http://mouthpiece.com.ng/random-thoughts-service-delivery-in-nigeria/

Random Thoughts: Service Delivery in Nigeria.

I had a very embarrassing experience at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, when a power outage shut down the prime national airport. After three painful hours, the Airport authorities announced, with accustomed minimal apologies, that the problem was due to a power conflict between old and new terminals. I asked myself if it was not really due to a conflict between the experienced staff who prefer the old ways, and the new young officials who want to do things the modern way. “Please bear with us as our engineers are working hard to resolve the problem”. We later saw some technicians carrying tools that would be useful for a secondary school physics experiment, toiling away, pulling wires, and a lot of strained nerves. The other workers went about as if there was nothing really wrong, except that it made more passengers available for their usual alms extortion, accompanied by the usual greetings : “Oga, your boys are here o”. At check-in, it took four different security services to check my luggage, while we had the following conversation”:

Officer: “Oga, you look very nice this morning, young and handsome” (and who doesn’t need to be told some lies about his appearance and age from time to time?).
Me: “I always look like that when I am hungry” (which is not clinically true…ask any member of my family).
Another Officer: “Your boys have not eaten this morning, o” (why are the officers always referred to as “boys”, regardless of their sex?).
Me: “In that case, I will just stay with you here, so we can all be hungry together, and look nice and handsome “.
In Nigeria, every service provided is a favour, with greetings for every occasion, good morning, happy Sunday, happy Friday, happy weekend, happy everything. And you are expected to express your gratitude in pecuniary form, before, during, and after the service. A friend who recently relocated to Nigeria once remarked that service is not in our DNA. I am beginning to wonder if there is anything good, pure, and fruitful in our DNA. Or possibly, that we have no DNA.

A fellow passenger recounted an episode in which an Emirates flight was delayed which resulted in a missed flight connection. She wowed everybody who cares to listen how well the airline responded with profuse sincere apologies and good compensation of meals and cash bonuses. All because, as she concluded, Emirates has a name to protect: the economy of their country is built around commerce and tourism, where proactive service delivery is essential. Nigeria too has a name. In corruption and poor service delivery, Nigeria has a name, in fact a name above all other names. For at the name of Nigeria, every public asset and funds shall tremble, and every tongue shall confess that living in Nigeria is hazardous to your health, your life, your business, and your sanity.

As Aristotle famously remarked, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” If you do something long enough — anything, really — it becomes habitual. And we are doing excellently with corruption, and poor service delivery. If this wasn’t so sad, it would be funny.

But then, why would a nobody expect to be treated better?

http://mouthpiece.com.ng/random-thoughts-service-delivery-in-nigeria/

In response to your question, mr op, ' But then, why would a nobody expect to be treated better?'


It's because a good nobody is better than a bad somebody