Photo Credit: @unsplash Adeolu Eletu.
Austin was very confused.
As he drove back home after the meeting, he kept asking himself
What have I gotten myself into?
Why did I agree to this meeting?
His friends and Co-founder did not seem bothered about the discussions at the meeting, they all acted like they were aware of everything:
Why did they not tell me?
Throughout the meeting, Madumere his Co-founder occasionally stole glances at him to know how he was taking the everything, and of course, he wasn't taking it well.
Hmm… this is why Chief Lawson picked interest in us?
This is why he has been too protective of us?
This is why he always came to our rescue each time we had any issues with the public or government officials who often wanted to use their powers to exploit us?
Without any objections, Chief Lawson agreed to be our guarantor, just like that!
Austin, you should have known better, you should have known that everything comes with a price.
Austin said to himself.
Since the next election is around the corner, he now wants to use our voices against the current administration.
I now understand why Madumere, Seun and Chris all of a sudden became very vocal against the current administration, Austin continued, out of the blues they started showing support for Chief Tanko, the rumoured presidential aspirant of the Allied party group, which happened to be Chief Lawson's political party.
After wasting more than two hours on traffic, Austin finally got to his estate, he took the last turn by his left and within 15 minutes, he was in front of his gate.
His security man who had already sighted his SUV from afar rushed out of his post to open the gate for him. Austin tiredly waved at his ever jovial and gallant security staff as he drove into the his compound.
From a considerable distance, he noticed his car park was empty: the only explanation for this, was his younger brother wasn't yet back from work.
Austin looked at his watch, it was 11:15 pm.
That is Lagos for you, traffic in Lagos had turned them into, compulsorily worn out night prowlers.
Austin got down from his shut the door behind him and walked into his apartment, without wasting time, he fell into his favourite sofa, before going back to his thoughts.
"There is no way on this earth I will support that Chief Tanko of a man”
How can well-educated people allow these recycled politicians to control them?
Austin was still immersed in his thoughts when his phone rang.
He picked it up and looked onto the screen, it was no other person but Madumere.
Hey guy! What up! Austin hailed, trying to sound ok.
Austino! How are you doing?
I wanted us to talk briefly after the meeting, Madumere continued in his usual British accent, but we couldn't find you, you just disappeared without letting us know, hope you are good?
I'm fine, nothing much.
Then, there was a sudden and unusual silence at both ends.
Ok, Madumere finally replied.
Did you enjoy the meeting?
Look mate, he continued immediately,
if we support these guys, we will be set for life, more contracts, more connections, in fact, more everything.
“That's the real world, that's how things work everywhere especially here in Nigeria”
Chief Lawson would be made a minister when Chief Tanko becomes President, we will be able to extend our business to the agro-industry.
"Everyone is involved in this, you saw the writer and journalist guy from the Herald graph in the meeting right? You met Professors Ibeno and Opeyemi, you saw the big wigs of the health industry, other startup founders and celebrities, so it's not just us, let's do this"
“Let us support Chief Tanko” Madumere implored.
Austin's mind raced far and wide, not only was this against everything he stood for, he was shocked that all these were coming from his friend Madumere, how effortlessly people change.
For a lot of people, ignorance is bliss, but for the arrogant Nigerian faux elites and the educated middle class, it is an unending bliss.
Just in case you are wondering who a Nigerian faux elite is, here is a list of the various characteristics they possess.
1.They are mostly educated, but rather than use their education to make positive impacts, they prefer to use it to create a social class system so that they can conveniently say;
'I am better than you’
2.They mask their bias and prejudice behind having an unpopular opinion and insisting that it is the truth.
3.They are A-grade tribalist and bigots
4.They will spend hours, days, months and even years of their lives speaking against a bad administration only for them to support a treacherous politician who has a track record of heroic failures all for selfish reasons.
5.They are highly opinionated people with a very fragile ego, for your sanity please don't challenge them especially in public or on social media.
6.A Faux elite doesn't need to make sense, all he needs is big grammar, it will make up for the nonsense he/she spills regularly, in fact, the more degrees, fellowships or seminars they get from a popular university like Harvard, the prouder they become.
7.They shop at the same market as everyone, drive old Camry models; yet, they refer to the rest of us as 'the average Nigerian'
8.Some of them have relocated to the US and Canada, after enjoying constant electrical supply in Nigeria.
9.The summary of their belief is:
'anywhere belle face'
10.They believe that rice, as in Osikapa is not meant for everyone, there are other staple foods for Nigerians to feed on. In their very own words
"brace up people, we are in hard times.
These people are insufferable.
Mr Startup founder and Ms Pragmatic, can you employ any of these politicians you support to work in your private businesses?
Sometimes I wonder if getting a formal education as a Nigerian in Nigeria is necessary, if education cannot change your evil mindset or brush up your reasoning, of what use is it?
Every government agency and almost every private business are controlled by educated people, yet they are often characterized by mismanagement and corruption. The baffling part of it all is how fast a lot of us adjust and adapt to a failed economy.
Since it is easy for us to adjust, we become ignorant to the suffering of the poor masses.
The poor impoverished man down the street isn't left out of this madness, he wants his children to be like the faux elite and once they get to that point where they can feed three times daily and afford a three-bedroom apartment, every other issue the masses are facing doesn't concern them.
In this era of AI and fast-paced technology, some university graduates in Nigeria believe that the solution to poverty is for 'lazy youths' to go back to subsistence farming.
Being an elder statesman or celebrity doesn't deter you from being a faux elite, even a roadside mechanic or street hawker can join the league, all you need to do is:
1.Lose your common sense.
2.Become extremely politically correct
3.Don't think about the bad government in Nigeria, just curse Donald Trump every day and you will be fine.
4.Remind Nigerians that the past administrations from 1999 to 2015 are responsible for all our problems.
5.Believe in lies like Boko haram has been defeated and Nigerian air will fly this year.
6. Since you are supposed to know history more than the rest of us and have a great following on social media especially on Twitter, do everything to court attention and attack people more sensible than you.
A lot of us have chosen to be ignorant, So I don't see this trend ending anytime soon, after all, there is an Igbo adage that says
"the most difficult person to wake from sleep is the one who pretends to be asleep"
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Beyond Agadez: the untold story of the victims of human trafficking and organised crime in Nigeria.
On https://okadabooks.com/book/about/beyond_agadez/35005
Or on Amazon kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Agadez-victims-trafficking-organized-ebook/dp/B089T9KPGX
Thank you!🙂
The cruel reality we are stuck in