About two weeks ago, I dey one
airport for Africa with my Asian colleague and we just dey discuss travelling
and other things. Then the guy say,
‘This airport is alright but
too disorganised. If they organise it better it’ll be nice.’
For one moment, I surprise small
and just dey about to answer ‘This airport? Are you kidding me?’ but I think am
again and just nod my head and smile. Wetin the guy talk na true. No need to
argue.
This airport wey we dey talk
about so na correct one. No be like Murtala Mohammed Airport wey when Police
search you bag finish, dem pass am to Army; Army finish dem pass am to Navy;
Navy finish dem… you get the picture. Things dey work well, and you no fit
waste time for there. The only issue be say e get plenty airports for Europe
and Asia wey correct pass am for organisation.
And that na wetin my colleague dey talk about. The airport good, but e
still need improvement.
The thing wey happen to me, na
wetin dey happen to most of us for our country. We done live for country where
things no dey work at all, so that every small thing wey work, na blessing. For
example, a Governor go give contract make dem repair bad road and all of us go
dey happy, dey praise God and the Governor. We dey forget say na this same
Governor give the contract wey dem take construct this road two years before.
And if to say dem do better work, the road no go need patching. Or you go to
enter flight scheduled for 7am and the flight leave at 8am. People go say ‘Thank
God o! Na only 1 hour delay. Normally, e dey pass like that.’
 |
| Oliver Twist courtesy Jake Parker |
Even some of us wey done travel
to places where things dey work well sef dey do the same thing. Somehow we no
dey feel say we fit get those same excellent standards for our country. So, we
no dey expect good service, infrastructure, leaders, etc. Because we no dey
expect those things, we no dey complain when we no get them. We no dey demand
for them. When we get pass wetin we dey expect, we go give thanks like say we
done get the whole world. But deep down, we know say wetin we get no reach
standard.
We know say to thank somebody
for something (even when na him job e dey do) na good thing o. But after we say
‘thank you’, nothing stop us from being like Oliver Twist and to say ‘I want
more’. We deserve more. We know say we fit get more. Governments and businesses
for other countries dey provide more for their people, so why not our own?
We need to change this culture
of not demanding. We need to demand things from our politicians, leaders and
our government. We need to demand things from the people wey dey provide us
services – telecoms, transportation, media, etc. We need to demand things from
each other. If we no demand, maybe some people no go realise say dem dey
misbehave. Dem no go know say dem performance no reach. And some people wey
know say dem no dey perform, no go get any reason to improve.
As D’banj talk ‘I wanna have
them all…’ we fit ‘have them all’. Not the ‘them’ wey D’Banj wan have o! But we
fit get those things wey we need for our country.
This na @nfsqueezed on Twitter
As somebody talk for one place wey I no fit remember now, e say "there is no such thing as finding the best... It just a question of comparative badness". I don think this talk well well. And I believe say the talk not true for our condition for Nigeria. The few people wey gree to do half of their work, we dey see them as exceptional people. The rest wey no dey gree attempt do their work, and those people we dey see as normal people. My broda Jonas, I agree with that your talk we say we need to start to ask questions for every aspect of our life. Wether na for work, for house and especially our government. Our people need to wake up, tell dem say this government na we own, and we suppose know wetin dey happen inside and dem need to do things wey we, the people want.
ReplyDeleteComparative badness! I need to rewrite this piece and find way to put that grammar there! You no talk lie, my guy.
DeleteThe problem be say as a group of people, we no dey bother about standards - anything goes. You waka enter banking hall & a cashier attend to you badly, you no go talk. You go eat for buka sef, one yeye girl no go attend to you well - yet nothing go happen.
ReplyDeleteNa the same thing dey worry us with politicians. We no fit tell people when them don mess up.
You too correct. Na exactly wetin I dey talk. Why somebody go dey misbehave when you dey spend your own money, I no understand. And why we no go take the matter up, even tire me pass. We need to begin ask for wetin we deserve from everybody. Anybody wey we dey pay to do work (including our politicians) and e no feel like doing the work, make e waka. If e no gree, make we help make am waka.
DeleteNa we nigerians be our problem...you can imagine person wey work from begining to end of month and if govt pay the person salary, dem go say the govt try º°˚˚°ºoo . Sometin wey be ur right. Na wetin make our govt dem dey jonse anyhow. Ofcourse we must ask for more to keep them on their toes.
ReplyDeleteTrue talk, my guy.
DeleteNa this same thing i bin dey talk with one of my friends 2 days ago, as we dey yan, im come ask me weda i no fit get faith say lite go come make i do my work? naim i ask am, 'faith for wetin be my right?' If faith na limited bank ehn? 9jarians for don withdraw everything cos na only here wey person need faith for the most basic things of life. U need faith 2 travel for road, land and air, u need faith for.......... in fact the least is endless!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe be country of faith-loving people o. Everything na faith. And if you speak against am, then e be like say you be devil pikin. Enough of that faith for things wey human being go do. Make we demand wetin we want from human beings and push them to do their jobs!
Delete