Sometime ago, I lived in a compound that employed a Nigerien as gate man/security guard. His name was Abdul. He was friendly, spoke clean aboki English and would run errands only if you reward him in cash.
After living in that compound for a few weeks, I discovered that the room Abdul slept in was unpalatable. He had a terrible mattress, rain and Sun beat him there. The landlord refused to fix the room. His duties were to wash every tenant's car, run errands and to open/close the gate.
I would watch in despair every time he brings out his mattress for the sun do dry after a heavy downpour and "pack" water from his "apartment". Worse, some of my co-tenants refused to pay their dues to him. The monthly contributions we paid were his salary.
Abdul came to me after a few months of being owed.
Abdul: Welcome madam, abeg I wan tell you something.
Me: Wetin happen?
Abdul: I wan tell you wetin I never tell anybody for this compound. These people no dey pay me my money complete. After this night, I dey comot. Abdul continued; If not for you, hunger for don kill me.
That night, I had come back late from work and wanted Abdul to give his fellow aboki my clothes to mend. After hearing his news, I couldn't give them to him. I was disheartened.
He saw the bag I was holding. "wetin dey the bag?" and I explained. "Haba madam, na my work be this! Abdul fixed my clothes perfectly and returned them the next day.
Abdul left his employment, just as other guards before and after him. I collected his information and promised to call anytime I need his services.
This made me think that why people get to power and lose their senses. It is easy to forget your past, especially bad experiences I know, but shouldn't kindness be a "thing"? It is easy to treat your neighbour shabbily if you forget your humble beginnings.
If you won't pay your gate man his wage because he did not greet you properly, how will you treat your constituents?
The elections are only a few months away. Pay attention to who you want to vote for. Granted, Nigerians are corrupt. Our politicians play with our present, past and future. They gamble and enrich themselves with our resources. They are all cut from the same cloth but wouldn't God be kind to give us someone to vote for who has a little bit sympathy for people around him?
Ask questions. Do you pay the salaries of your staff? What's the guarantee that when we vote for you, you won't give us excuses? How do you dispose your waste? Inside gutter? Who are your friends?
Currently, we have governors who party in clubs and build statues along dirty government roads. Why wouldn't we be buried in debt? Why should other countries take us seriously?
It begins with us.
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