In what appears to be Nigeria’s most dramatic “return on investment” complaint yet, a man on Thursday stormed the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja with a message as blunt as it was unsettling: reward me or kill me. The protest, captured in a now-viral video, shows the visibly distressed man holding a placard and demanding recognition for what he described as his personal sacrifices during the party’s 2023 campaign. According to him, loyalty was not just emotional, it was financial, physical, and, ultimately, total. In a country where political support often comes with expectations, some spoken, many implied the man’s outcry reads like a tragic audit of misplaced trust. His claim that he sold his house to fund campaign efforts has not been independently verified, but the symbolism is hard to ignore: a citizen liquidating stability in exchange for promised political dividends. Observers at the scene watched as the protester oscillated between anger and ...
In the glitz of red carpets, the dazzle of stage lights, and the roar of social media applause, there lies a deafening silence, a silence that echoes the suffering of many Nigerians overlooked by those who should be lifting others up.
Nollywood, Nigerian music icons, and even some political leaders have perfected the art of public display, but fumble in the private duty of human compassion.
Today, w
e live in a country where celebrities throw lavish parties and donate huge sums to those already wealthy, while the vulnerable pick meals from trash bins. A nation where some eat and throw leftovers in the dustbin, while others quietly search those same bins for their next meal. It is not just a disparity of wealth, it is a brutal absence of empathy.
This is not an attack on success or celebration. Everyone deserves joy. But what is troubling is the culture of extravagance that shuns meaningful support. When those with influence showcase generosity only for clout, and ignore the invisible cries of the poor, then society is not just unequal, it is complicit.
How do we justify a system where leaders pledge millions for vanity projects while children die from lack of healthcare? Where artists celebrate fame without building bridges for others to rise? Where being “seen” helping is more important than genuinely helping?
Nigeria’s real tragedy is not just poverty. It’s the mindset that equates help with showmanship, and success with selfishness. We must begin to hold our celebrities and leaders accountable, not only for how they spend, but for who they lift.
Until our applause begins to honor those who quietly serve others, and our fame is used to build rather than just flaunt, we will continue to cheer for a mirage, while the heart of our nation starves.
Abioye Tosin Lawrence is the publisher of Oriontimes Online Newspaper.
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