The 'Suffering and smiling' condition of Lagosians

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, generators 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 a WIZIAN today! Scroll down to the bottom of this blog, subscribe to our mailing list and get news update from us. Don't forget to leave a comment below after reading this post.