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Nigeria: A Long Way to Go

Sonnie Ekwowusi

26 November 2008

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opinion

Lagos — The depraved conduct of my motor mechanic last week reinforces the argument that we have a long way to go before reaching our final destination where hopefully there will be no more weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Sorry for bringing up this personal example today, but I think it eloquently testifies to the way we are in Nigeria. I complained to my mechanic that my car was squeaking especially when it bumps into a pothole. In response, he gave me a list of automobile spare parts which needed to be purchased and fixed underneath the car to get it back to shape. The automobile parts included: 2 thyroids, I chaff rubber, 4 front and back bushings etc. Trusting his judgment and honesty, I gave him the money to purchase the items. Off he disappeared with the money and my car. In the evening he reported with an unusual charming smile and said to me in Pidgin English: "Oga mi, I don finish. The car don dey move well now". You go use this car tire without any complain again". "Are you sure everything is okay", I asked him. "The law, no bi today I begin work for you. Make you dey trust me now. I say everything don dey okay", he answered. I thanked him and collected the ignition keys from him. On my way to work the next day, I noticed that the condition of the car was worse. I rang up the mechanic. He swore to high heavens that he replaced the faulty automobile parts in my car with new ones. To verify his claims, I sought the services of two independent motor mechanics. The two confirmed that my mechanic had hoodwinked me: that my mechanic did not replace the faulty parts as he claimed; that he merely put oil in the front wheel of my car. Outraged, I telephoned my mechanic again.

To cut the long story short, I defiantly reported the matter to the police. The police swooped on my mechanic, arrested and detained him. Upon interrogation, he confessed that he dupped me and that he did not replace the said faulty parts. As I write this, he has refunded 90% of the stolen money.

My anger is not that my mechanic cheated me. I live in Nigeria and I know that cheating is the trade mark of many motor mechanics, "re-wirers", "faulknizers", plumbers, electricians, painters and other artisans: my annoyance stems from the fact that a motor mechanic who has been working on my car for many years will turn round one day and cheat me. Nobody is an island unto himself. Being a social animal, man is bound to interact and do business with other human beings around him. Society should function on the basis of trust and loyalty. We cannot be going about suspecting everybody or saying that everybody is a thief. Besides charity demands that we maintain the good name of our neighbour until the contrary is proved. Even when the contrary has been proved, we have no right to drag other people's name and reputation into the mud.

But experience has shown we have to be suspecting everybody and everything we see in Nigeria. If you are so naïve to trust a motor mechanic, for example, you will have yourself to blame later. This is our tragedy. Oftentimes we indulge in the pastime of pointing accusing fingers at those occupying public offices forgetting that we are equally guilty of corruption and embezzlement of funds in our places of work and in the bloodstream of the society. How do they say it again in Pidgin English? "where man dey work naim man dey chop". Certainly Nigeria cannot make progress with this cheating mentality. Now that we have finished clapping for Obama and the United States, we have to sit down to re-organize our country. Even President Yar'Adua applauds Obama's victory. Which means that we appreciate good things in Nigeria. But why is our country like this? Why all these cheatings at elections, in the offices, in public squares etc. Why can't we do the right things in this country? Why remain a country of hand-clappers? The average Nigerian is an expert at diagnosing Nigeria myriads of problems. He has traveled widely and so can share with you his experience of developments in other countries. But when he starts misbehaving you will run away from him.

The other day two neighbours rendered the neighbourhood street impassable with their show of shame. With their cars facing each other in a hot afternoon, the troublesome duo refused to give each other a right of way. While the man kept insisting that the woman must apologize for being rude to him, the woman, surrounded by other neighbourhood women, kept raining abuses at the man. When I arrived to the scene, I pleaded with the man to give the woman a right way, if not for anything, for the sake of stranded neigbours, but he said that that would happen over his dead body. You see, we behave like wolfs unto one another especially in the streets. Our egoism prevents us from thinking about the welfare of others. There is chaos on our expressways because no motorist wants to give the other a right of way. We have no standards. Our public toilets are dirty. Our houses look unkempt. We litter the streets with banana peals and pure water sachets. In Lagos,

everything goes. Despite Governor Fashola's relentless efforts to clean up Lagos, some Lagosians still urinate and defecate in public places at will. In Lagos a reckless okada rider can smash your car mirror and if you dare demand for justice he and the other okada riders in the vicinity will surround you and beat a hell out of you. Some parents rush for food at public gatherings in front of their kids. Nowadays some parents connive with WAEC or JAMB exam invigilators for their children to cheat at WAEC or JAMB exam. The Lagos State government has banned the use of siren quite alright, but some lawless leviathans in Lagos are still using their siren to harass the public. Even some okada riders in Lagos now use the siren. In Lagos if you see a rickety oil tanker or trailer coming in your direction, please take to your heels because it can fall and smash you. With many young unemployable Nigerians going into the okada-riding business, imagine what Nigeria will look like in the next four years. It will be lawlessness all the way. Imagine the anarchy that will be let loose after these young thieving gadabouts have graduated from the "Nigerian armed robbery school".

So what is the solution? We cannot continue to be churning out young men who specialize in cheating, thuggery, disobedience of the law, or causing mayhem. First we have to revamp our education system to make it solve our immediate needs. Primary and secondary school education should be made compulsory for all aspiring Nigerian apprentices and artisans. Primary school education is very vital in the life of any person. It is the foundation of all educations. Perhaps if my motor mechanic had seen the four walls of a primary school, he would have been an honest mechanic today.

But a formal education without character is dangerous. Therefore it is not enough to go to any school and acquire a degree or a certificate. There are many people parading all sorts of University degrees and certificates, but who are lacking in character. Despite spending years in many schools and Universities, these people are still the same tribal jingoists, mediocre and misfits. Any wonder some are calling for ethical re-birth. I agree. In the last eight years the lowest common denominator of acceptable character in political life has grown much lower. Politics and politicians have become words of disrepute.

But while the country sickens for lack of moral leadership, the people too are morally depraved. If a political office holder leaves office without embezzling money to build himself a mansion in the village, his kinsmen and village folks will brand him a failure and a never-do-well. Good role models are hard to come by today. Indecency is applauded, while decency is scorned. Go to our Cyber Cafes and see our yahoo boys and girls browsing pornography and indulging in various scams with alacrity. You may ask: what is the future for these yahoo boys and girls? We live in a country increasingly torn apart by cheating, instincts to dominate others, profligacy, unbridled individualism, narcissism and other bundle of vices. Look at my motor mechanic. Everywhere you see man's inhumanity to man. Our streets are overrun by reckless motorists and okada riders. So we must restore the power of moral indignation in Nigeria. We have to raise the standards of public behaviour; otherwise we are wasting our time.

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