Expect more suicide cases in Nigeria --- psychologists warn.

Head of Department of Psychology, Lagos
State University, Ojo, Dr. Kayode Taiwo, has
said that the present political and economic
situation in the country is affecting the
psychological resilience of people. The
societal expectations, personal expectations
are important landmark in the ways
individuals see themselves. When they are
unable to meet this standard, they become
what we referred as unfulfilled expectations,
which affect their emotions, their cognition,
that is, the way they think. These also affect
their self-worth; self esteem. And when
these things are significantly affected, they
lead to depression and depression can lead
to suicide.
These are very good indicators to
government that, governance is not being
felt by the ordinary man.
Suicide will definitely be on the increase,
since the economic policy of the
government is not something that would
bring the desired result soonest, except of
course, if government does something
extraordinarily and very drastically.
On why people should commit suicide,
which is anathema to the African society,
the university don said, it is not as if suicide
is strange to the African society, the
population has multiplied, and worldwide
there is economic downturn, which is
affecting every nation. Unfortunately, in
Nigeria we don’t have a social net. In those
days, people used to look for one another,
the family ties were very strong; communal
bond was strong. All these are psychological
issues, but they have broken down
significantly. Meanwhile, the government of
today would tell you that it is because of
past government. The truth of the matter is
that the economic situation is affecting the
national psyche; it is not lifting people up
psychologically.
Human rights lawyer, Fred Agbaje said, this
trend is ominous for the international image
of the country. That figure of suicide or
attempts may even be higher by the time
you look around.
According to him, the Presidency signed a
budget that is not being implemented and
so companies, governments hide under that
not to pay salaries.
“The suicide rate is traceable to the
cluelessness of the Presidency in its
economic policy summersault; companies
are closing shops and laying off workers;
companies are not getting forex because of
CBN inconsistent policies.”.
If you take the man from his job and
nothing is left him, then you have taken the
man out of him, he may prefer death to
shame.
According to the President of Aka Ikenga,
Chief Goddy Uwazurike, suicide is an
anathema in Africa. Any thing that will drive
a person to suicide must be very weighty.
This economic crisis is close to what people
endured between 1984 and 1985. The
situation today looks hopeless because the
government today has not given a
demonstrable sign that it can solve it. The
only answer is to blame the previous
government. People are tired of hearing this
blame game. It is good for history classes,
but not for going forward. Some people
who do not see a way out take the short cut
and end it all. Suicide is not a solution but a
creation of more problems for the relatives
of the dead man. The society must not be
pushed into the position that suicide is a
solution. The managers of this economy
must get down to getting us out of this
crisis. And fast too.
Brady Chijioke Nwosu, a former
gubernatorial aspirant in Imo State, noted
that before Nigeria officially plunged into
recession, the government had promised
pulling the country out of it in eight weeks
but unfortunately , the bites have persisted
and worsened into fatalities . With clueless
ideas seemed off sight for solution, I’m
absolutely sure that Nigeria will soonest be
graduating from current recession and up
into depression. A period in which there’s
miniature economic activity, many people do
not have jobs and sadness envelope the
land and feelings badly among the populace
will surge. Meanwhile, people are migrating
from cities to villages in droves because of
severe economic hardship and hunger and
Nigerians should expect more suicide swell.
Shambles! Our political leaders should
positively work towards revamping
economy.
Barrister Ody Ajike said, the economic
situation does not require anyone to take
his/h life but this situation shows the height
of frustration confronting Nigerians today.
The term is called frustration -aggression
theory. There is no clear economic direction.
It is vintage Buhari. In 1984 he also had no
clear economic plan. 30 years after, the
same approach is presented to us. There is
no clear policy by government to visit
Nigerians with a prosperity plan except a
skewed foreign exchange policy, which
favours only a few. There are just media
promises of social support and basically
nothing concrete. There are no deliberate
plans to lift the people from poverty to the
middle class. The government has failed to
engage our limited resources into projects
with high civil and socioeconomic impact.
The government as an agent of the state is
watching over the depletion of lives and
people-confidence is eroding quite briskly
coupled with gross insecurity. Let’s all pray
for Nigeria. We may expect more suicide
since it’s purely a structural challenge now
and it can’t be reversed by a single
government decision, but by series of
economic and social decisions over a period
of time.
The way out includes the government
rethinking free market because no market is
actually free without the control of
government. It’s about creating incentives
towards the ?real sector to encourage
production. It’s important for government to
understand that our infrastructural
Commons includes the traditional
infrastructure and the service industry,
which will get people gainfully employed.
Also commenting, Dr. Tokunbo Pearse said,
the suicide is a tip of the iceberg of what is
going on in the country. According to him,
“it is a fraction of what is going on. The
number may be higher, when thousands are
being laid off from works on a daily basis.
Companies are folding up. Last week, both
Aero and First Nation airlines closed down
and laid off their workers. People are dying
in thousands daily without committing
suicide because there is no money for them
to go to hospital. It is the failure of the
Buhari government, enough of the blame
game, he should go down to work. How can
you ban the importation of what you know
you don’t produce? Companies are finding it
hard to access forex, but like Sanusi said, the
forex favours the friends of the Presidency,
who stay in their house and get forex