COPING STRATEGIES FOR PRESENT DAY ECONOMIC HARDSHIP

By Nnabugwu Chizoba

There is no doubting the fact, that the issues published in this medium in a previous piece, entitled PRESENT DAY DIFFICULTIES, ANY LESSONS TO LEARN? Also by this writer, harbour some elements of truth. 

That the global economy has witnessed very tough times in the last few years, is no news. From Europe, Asia, America, Africa and other continents of the world, the need to spur the economy back to growth has become a major theme.

Different approaches, opinions, propaganda, and shenanigan have played out, by families, individuals, and nations, and in particular, governments, of the western world, in the handling of the challenges presented by the difficult times. 

Of note in this discourse, is the role, repeatedly played by individual citizens and governments of the developing countries, like Nigeria, to present the developed continents of Europe, and America, as where economic challenges and difficulties have been completely eradicated, where money grows on trees and are picked in the streets; and everything is at the beck and call of the citizens. 

Rather than dwell on the issue of propaganda, my attention is drawn to something I consider critical, instructive and also informative. It is the fact that many people, are broke and many more are going broke. This is not limited to Nigeria or Africa, the story, is the same for many countries and continents in the world.

Before I do anything else, let me observe that the world economic crunch has brought out different coping skills, among the hard fighting people of the world, Africa and Nigerian men and women inclusive. 

I therefore, request the reader of this piece, (especially, from other countries) to oblige, readers and visitors of experiences and/or observations of coping strategies in your own country. I encourage you to share the negative and positive survival strategies people in your region have adopted as a way of overcoming the difficult times.

I do not habour any trepidation in my conclusion that you will open up, and where necessary counter the positions repeatedly held and canvased through well orchestrated, sweet coated statements, speeches, and addresses, by the information managers, image makers and leaders, of your various countries. 

The identified coping strategies, adopted by some Nigerians as a way to overcome the hard economic situation, presently biting the world hard, are shared below. Recall that this piece is focused on highlighting some discouraging lifestyle that some people have relied on to manage the difficult time.

The tough economic era has thrown up individuals and families with a "large heart". These category of people have found solace in accusing other people who they blame and equally hold responsible for their state of lack, economic woes and inherent challenges.

“Large heart” as used in this context, is to the effect that those in this category go as far as accusing close relations, including parents, spouses, children, inlaws, uncles, cousins, and others. Relations and sometimes friends and acquaintances are variously accused of spiritual manipulations, in the form of exchange and/or diversion of destiny, initiation into occultism, which they claim is usually done in the dream, during asleep, bewitchment that causes reckless spending. Others, include making them appear like monsters when other people look at them. This they claim is only seen spiritually, since according to them the necked eyes cannot see such.

 Another set of people have become very skillful and articulate, in their capacity to borrow. Apart from borrowing to buy household items and funding of social events and others, they are also in the habit of borrowing to repay other debts. 

One interesting group, is the group that have become regular guests of scammers. It is either they are about sealing a deal with those who have promised them of a return on investment. of sometimes up to 50%, or they are in a corner of the city complaining how they have been duped or scammed. 

Yet another group are those that have suddenly become religious, because one of their co-travelers have prophesied that they will become instant millionaires and every good thing under the earth will become theirs just by the snap of the fingers. Many of them have become so desperate, that they have run themselves dry, in a bid to fulfill the requirement of their master, who in furtherance of their objective have strategically designed a system that is more or less. the filling a bottomless pit.

There is also another group. They do everything to attract the attention, love, and interest of their potential victim. To achieve this objective they draw close, clearly manifest signs of obedience and industry. They also show interest and desire to contribute meaningfully to every noble course, and indeed demonstrate very keenly commitment to participate and actively promote economic and development activities, without any special interest, apart from being supportive, running away from boredom, and developing likeness for their victim and the people he/she have dealings with. However, their real target is to undo their victim. 

Their starting point is to dent and if possible destroy the image of their victim by creating erroneous impressions about them, within the circle of victim's friends and contacts. They do this, most often through misrepresentation of facts about the victims stand or position on issues, especially those that has to do with close confidants, business associates and partners.  They are unrepentant in their efforts, as they do everything humanly possible to take over their victims business relations, contacts and economic activities.

To win their victim's contacts, friends and business associates over to themselves, their strategy, centers on revealing some of his/her business secrets to them. Their strongest weapon is that they are always with their victim, and of course very familiar with his/her plans, in addition to the trust, soft spot and love the victim have developed for them, which they know makes it difficult for him/her to suspect them. 

Depending on the type of friends, contacts and business associates of their target (victim) they may achieve their goal, or at least affect the fortunes of the business, for sometime.

While these things are happening, somebody, quibbled to my hearing, recently, that the scammers and scammed, and all the groups identified in this piece are trying to cope with the challenges of the time they found themselves in. What’s your take on this? And what's the situation like in your own region? 

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