Growing up, we all had different kinds of things we wanted to become for righteous reasons. I wanted to become a lawyer so badly that I find myself wanting to purchase that white looking wig worn by lawyers and judges in court but then life happened. It wasn't as if what I dream to become was wrong, it just that life took me on a different direction.
The whole struggle began when I wasn't able to get admission to my preferred institution and I eventually end up in a Polytechnic and with Nigeria education structure, you can't study law in a Polytechnic. Well there was another profession I was passionate about, it was mass communication, to become a journalist. I had a beautiful ride on this journey, got admitted into a Polytechnic and I was opportune to do both my C.I.W.E.S and industrial training in a radio station. It was like a dream come true, to finally have the opportunity to do some good.
The thing about these professions is that, the textbook definition of it and what it is in reality are two different things. Throughout my training days in Lagos traffic radio I discovered how rotten the profession is. We were supposed to be the watchdogs for the people but every information broadcasted from any contemporary media is not being disseminated because of having the masses best interest at heart, every information has been doctored and every News is subjected to the owner of the media house perspective and the ruling class decision.
I also shared what I experienced during the endsars riot, how the media organisation I worked for changed the headline of the story I wrote just to suit the editors preference, trying to correct this, I got suspended in the process. Having gone through this, I discovered all I dreamt to become was a lie. There will never be freedom of the press unless corruption in the media houses is eradicated which is impossible because the whole country is rotten to the core.
So when I decided to go back for HND, it wasn't because I was passionate to become a journalist, I just wanted to complete what I started, which I did, I graduated, served and what did I do next? I established my own business. What does that make me? a coward who gave up is passion to save the masses from the tyranny of the ruling class and decided to choose business over this righteous cause, I'm sure this is what a naive minded person would think, I would have thought the same but I woke up from my slumber.
This is the reality of almost everyone these days, that is why you would see someone that studied biochemistry or industrial chemistry give up their line of work and decide to work in a bank, it is not as if they are not aware of how ridiculous it sounds but what other choice do they have? is either they continue to search for jobs in their line, which might take forever to find or get a job anywhere just to survive.
For every business being established, the aim of the owner is to make profit, whatever righteous cause the business might aim at, is just a secondary objective, the primary objective is to make profit. You know why? because without profit, how will the business keep running? If there is no money flowing in, how will a business stay afloat? It is naive to think hospitals are established just to treat people or to create jobs. All these are secondary objectives to making profits.
Even schools have always been a means of making profit, it has never been about educating the masses. Our colonisers claimed that we were colonised in order for them to enlighten us but guess what, they looted us so badly that up till this moment we are still suffering from same looting structure they put in place.
The only difference now is that, everyone is finally realising that, profession can't pay their bills or elevate them from poverty. Don't you see bankers, some of them work for more than 35 years without a house they can call their own. That is what being head bent on a profession does to people. What about teachers, people who give their lives to educate others, their salaries is not even up to 50% of what cleaners in the house of assembly are collecting.
Tell me who is meant to be collecting more salary between soldiers that risk their lives everyday and those corrupt politicians in upper houses but you see, it is those corrupt dudes that get the highest pay while does that lay down their lives for profession, for the greater good gets trampled upon like trash. The reality of life doesn't necessarily favor the righteous, this is something I learnt before giving up the passion of becoming a journalist, I realised I can't change anything, so why not go after business, be kind to whoever I can and make profit in the process because it is the true reality of the world we live in.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled Business minded in hive learners community.
Cover image - 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗏𝖺
All images are mine or else stated otherwise
