I forgot to say Happy
Independence Nigeria in my last post. We have come a long way you and I. From
when I thought I could conquer you, to when I tried, to when you did and I just
came to accept it.
Nigeria has come a long way some of it good, some of it bad,
we are still growing I accept.
I have been seeing
some videos online and a lot of brands and people have been going on
about their reasons why they love Nigeria. I am going to be honest, whether you
like it or not the major reason why we like Nigeria is because we can do as we
like and get away with it, majority of the time. No justice, no call back, no
ticket. Basically we do not Pay. That's why we love Nigeria. If you like, be a
twitter activist with all your Oyibo Schooling or Dstv exposure, it all comes
down to the same thing. If Police should stop you after you have beat a traffic
light you either beg or pay. You are like every other Nigerian and we LOVE It.
The other day I was taking my child home from school so I
got to the traffic stop and was jeje waiting from traffic light to turn green
as it was counting down from 150 seconds or is it 190, I can't remember. Anyway,
that's how I heard a knock on my window. I looked and saw a fully clothed
police officer looking into my car. Like a good Nigerian, I wound down to find
out what imaginary slight I had committed and the officer proceeded to beg for
lunch money saying how he hasn't eaten lunch and like a good honest Nigerian, I
gave him money.
What is the point of this you think? Well, how do you think
having a police officer beg me for cash will affect my reaction or relation to
police officers in the future. This is the case with almost all Nigerians. We
beat a Light, officer stops us, we bluff or pay up. The officers don't even
bother anymore, now they just collect money. I had a VIO official stop me once
in Wuse 2 traffic after going on about papers and so on he proceeded tell me I
am beautiful and ask for my number. First I know this (thank you very much) :D second what was his business with my beauty
and number 3; it has nothing to do with my papers. I wasn't insulted because I
am not one of those women who gets upset when she gets a compliment I was irritated
that the man wanted my number to call me later in the middle of the day when he
was holding up traffic and I was rushing to an important place. Is that his
Job?
I have beat traffic lights; most times not on purpose
because the traffic lights are too fast and sometimes you pass and it turns red
before you can make the cross but I have also beaten on purpose like at 8pm
when I am going home and there are few cars on the road. I have driven in the
wrong direction on one way streets, not because the right way was not open but because
the one way is shorter. I have cut queues in
the airport when other people are there queuing to catch their flight
because I am not a "Learner" and maybe I know someone at the counter and
what is the point of waiting. On the
other hand I have been the one taking the right road when someone breaking the
law is coming in my direction and you cannot believe my righteous indignation.
You know those instances where you are in traffic trying to get somewhere and
for one reason or another its slow and then you see some sharp drivers driving
on the curb so they can go in front and make the slow moving traffic into a
total stand still all because they are in more of a hurry than you who is doing
the right thing. Or when you are in the bank line and someone cuts to give the
big madam his check book because he is too humongous of a human being to stand
and wait? We have all been on the right and wrong side of Nigerian Impunity and
Mediocrity.
What about being able to bribe in university to pass a
course that you could have probably read for but you know there is no point
because the Lecturer is more interested in your money and gifts than what you
actually put on your paper? Then you graduate, sit at home and hear people
talking about how Nigerian Graduates are unemployable, whose fault?! You hear a
shop owner in the market complaining about how bad our leaders are then he goes
home and bypasses his electricity so that he doesn't pay light bill, whose fault
is it?! Corruption corruption you hear them shout everywhere then they catch a
big man with money and we are all looking on when they sweep it under the rug
and charges disappear whose fault is it?!
There is an old saying " it's little drops of water
that make up an ocean". If you are parking in an area that clearly states
no parking and expect special treatment or urinating right under a "NO
PISS FOR HERE" sign who really is at fault when your child grows up and
becomes director and steals the Nation Blind? you have shown him it's okay the
law doesn't apply to him.
It is time for us to become accountable, not based on the
figure in our accounts or the type of cars we drive but on the basis of our
actions. Less Privileged people cannot keep suffering for the impunity of
people who are privileged. We can't keep expecting are leaders to be
accountable when we can't be honest in our small backyards either. We have to
start treating this country like ours not like it's on loan from some rich
cousin who we hate. We want change then we need to change ourselves. It's not
okay to tweet it and Facebook it, we have to live and be it. We need to start
giving as much as we are demanding from our leaders. If you are stealing money
from your employer and singing "Godwin" you want to now sit and say another
person should not steal?!
So I will try not
bribe police (amen) and I will stay in my lane. Yes to expect Change we too
have to do the right thing, even the small ones.
God Bless Nigeria. Here is to a better Nation.
XO
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