"Oga! Find me something" the story of the fearless security man

Until the last weeks of July, 2022, I used to think corruption was something unique to just the government, police and more civilized areas of life (winks***). Hey, don't mind me, it's a joke(laughs). But on a more serious note though, anyone who had been born and bred in Nigeria understands why the idea of corruption being an "English" thing would rather stick in your brain(rolling eyes). I mean, it's always there for you to see, hear or experience. Yes, if you are not hearing that monkeys, snakes and probably chickens had grown spiritual wings to go steal billions of naira from the covers of public money, then you are seeing an innocent man jailed or killed for criticising the actions of the government, or you are being the one whose sister/brother was shot dead by a trigger-happy policeman that would neither be held accountable nor fired. 

Well, what really happened? About last week, work took me to a secondary school, where I and my colleague were to do biometrics capture of national identity card for some students. On getting to the gate of the school, the security/gateman refused us entry. He said we had to "find him something". I looked at him, stuned. What audacity!  Like, it doesn't make sense to me why this man would so boldy demand we bribe him before entering the school premises. Did it never occur to him that this singular act could get him fired? 

We stood at the gate for up to 50 minutes trying to contact the principal. But this did not even bother me much. What I needed to find out was what really gave him the boldness to careless about whether the principal gets to find out his actions or not. Much later after we have reached the principal, she instructed him to let us in. You know, one would have thought he would maybe become remorseful or anything close to it, but no, he wasn't. What was more important to him was to make sure the principal herself had  really given that order. Crazy. This infuriated me the more, and I resolved to tell the principal the story exactly the way it happened ( before then, I had planned to pity him a little. Sorry, I am always in the habit of having mercy. Wink**). 

At the principal's office, I stood observing how she handled his case after we had told her what happened. From the lenient way she was handling it, and the bold way the man was replying her questions, I knew something was not right. It was obvious she was only questioning him at all to please us.

Right there and then, I knew we were on a long thing. Nothing was going to happen to that security man and no one was going to hold him accountable. I was pained, but I kept calm. After all, weren't we inside already? That should be the most important thing. 

Yet, somewhere within me, I knew this is how it is in almost every area of the country. From the commerical drivers, who would hike transport fare at any slightest opportunity, to the market women, especially the Igbo people, hiking prices for food and other commodities so uncontrollably at every given chance that the poor man can hardly be able to afford one square meal, a day. 

It's a pathetic one, the story of corruption in every nook and cranny of the Nigerian society. 

For every little thing that happens, we all shout, "it's the government's fault". But the question is, who is or are this government? The government is you and I. Yes, it is everyone you see all around you today. A good government does not fall from the tree. For every good government you see, there is a good person at the helm of affairs. 

And for all I know, neither a good person nor a bad one in government was thrown down from the sky. They all started out as normal individuals till they became the government. You want a better life? Why not try being better first?