Dateline: Monday 29th Jan, 5.50am
As I was driving to work, I saw a car driving against traffic on the Lekki express way. He clearly didn't want to go the long way round to do a U-Turn. He also knew there was 0% of being caught because police was no where in sight.
A THREAD!
As I was driving to work, I saw a car driving against traffic on the Lekki express way. He clearly didn't want to go the long way round to do a U-Turn. He also knew there was 0% of being caught because police was no where in sight.
A THREAD!
I reflected on that incident not because it's unusual (no it's not, it's rather common practice), but bcos it was a metaphor to describe how Nigerians relate with "right" & "wrong". While we are committed to doing "right", we're also having an adulterous relationship with "wrong"
The avg Nigerian driver will jump the red light, drive on the kerb, take one-way, create a new lane even on walk ways to avoid traffic, never stop on a zebra crossing and have zero regard for other road users. If there is an opportunity to break the law and escape, they'll do it.
Most pedestrians will never use the foot bridge. If it is not provided, they'll scream to high heavens that govt doesn't care. When it's provided, the same govt will need to install barricades & threaten arrest to force them to use it. A bridge 100m away, is simply 1 km too far.
A Nigerian in any vehicle will eat stuff and throw the remnants on the road for somebody else to clean. Those not in vehicles just throw their waste into the drain and wait until there is flood resulting from blocked drains to complain about results of their romance with "wrong".
The Police will collect money for bail from someone arrested for flimsy reasons right under the banner that says "Bail is Free". How about we just change it to "Bribe is Free". That'll be more accurate. Their motto "Police is your friend", should really be "Police? You are OYO!"
What about business men who buy adulterated/expired goods & repackage them as new? Or employers who deduct PAYE and Pension from workers salaries but never remit them? How about employees who pad invoices so they can defraud their employers? Or those that steal cooperative money?
I could go on and on. If you ask all these Nigerians why they do "wrong", they will all have a justification for it.
Drivers who break the law will point at the police who do the same thing. Pedestrians will tell you, the bridge is too far, or it's too dirty or it is unsafe.
Drivers who break the law will point at the police who do the same thing. Pedestrians will tell you, the bridge is too far, or it's too dirty or it is unsafe.
Police who collect bribe will point at Politicians who collect their own in dollars. Employers who deduct and don't remit will tell you that it is because they pay multiple taxes. Employees who pad invoices will blame the economy. Or how else do you expect school fees to be paid?
Everyone will scream "Enforcement". "Enforcement" is all we need they'll say. As if they're goats needing to constantly be under threat of the cane to do "right". Do u really need the threat of "Enforcement" to tell you it's not right to litter the road and block drains? Do you?
What exactly does it speak of us when what it will take for us to do "right", is to know someone is there to catch us if we don't? How about we do what is right not because we will be caught but because it is the right thing to do. Isn't that how progressive societies are built?
By all means the govt should set the right examples and enforce the laws. Hopefully it'll work. But govt can't be everywhere. It can't see everything. It can only make examples of a few. The responsibility of doing right must first be personal before it is statutory or communal.
*Wednesday 29th January
