Corruption is now something I feel cannot be inevitable in every part of the world. The reason is that the world is now a corrupt place where people no longer have regard for whoever you are or whomever you think you might be, and the only thing they say is that if you are not connected with a well-to-do person, you cannot be regarded as anything. When we talk about corruption, it starts with each of us because we all are the chaperones of it because I thought about the way we humans treat each other regarding humanity at all.
Why is this so? I will share a brief history of what I experienced and why I am clamoring about this. Normally as a Nigerian youth corps member, you are to observe the monthly community development scheme and also do your monthly clearance, which different corps members come from different places depending on where you stay and when your schedule falls. These things are very mandatory for every corp member because that is what will show that you have done your duty diligently and you are serving your fatherland, as they all say. But going for monthly clearance can be somehow stressful and tasking if you are not ready to pay a bribe.
Yesterday I was at my local government for my monthly clearance, which was the very first one I am going to do after a long stress I have gone through with my place of primary assignment. I had to travel about 500 km away from where I originally stayed so that I could meet up with the time they are to start the clearance, but when I got there, it was early, but the attendance had gotten up to 300 plus as of 8:05 am, but the schedule was meant to start by 8 am. I couldn't complain, and I just had to write down my information in the book and wait until it got to be my turn.
While I was waiting for the number to reduce and do mine, I noticed that some of the people we were sitting together with left me on that spot and left. But I was not bothered at first until I went close and I had to discover that most of them were paying bribes to bypass those that were originally in the queue. I felt so annoyed because I would have done such a thing too, but I stayed put until it got to be my turn. Eventually I had to stay until it had almost ended, and when I saw that it was not going to reach my turn before they closed for the day, I had to go in with another person's number that had done and gone.
I felt so sad because I could have done that since and went back to my place instead of staying and waiting. Now the case is that we all complain about the government being so biased and judgmental with things. But we as the grassroots people following the government are even worse. If I had not gone with what I did, I am sure I might not have been able to do what I was supposed to do, which might now cost me more money going back there today. But I am happy I eventually did mine after all the stress I went through.