Nigerians are not trustworthy. Someone is always looking for an opportunity to play you, till you show your madness. Luckily, I have it in abundance.

It has become a Nigerian thing to want to pull a fast one on you. It is like a competition to see who can outsmart the other. Now, it is hard to believe people or relate with people with the same mindset that you have, because, let’s be for real, at any given opportunity, someone is trying to scam you.

Trust is now a rare commodity in Nigeria. From your mechanic who tells you tales of woe about your car and inflates the cost of repair, to the usual online vendor scams, all in a bid to get you to part with your hard-earned money.  Dealing with these people (artisans, servicers, vendors, etc) is a nightmare. They are very unreasonable, especially when you pay upfront. It is like you are talking to Thanos and I can assure you, that paying before service is a bad idea.  When you finally lose your patience and shout at them, they will be miraculously transformed into cooperative people. It is as if they have been waiting for you to raise your voice before acting like decent human beings.

Recently, I was on a bus from Benin to Lagos when it broke down in Ijebu. We asked the driver to call the company for money to get to Lagos, but he refused, insisting on fixing the bus and making us wait. It took us shouting and threatening violence before he agreed to contact the company. Even then, he tried to scam us off the money by putting us on a bus to Ibadan instead of Lagos. From where to where?

Customer service in this country is a joke. Businesses seem to excel only in getting customers and their money. When it is time to address customers’ complaints, they suddenly turn passive-aggressive or even give you the silent treatment. It is like they are doing you a favour by listening to your complaint. This gross ineptitude has ruined our system from top to bottom. 

I’ve seen countless videos of people causing a scene at the bank to get their money issues resolved. They have to resort to shouting or even stripping naked to get attention. It is ridiculous that people have to humiliate themselves before they get basic services. Why does it take someone acting crazy for you to do the right thing? 

Do we need to get to that stage? It is embarrassing for everyone involved. 

I used to be an “omo-get-inside”. My siblings and I had to open our eyes because the tendency for people to scam you because you're quiet or naive is very high. It has happened to me and my siblings. 

If you’re not street-smart, then you’re done for. But then, I am not a street person and don’t want to be one. Can’t I go about my day without having to fight or argue? We’re constantly dealing with aggressive behaviour and it is frustrating. Whether it is collecting your change from the bus conductor or dealing with hostile people, you cannot leave your house without feeling on edge. 

Do Nigerians need to pull out the barbarism from me?  You cannot maintain composure in this country, we’re going madness for madness (werey for werey).

We desperately need a reorientation as a people. Nigeria is a very corrupt country and it is affecting our moral compass  People no longer have principles anymore. Honesty, dignity and integrity have become things of the past. We now have an “anything goes” mentality. Zero accountability, zero responsibility. Just vibes and plain dishonesty.

Everyone is trying to act like they are smarter than everybody. If you’re calm/quiet, then you're a fool– this is the Nigerian way.

Business owners, vendors, etc– this is for you. Exploiting people that come to you for business is very wrong it is diabolical. As the Bible says in Proverbs 11, dishonesty in business disgusts the Eternal, but fair dealing delights him. Stop acting crooked and come correct. 

Online vendors, please fix up. Stop profiling people before giving them your prices. And don’t even get me started on the police. You cannot get anything done in the police station if you don’t know someone or have a lot of cash to spare.   

As a Nigerian, I have now become a mad person. Don’t forget that where your madness ends, is where someone else’s madness begins. 

I pity the generation after us. Who will check their dishonesty? Us? Millennials? Lmao.

fin.