Tony Ajero
Introduction
Thomas Hobbes, the 17th-century philosopher once said: “Without government, life will be solitary, brutish, and short as a result of violent competition for resources. “
While it is true that we have a government in Nigeria, it can be said that Nigeria has no government if the essence of government is to produce well-thought-out policies and programmes which benefit the people. For many decades now, Nigeria has not enjoyed any appreciable level of development. Even worse, we have gradually become complacent and indeed complicit in accepting this jungle existence where nothing works.
We have worsened from erratic power supply to almost weekly national grid collapses. Our national currency has worsened from parity with the strongest in the world to two digits, to three digits, and now to thousands to one. We have nose-dived from brain-drain of professionals to entire families fleeing their homeland as if we are at war. Whichever way one looks, life is Hobbesian – solitary, brutish, and short.
It is therefore natural that in the daily struggle to make ends meet, some things must suffer. The primary and worst casualty is health. And one of the most recurring is depression. Unfortunately, as a result of the terrible conditions of our health service sector which continue to take a heavy battering, we may never know the frequency of occurrence nor the number of fatalities from depression.
In her 6-chapter e-book, Linda Eroke-Okafor states “The World Bank in its 2023 report on Nigeria said 130 million Nigerians are living in multidimensional poverty. The report added that with the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration in May 2023, more Nigerians will sacrifice their health care to adjust to the rising cost of living. This is disastrous and needs increased attention by all, including The Church.
“Revealed! 9 Ways I Overcame Depression On Zero Budget” is a practical book that is easy to read. Indeed, it can be read from start to finish in one sitting. The language is very simple and unpretentious such that anyone with an average education can easily digest this book. Its 9-way approach on zero budget makes it even more streamlined.
Chapter 1 titled “Understanding Depression” covers the definition of depression and statistical representation, why depression is more prevalent among women, the causes and symptoms of depression, importance of self-awareness, and dealing with stigmatization and discrimination that comes with depression.
Here, the author explains what Depression is. She employs the WHO’s view of it and then brings it home to our immediate Nigerian experience. She writes: “Depression is a challenging mental condition affecting millions of people worldwide. Specifically, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that an estimated 3.8% of the world population experience depression. That is approximately 280m people in the world.
“In Nigeria, the situation is worse given the numerous challenges that the population is faced with daily. These challenges include rising cost of living, poor electricity, deplorable road network, and inadequate water supply among other difficult living conditions that have been compounded by an economy that is on a tailspin. Given this scenario, depression can be suffered by anybody irrespective of age and strata in society.” One very gripping part is where she explains why women are more at risk.
In chapter two, the writer takes us through a concise summary of “My life before the sad event,” which covers “Blissful Marital Life,” “Fulfillment at Work,” and “Joyful motherhood.”
Chapter 3 holds “The event that changed my life,” with the sub-themes “A bitter experience,” “Another attack and doctor’s advice” and “Financial constraints, Determined to succeed.” She recounts how it all started suddenly.
In the midst of this, she writes: “Moreso, my voice wasn’t clear enough as people found it difficult to hear me whenever I tried to communicate. I cried and cried asking myself if that’s the way my life will come to an abrupt end. My situation was made worse as nobody understood what I was going through. People look up to me for help but now I am helpless, nobody to turn to.
“I was frustrated and I experienced feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and helplessness. I remember telling my sister to take care of my children should anything happen to me. I was in my thirties and had a lot to achieve in life. More importantly, I was doing my Master’s degree programme at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and was in my last semester.
“You see, it came to a point in my life when I thought that I was not going to make it, having suffered two stroke attacks. However, in the midst of all these, a voice whispered to me that I shouldn’t give up on myself so quickly, noting that God is not through with me yet and I will not die but live to fulfill my destiny.”
Chapter 4 covers “Venture into Alternative Medicine”, “A Ray of Hope”, and “The August Visitors.” In Chapter 5, she explains “How I overcame depression without spending money” and details the 9 ways. Should I name them?
Conclusion:
The concluding Chapter Six provides “Tips for Success” and “Never stop trying.”
I will quote one of many very inspirational statements in this e-book:
“There are times in our lives when we wonder why some people seem to make it effortlessly while others are left struggling without getting positive results.
“This is partly due to our mindset and failure to take adequate steps to succeed. Often, we make wrong decisions and we are not patient enough to learn from our mistakes.”
First, we must thank the author for the effort to write this book. Her journalism experience may have likely helped, yet the discipline of writing is becoming very scarce indeed.
Moreover, books don’t always make so much money. If the writer is solely focused on income, he or she may be well advised to look to other ventures for faster turnover and return on investment. Little wonder, some in this generation are quick to ask “na who book help?” A very idiotic question, at best, but deeply reflective of how low our societal values have sunk.
Thirdly, having written this book from a near-death experience, we will do well to join her Thanksgiving by buying the book and sharing it with others. In this way, we will be further evangelism for God.
As a people, we are not very renowned for reading. Malcolm X is quoted as saying: “If you want to hide something from Black people, put it in a book.” Hopefully, Linda Eroke-Okafor’s labour will encourage us to read more, starting with this book, and to write more. For us Christians, it will be consistent with the truth that “all we have come from God, and of Your own do we give you.” Posterity will record and celebrate her contribution to public health and societal well-being, especially out of adversity.
James 1: 2 – 4 states “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [a]patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be [b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-8 NKJV – – Bible Gateway
Linda Eroke-Okafor has done marvelously well in penning this recount to God’s glory. I call upon us all to support this work, also to God’s glory. There is a saying that “All good work on God’s earth, is God’s work.”
