Akintokunbo A Adejumo

I am in the wrong racket. And so are many of my compatriots. I have often wondered whether or not my fortunes in life would have improved if I had joined the Federal Civil Service in 1979, when the Federal Civil Service Commission used to visit the universities to recruit graduating students. I probably would not now be struggling, 34 years later, to build my own house and having only a few thousand Naira in my bank account. It’s a dog’s life.

I see undeserving idiots, mediocre, charlatans and thieves being lauded and acclaimed everyday by the government, the society, religious segments and even the academics with the conferment of dubious honours, awards and accolades, chieftaincy and religious titles and I say to myself, “Are we a degenerate and depraved people who have unfortunately become used to suffering and battering from the hands of an unworthy few?”

It amuses me to hear people asking the Government of Oyo State to provide alternatives to people whose illegal structures are being demolished. Why should the government be responsible for providing alternatives, when the Government never allocated these land or shops to them in the first place?

Our names represent who we are and we become known by our name to all who associate with us throughout our short lives in the world, with our reputation or the opinion generally held of us always inextricably linked to our name...

Our society, like any other society consists of psychopaths and criminal. The only difference is that with Nigerians, the criminals and psychopaths seem to have been having the upper hand since the inception of this country. And inexplicably and ironically, it is the same people who are downtrodden, looted from, raped, abused and ignored by the rulers who invariably encourage, support and indeed, celebrate these criminals...

I have always been fascinated with the aeroplane. I always go to the airports and go to the viewing areas just to see planes land and take off. It is exhilarating for me and makes me appreciate technology. Unfortunately, it is not an invention of the black man. I have always wondered at the brains that came up with the idea of throwing such a huge metallic weight into the air, with people and goods inside...

I hate pettiness and hypocrisy in the same vein and intensity. How many structures – libraries, mosques, churches, villas and house -- have been built for Nigerian leaders by construction firms and contractors over the decades?

Nigerian civil servants are the laziest, most indolent, most ineffective and most corrupt breed of their kind in the world. They collude very enthusiastically and very willingly with the politicians and bankers to loot the country. And they are so hypocritical, it is almost unbelievable...