How Nigerians are both Benefactors and Victims of Corruption

Nigerians hate the consequences of corruption but not the actions itself. They hate not having electricity and not having running water. They hate the bad roads (if you can call them roads.) They hate the backwardness of the society that they cannot get the same comfortable lifestyle as attainable in Europe, America and Asia.
Yes, they would like to see a difference. Yet, every single Nigeria contributes one way or the other to the demise of the country. Many people don’t know this and other pretend not to know. Generally, no one wants to take responsibility. There is always someone else to be blamed. Mostly it is THEM. The THEM can be anybody or anything depending on the level of hardship and the level of ignorance at the time. It can be the Europeans, Americans, Politicians, Leaders, even Bill Gates. Even the leaders are blaming the leaders. A Nigerian will hardly reflect on the problem and see where he or she personally is at fault and resolve to some form of personal resolution.
To illustrate this let me give you just one example. When I was a young man in Benin City, I use to pass by a small estate with beautiful houses owned by a customs officer. I loved those buildings. It was situated in a sloping area. Although the elevation of the slope was not that high, but you could feel it when you walk uphill.

It was situated on a road called Eweka road in a place now known at Ikpoba-Okha. It was supposed to be a major road and was at least several kilometres long.

I left the country when I was very young. Anytime I visited Nigeria I would see all the neighbourhood deteriorate gradually. But I still spent time at the family home and stayed there when I was in town. I would walk pass this estate and see it gradually run down.

20 years later, after 10 years’ self-exile from Nigeria, I came back again and decided to have a walk around. I requested to be taken to the location where the estate was. I was told politely the area no longer exists. What happened? I queried.
I was told the area has been washed away by erosion. That I can literally walk on the roof of some of those houses now. It was hard to believe, how is that possible? I demanded to be taken to the area. What I saw there was a shock. There was a valley almost as deep as the Grand Canyon created there. All the houses, the investments and the estate built with corrupt money, all gone. The owner, now an ex-customs officer was still alive, living in a small flat somewhere with a noisy “I better pass my neighbour” generator to power himself into the 21th century digital age.

He told his story to me, how he was screwed by the government pension scheme and how he lost his estates - He had more than one.

He told how the ex-governor of Edo State, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion got world bank loan to create proper roads and drainage in the area. The Eweka road was supposed to be constructed properly and drainage system properly laid down. The contractor came in cohort with the government to paved the road and walked away without doing the work. They pocketed all the money.
As more and more people started building houses in the area the erosion accelerated and coupled with the fact our people don’t like to walk together to solve common problem they resorted to pray. However, for one reason or the other, God didn’t hear the prayers and erosion came and wiped out all that area with hundreds of houses.

That was the story of how the customs officer lost his estate.
This is a typical case of corruption swallowing corruption. The customs officer built the estate in the first place through ill-gotten wealth. He loved it them when the result of corruption was on his side. However, years later, he was the one who suffered the consequences of corruption. He lost everything. Suddenly he was against corruption and wants to fight it.
This type of story is a recurring story in the Nigerian society and the people don’t seem to learn from it.

The side people are in the fight against corruption depends on if they are benefactors or victims at the time. However, at the end, every Nigerian and their offspring become victim of corruption. It is just a matter of time.

Many people really love corruption and they are actually proud of it. Ask people why they love Nigeria. One of the things they will tell you is “everything goes in Nigeria as long as you have money” That is no reason to love a country. That is a jungle behaviour. It is only in the jungle everything goes. In a normal society your right stops where mine starts.
I know a lot of people who just enjoy abusing others just because they have a bit of money than the other person. This type of behaviour is not tolerated in the western world. So they love it in Nigeria.

The problem will remain as long as no one wants to blink first.

A while back, I was flying back home. I was in the business class lounge at the marital Mohmand airport. There was a man and his colleague sitting next to me. They ordered one of the ladies there to serve them. At the lounge it is self-service. It is not a restaurant. The lady politely served them. But they called her back again and again. At a time, they demanded for something and she told them it was not available. However, they wouldn’t stop. They demanded of her to go out of the airport to buy it for them. That was when she drew the line and refused that it was not allowed. They men got upset and started saying to her “do you know who I am” at that time I intervened and told them to cool it off. That was typical of a Nigerian abuse of power or privilege.

Yes, in Nigerian everything goes, He cannot do that in Germany or England. If he does, he would be thrown out of the lounge no matter who he was and they don’t care how much you have. In Nigeria you could even have your police escort beat the woman up and get her raped because everything goes. Yes, some people love that. Except when they become the victims.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=269385000234282&id=158338594672257

cc:lalasticlala and mynd44

The pro-nigerians say Nigeria is where the Money is...and I ask: What do Nigerians in Nigeria do better than people in the West that entitles them "fat bank Accounts"?

You already know the answer!

Make them continue to pray...na prayer them take develop First World countries.