In life, when the wrong thing is done repeatedly and no one speaks up, it begins to look normal. Especially in Nigeria, where many people try to take advantage of every situation. That’s why we must learn to put an end to anything that isn’t right before it becomes a tradition. Because many of the traditions causing people to suffer or spend unnecessarily today probably started like a joke. And because no one rose up to challenge them, they eventually became accepted norms that everyone must follow.
About a week ago, I went to a nearby shop to get something and requested to pay via POS. The lady told me she would charge me 50 naira for using the POS. I asked why, and her explanation wasn’t convincing. So, I asked, “What if I don’t have the extra 50 naira, will you refuse to sell to me?” I told her I wasn’t paying the extra charge, and I left. She called me back to come and pay, but I told her I wasn’t buying from her anymore.
Now, I didn’t leave because I didn’t have the 50 naira. I didn’t leave because the 50 naira was too much to pay.
The real question is this: Are you supposed to charge extra for a POS you got to make your sales easier?
The amount may seem small, but imagine 300 people visit your shop in a day and you charge each of them an extra 50 naira. That’s 15,000 naira. But beyond the money, what about those who genuinely don’t have the extra 50 naira? Have we considered them?
Just because you can afford it doesn’t mean everyone else can. The problem isn’t really the 50 naira. The real issue is, should you be charging us extra at all?
This same thing happens across other lines of business. And if no one speaks up, these actions will gradually become traditions, habits that will be hard, if not impossible, to change. That’s when you’ll hear people say, “That’s how it has always been,” or “That’s how they used to do it.”
What’s even more painful is that many of these same people will be the first to blame the government for corruption. But in their small business spaces, they are already promoting corruption. Now ask yourself: if they’re this corrupt in small things, what would they do if given a bigger office?
We keep blaming the government for nearly everything, but the truth is, many of us are not even ready to fight corruption from within ourselves.
Be mindful of what you accept, and be bold to challenge what is wrong, before it becomes a tradition. Because if you don’t suffer the consequences, your children or loved ones just might.
