September 21st was internationally recognized as Peace One Day. As a matter of fact, my friend and colleague Sara Palacio-Vanegas so moved at the spate of killings globally opted to share the link of Peace One Day on her page using Social Media. Her post reads “September 21st is the Internationally Recognized Peace One Day. Peace One Day is calling for and working towards a day of ceasefire and non-violence observed by all sectors of society globally, from governments to the individual. Support the Global Truce 2012 now and help us see the largest reduction in global violence in recorded history”. Ofcourse I still remember it was for this same cause that AIESEC (www.aiesec.org) - the largest youth run organization in the world was founded and so, I have been committed to this cause working with AIESEC in the last 4years.
After reading through her wall, I had to connect with Peace One Day and take a good look at their cause since I already knew that of AIESEC while also imagining a world void of violence; it would be terrific. Having said that, let me point out here that this piece is neither about Peace One Day & AIESEC nor my colleague’s emotions rather, it is directed towards the way people flex their muscles in their baseless quest for superiority. Using Lagos – Nigeria’s commercial capital as a reference, it’s is absolutely impossible for you to go around with your daily activities without coming across people either fighting or raining abuses on each other with the option of fighting for no just cause.
Having spent the largest part of my life in this suburb before being privileged to visit other cities of the world, I can say for sure that I have seen enough and thus can give a good diagnosis of the said city. Lasgidi as it is often called houses the most industrious, hardworking and vigilant people in Africa atleast if not on earth but because everybody is on the fast lane, we end up having so many reasons for anger to spill. Below are 3 groups of people who disturb the peace of this city demonstrating too much power yet without any accolade. Here they go:
Commercial Bus Drivers
These guys are great drivers. They can make a pregnant woman who is due for delivery put to bed with sheer ease and can also make a woman who is just some months pregnant have miscarriage in the twinkle of an eye. They drive buses which are worn out, they drive off their lane, they don’t even obey traffic rules and yet they speed like they are on a trial to act Fast and Furious thereby making me ask, why don’t this guys just go in to compete in the high paying Formular-1race if they are so good? So here is where the problem lies, if you attempt to query their reckless driving, they will either make it worse or give you the curses of your life. So, because you would rather be insulted than be killed sheepishly, you can’t help but quarrel or even end up fighting the bus conductor in a bid to alight.
Toll Collectors
In Lasgidi they are popularly called Agbero’s. They are usually unkempt with so many scars as their bragging rights and their callousness as a thing to dread. They would run after every motorist blindly just to collect an indescribable levy. In cases where the motorist either refuses to part with their money or even tries to abscond, you will see the Agbero either beating the bus conductor blue-black or vandalizing their vehicle with all sort of confidence and the security agents on site would be playing the On Your Own game (OYO). Each day, this Agbero’s will brag of being able to beat everybody yet what annoys me is that they have never made it to the Boxing or Wrestling Heavyweights Championship.
Nigeria Police Force NPF
It’s a shame that since independence this side has not changed despite the verbal attack they get from the media daily. They are another source of worry to our country. Someone once said, in Nigeria we have only two national disasters and they are PHCN (the national electricity providing company) and NPF (the police force). Day in day out, you would experience congested traffic that would last for hours and you would be forced to ask what’s the cause of this traffic? Was there an accident? Did a heavy-duty truck tumble? Without anyone to provide answers, you continue waiting. Annoyingly, when you finally get to the source of the traffic, you will find members of the NPF dressed as if they want to embark on war collecting money from motorist and giving them pass-number (identification) as if they were at a toll-gate. Surprisingly, when a motorist defaults in paying the mandatory toll, they would beat the motorist like a thief and seize his vehicle which will require him to pay through his nose if he must redeem his vehicle not minding the fact that what they (NPF) are doing is illegal. Just take a look at northern Nigeria, there are numerous security issues everywhere yet these men cannot go there and show their power rather they prefer to hide in a calm suburb and show themselves.
I am sick and tired of seeing people waste their talents. Ofcourse I know they are local champions but I believe they would think otherwise yet they have never made any effort to prove me wrong. They all claim to have so much power yet they cannot win any medal or even record an appearance at the Olympics or African Games. In the recently concluded All African Games in Maputo, Nigeria struggled to win medals in all categories and at the end, they still could not boast of the highest collection of gold medals; what a shame. If you have a skill that is sellable in a bigger scale, why then die in your corner oppressing everyone and becoming a local champion when you can go out and make cool money? Launch into the deep cause therein lays great treasure and let’s see if you can survive and if you can’t, then let us have peace as Peace One Day and AIESEC are craving for.
EE
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