My daughter's princess dress was made and sent from Lagos on Thursday, it was for Eid, I saw the dress on a WhatsApp profile, it was beautiful and I wanted it for her. The Peace Transport Service was the preferred means to get the dress to Abuja in time for the Eid celebrations.
I was at the transport company very early on Friday, but asked to return in the evening, same day. We were lucky we had a plan b for yesterday. The first day of Eid went well. This morning, the little girl woke me up to get her dress, I dashed out to the Peace Park in Utako.
Confidently, I read out my way bill number to the desk staff. To my shock, I was told, "Oga your parcel is still on the way from Lagos." But it was registered and sent since Thursday morning from Lagos, Nigeria? He replied, "yes, but it hasn't arrived Abuja come back tomorrow."
I was short of words, I didn't know what to tell my 3yr old who was all set to wear her princess dress for today's outing. How can a parcel that was registered at 9am on Thursday fail to make it to Abuja as at 9am today? It must be coming on a donkey and not a bus, I uttered.
Sadly, nothing appears to work in Nigeria anymore and it doesn't matter if it is a private or public service. I saw more than five people arguing and screaming on the top of their voices, over their parcels, trapped between Lagos, Ibadan or PortHarcouth to Abuja. They were angry.
Nigeria, is a country where, no one is held to account, so anything goes. Impunity is not only in our police stations or public hospitals, it is almost every. Probably the individual who registered the parcel and received payment flanked it on the floor in the Lagos office.
After all, it will get to Lagos, but it doesn't matter to them when. It is my parcel, not theirs. The private sector generally works like the public service. They are mostly inefficient, ineffective and clumsy. Everyone is after the money you pay, not the service they provide?
I won't be surprised if the dress is missing at the end of the day. Many people have over time complained of losing their items. As I was thinking what to tell my little princess at home, one of the officials in Abuja said, Oga it's not our fault," I asked, whose fault is it?
On arrival at home, the face of my daughter when she saw me empty handed can best be imagined by any parent here. To get the best service these days in #Nigeria rely on the car you drive, how you look, the tip you give or who you know. No nation will ever progress like this.
We must all do the right thing in our homes, in our respective workplaces, it doesn't matter what sort of work you do, do the right thing. It is then, we can appreciate good governance and deservingly demand and take a firm stand on nothing less from our leaders.
