Energy crisis worsens mental health issues

Apart from the economic consequences of the energy crisis, health and social implications are huge. With the excruciating heat, many Nigerians now suffer various degrees of insanity. They are very irritable and now transfer aggression to one another at a slight provocation.

Cases of neighbourhood fights are on the increase as people pick on one another on flimsy reasons and excuses. The other day in Lagos State, a landlady set ablaze a tenant’s apartment for alleged refusal to discontinue the use of a generating set.

The tenant explained that he could not understand why he would not use a power generating set when the weather is hot and there’s no electricity.

Analysts say that government appears insensitive to the plight of Nigerians who go through excruciating pain of the hot weather without electricity or petrol to power their generators.

“I don’t really know the essence of this present government. For many years, Nigerians have not seen this type of suffering; it appears that the system is totally shutting down. A government that appears deaf and insensitive cannot claim to be working in the interest of the people. That is what we have been getting from the Buhari government,” Collins Adun, a public affairs commentator, said.

“Look at how Nigerians are suffering. Children can’t sleep at night; they have heat rashes all over their body. And because those government officials have their residential offices, offices powered every day, they do not know what the majority of us are going through and they are being nonchalant over a serious issue that demands urgent attention. A lot of people have developed some illnesses as a result of what I can term government negligence,” Adun further said.

Joy Ofolue, a retiree, shared the experience of her family with BDSUNDAY. “For close to two months now, my husband has been sleeping outside our room. Every night he sleeps in the sitting room. When he started it, we thought it would be just for few days as we hoped that electricity supply would be restored. But now, we don’t see electricity; we don’t see fuel to power our generator. Whenever we manage to buy small quantity, we are mindful of how we use it because of the high cost. It is also impacting negatively on our health. The excessive heat is now giving me migraine,” Ofolue said.

Tony Onche, a psychologist, said although Nigerians appear to be okay with the situation, many have mental challenges as a result of the long years of deprivation by government.

“When I read and hear about increasing domestic violence, killings and other unbelievable nature of crimes going on in society, I tie it to the negative response to the activities of politicians over the years. Think about the excessive pressure being exerted on a man with a family but without a job in this prevailing situation in the country. It is madness! If you look at many Nigerians, they are mentally sick. You will only appreciate the level of madness in the country by visiting the psychiatric hospitals. I hope we will not have to continue in this pattern for too long,” Onche said.

Ade Ogundare, a self-employed, said the sickly nature of Nigeria is evidenced in the level of labour crisis across the country.

“We do not need a mirror to see the wrist watch on our hands. The signs of a sick country are all over the place. Every day you tune in your television set, you are greeted with protest by workers agitating for payment of their salaries and entitlements. All this stress puts pressure on people’s health. Do we need to search deeply before finding the reason people are dropping dead like chicken nowadays? People are being pushed to the wall and government is behaving like the Ostrich which buries its head in the sand rather than face the danger threatening its life,” Ogundare said.

An observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The lingering fuel scarcity has exposed the level of poverty and unemployment in the country. Look at the number of people that are now in the black market business. It mirrors a nation that is sick. An oil-producing country that has such a number of people hawking petrol on the byways and highways as if it were groundnut is a failed nation. It is so sad to see even pregnant women carrying petrol about. In some cases, some men have since drafted their wives and children into the business. Shame of a nation! It is saddening,” the observer said.