yesteryears set up by the past visionary leaders? They are all gone with the winds? Where are the groundnut pyramids of old in the North? Shoe Factories? Textile Mills, Cement companies, Coal mines e.t.c.

“What we have today by the grace of our current plutocratic leaders and looters are multi-billionaires with pseudo–non–productive factories where our commonwealth is exported to aid the economic growth and infrastructural development of foreign nations.

“Prices of even the commonest food items have gone beyond the reach of the masses. Accommodation is no longer affordable because of the cement monopoly granted a few.

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“Graduates now fall back to their old parents who toiled day and night to train them to the universities for succour while a few Nigerians smile to the banks daily and gleefully go to Churches and Mosques to thank God for his mercies and goodness in their lives.

“Imagine garri going out of the reach of the poor. Beans is a no-go area. Bank owners and managers have milked the economy dry through all devious manner of financial manipulation of our forex such that most of them have become richer than Nigeria.

“Critically, to exhibit how wicked our leaders are in this biting hardship and painful challenges in Nigeria, the state Governors were given an additional N30 billion to tackle food scarcity and the hardship faced by the people by the FG and they all kept sealed lips, sat on the money, perhaps awaiting the poor masses to take to massive road protest first.

“What degree of callousness and mans’ inhumanity to man. It was the Senate President, Senator Akpabio who only recently made this revelation about N30 billion largesse quite outside State regular Federal Allocation. How can the economy survive this kind of lootocracy and we want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fix all these malfeasance in just Eight (8) Months?

“How can we ever move forward with this kind of mind-boggling looting of our financial resources? We all are to be blamed and be ready to bear the hardship awaiting when we are prepared to take the bull by the horns and take the right action to put our dear nation on the path of growth to take its rightful place in the comity of nations. Just a Steady power supply for three months all over the country will pick up and the financial managers should also be up and doing. We will see the change, let us put our country first then we will sing a new song so leave Mr president alone all hands must be on deck.”