THE “NA STAFF” MENACE

   Hello guys, happy Wednesday. I hope your week is going just fine. For some reason, I feel like this week is crawling as I have been anticipating the weekend for God knows how long.

  

 I was hoping that by now I’d be used to the Lagos stress but sadly I am not even close. It’s bad enough that I have to wake up at very ungodly hours to prepare for work but spending eight to nine hours in traffic everyday has to be the back breaker!

  

 If you are a bus jumper like my humble self, I’m sure you must have heard the above sentence countless times. The matter has been giving me anger ripples so much that I have decided to share my opinion on it.

 For those who are used to the soft way of life, allow me make it clear. Every time a commercial bus driver picks up passengers, he is certain he won’t get paid for at least one space if he unfortunately picks up some members of the diverse security agencies; Police, NSCDC, Tax Force or any other individual wearing a uniform that looks serious.

  

   At first I assumed that the drivers choose not to collect money out of the magnanimity of their hearts but to my horror, the absolute opposite is the case as the drivers do not have a choice.
    One evening, as I sat quietly in a Danfo bus headed to Oshodi from Obalende, a middle-aged man wearing a Police uniform entered the bus. Immediately he entered, the countenance of the bus conductor changed. He clearly did not appreciate the Police man’s presence. Fast forward and it is time to collect our money. When the conductor asks the officer for his money, he arrogantly says “I be staff”. From the back I’m like “what dah”? Like someone who just realized his stupidity, the conductor turns to the next person behind the so called staff.

   

 This has to be one of the most regular form of exploitation that’s prevalent in Lagos (asides bribery of course).  I presume these officers feel that they do not have to pay because they do us civilians a favor; a concept that leaves me bewildered. For heaven sake, you have a paying job, why deny another person his little income?

   

  Now the above scenario has played out several times. Sometimes the drivers refuse to accept the staff's line while other times, they walk away like chickens. Every time this happens, I feel like tapping the so called staff and giving him/her these words:

  

  Dear sir/ma, I believe you are a representative of the government. I also believe that your job is to keep the peace and order, protect civilians and live exemplary lives. Your job isn’t just a job, its way of life (or should be) and I strongly believe that you are being paid for it.

  

 Every time I hear you people sing The Police is Your Friend  hymn ,one thought comes to my mind:  can you honestly tell that to a family man who has several mouths to feed and only depends on the income from a bus he doesn’t even own? Are you truly his friend when you seek to cheat him at every opportunity and still wouldn’t come to his rescue when he needs you?

  

 Sometimes you don’t just enter alone, you come in with two or three of your colleagues and you all don’t pay for your seats thereby occupying space that should have been paid for.

  

  Now I could go on and on about how you drag your image to the mud because of your greed but I’d take a pause here and point out that every time I see you act in such a debasing manner, I wish I could just take it upon myself to wipe you out of the honorable institutions you represent. What a shame!

  

  When the honorable STAFF got down at his bus stop, some lady raised the issue of so called staffs not paying their fares. Although I didn’t contribute, I paid absolute attention. She said something that I’d like to paraphrase. She said, most Military personnel pay their fares. Now I’m asking, if Soldiers who fight for the nation at the high cost of their lives pay their fare, why can’t men of the Police Force and all the other uniforms (that I don’t know their names) pay up? Truly it’s ridiculous abeg!

  I’d stop here as I have to rush back to what I’m being paid to do before I get a sack letter. What do you guys think of this “Na Staff “menace?