Extortion, Greed, Signs of Mental Illness says Don
By Patience Ikpeme
Many Nigerians engaging in road rage, extortion, street fights, hoarding, greed, and sycophancy are suffering from.mental ill health.
Professor Andrew Zamani, a Clinical Psychologist at Nassarawa State University, said symptoms such as road rage, extortion, street fights, hoarding, greed, and sycophancy as indicators of mental ill-health.
Zamani called for urgent attention to be paid to this problem, as Nigeria is ranked 15th in the world for suicide cases.
He stressed that mental ill-health has a direct impact on productivity in the workplace.
Prof Zamani spoke on Psychological Well-being, Mental Health and Service Delivery in the Nigeria Workplace as part of the Servicom Day Celebration of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), in Abuja on Tuesday.
He described mental ill-health as, “a silent epidemic,” adding that the high levels of poverty, unemployment and uncensored access to the internet and violence, across the country have contributed to exacerbating the large number of people suffering from various degrees of mental ill-health, in Nigeria.
He urged the government and private sector employers to prioritize the issue and take immediate action, as he believed it was directly impacting productivity in various sectors of the economy.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, emphasized the organization’s commitment to integrity, transparency, accountability, and professionalism.
Nnenna Akajemeli, the CEO of SERVICOM, advised Nigerians to be vigilant for any abnormal behavior in their colleagues and neighbors, as positive mental health is crucial for national economic growth.
Dasuki Arabi, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reform, highlighted the importance of prioritizing employee well-being. Studies have shown that organizations that invest in employee mental health experience increased productivity and job satisfaction. Employees with positive mental health are also more likely to reach their full potential.
