Ours is a strange society Few months back, I wrote, Nigeria is a country where criminality is profitable, I am cocksure, some would despise my sense of observation. There, I found myself on Saturday 16/08/14 at Royal Parklane, Ijapo Estate, Akure, Ondo state in the midst of ex-militants numbering 35 in an open bar within the premises under the FG sponsored amnesty programmes having more than enough fun with assorted drinks. Curiously, but not without ordering more drinks for them, I asked admiringly with the cheerful but vacuous looks of jealousy to pave way for his vain-glorious disposition how they got means for this flamboyant life. Introduction by one of them in vernacular tongue, did justice to my poke-nosing question as he stated : we are all ex-militants. We are better than you foolish graduates thinking in your illusionary knowledge that you are better than us. I quickly cut in: Bar man, please, give us six plates of barbecue on me. After my request, I nodded my head to show approval to his narcissistic point of view and at the same time asked how he was better than us. Pay rapt attention to what he said below. He said: look my brother as I am, I earn #22,000 per week as feeding; #65,000 per month as salary, all for six months and my hotel-room accommodation, of course, bro, you know the amount paid for a room here. I smiled gleefully. He continued; he asked his colleage sitting beside him scornfully: home boy, how much a corper collects as take- home pay? Home boy replied: common #19,800 as feeding, accommodation and transportation. Now you, a staunch supporter of our leaders, argue against my view that criminality is profitable in an insane society of ours. Nothing but insanity it is to throw money to problems all the time thinking problems would disappear . I have heard so many times that ideas rule the world, not money. Blame but not our leaders, you yourself that keep silent to all this insanity; for those leaders know what they do better than some of us that watch the ugly situation silently. And what they do can be succinctly captured with Yoruba proverb that states who does not wish us to eat satisfactorily, at onset, we plan their quota. Stand against the insanity of our leaders even you are standing alone.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 10:15:18 +0000