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IT IS NOT MY FAULT I AM NIGERIAN

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


Photo Credit : City buzz ... the oscillating tones of Nigerian?s spoken language permeate Lagos. Photograph: Akintunde Akinleye/REUTERS Picture

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