Whenever strangers from within the country visit
Lagos, immediately they see a society that is enveloped by the darkness.
Everything they experience, observe and see seems to be upside down and
chaotic. They lament, how could human beings adapt to such a life of hell
without any out roar of being fed up. Just like the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti
would say, “suffering and smiling.” That is the best description for the life
in Lagos.
If fellow Nigerians from other states
could feel this way about Lagos, then how much more strangers from outside the
country. They would feel like running back after experiencing just a day in
Lagos. This is one key reason preventing investors from coming into the
country. Lagos is the first point of call to any investor willing to invest in the
country. Nobody would want to invest in a society that is not working, upside
down and chaotic. Civilization is so far away from Lagos. But to Lagosians, in fact,
they are the most civilized people in the world; every other person is
uncivilized. Just like a mad man who feels he is sane and everybody around him
is insane. Lagosians do the wrong things in place of the right things. And when
they see you trying to do the right thing, they think you are abnormal. They would
even rein abuses on you saying, “don’t you know that this is Lagos?” You are
not sharp; you are not smart etc; Just because you are trying to do the right
thing. The story of many visitors in Lagos has been, ‘if you cannot beat them,
then join them.’ So, within few days a visitor in Lagos has adapted to this
life of hell and already behaving like other Lagosians.
Bookmakers describe Lagos as the second worst city
to live in the world. Why would it not be; with all the uncivilized activities
putting the state among the blacklisted cities of the world? Activities such
as:
·
Smuggling of contraband commodities such
as rice, vegetable oil, frozen turkey and chicken.
·
Begging and street hawking in every nook
and cranny of the city.
·
Bribery and corruption experienced by
transporters in the hands of Police, Road safety and Agberos.
·
Lawlessness
·
Pollution from noise, vehicle exhaust
and company machinery.
·
Breaking of traffic rules by motorists.
·
Massive traffic jam everywhere in the
state.
·
Armed robbery, kidnapping, ritual
killings, scamming, drug trafficking, child trafficking by residence.
·
Bad roads and poor drainages leading to
flooding whenever it rains.
·
Erratic power supply
·
Congestion, confusion and
disorderliness. One can go on and on.
If we do not pay cognizance attention to these
things and find a long lasting solution to them, then the so much talked about
CHANGE would be a word said in the wind. Let us all CHANGE from within.
CHANGE begins with me!
The pleasure is my whenever am permitted to share my surface, minute and faint knowledge with the rest of the world.It also gladdens my heart whenever I share my thoughts, knowledge and experiences with others. Become
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