The harsh policies of the Federal Government are capable of increasing the level of corruption and other crimes in the Nigeria, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Dr. Oludayo Tade, has declared.
He therefore called on the government to reverse the harsh policies.
The criminologist, in a statement issued on Thursday, said Nigeria had all the trappings of facing increasing crime and corruption as a result of the strains which many Nigerians were facing due to the harsh policies of government and the backlashes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, any society experiencing poverty and unemployment, and stifling economic reality was likely to have citizens who were pushed to the fringe to innovate survivalist strategies which might be crime and corrupt behaviours.
While speaking against the backdrop of the increase in fuel price and electricity tariffs, Tade noted that statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, had already shown that Nigerians were living in precarious conditions with lower standards of living.
He stated that the spiral effects of hike in electricity and fuel on the majority of Nigerians might force many to adopt alternative routes to actualise their unmet needs.
The criminologist advised government to reverse its harsh policies which might be counterproductive and contribute to insecurity in the land.
He urged government to make Nigerians believe in the Nigerian project by making life worth living for the people in the country in order not to force many to resort to self help.
