ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE OCT 2023

the driver also left but stopped
at a roadside shop and told
the owner he needed cash
urgently, so he would sell his
N20,000 bag of rice for N15,000.
The shopowner quickly paid
and offloaded the rice.
The driver went home
and informed his master
that he had carried out the
assignment. His master asked
him if the poor man’s story was
true and he said he actually
saw the nursing mother. The
master then said: “Now take
me to the family to enable me
assist them more properly”.
The driver took the rich man
towards the city, but while the
car air conditioner was on, the
master noticed the driver was
sweating profusely, his hands
were shaking on the steering
wheel, and his speech was
incoherent.
The master ordered him
to park and asked what the
problem was. Seeing there
was no point lying, the driver
confessed to the other man’s of
his own guilt. He handed over
the N50,000 and the N15,000 for
the rice and pleaded for mercy.
He then drove his master back
home.
The wealthy man told
his friends what happened
and opined that: “This is the
problem with our society.
Someone will seek your
help. Unknown to you, he is
a fraudster. If you help him,
he has cheated you and will
continue. If you don’t, you
feel guilty because you are
not sure. Society will also say
you are merciless. Similarly,
someone will ask for a job, like
this driver. If you reject him,
you feel you are fueling social
problems. If you employ him,
he cheats you. What kind of
society is this? How can this
problem be solved? Who can
correct this anomaly?”
Neither the wealthy man nor
Lagosians shun pedestrian bridges
his friends could answer the
questions because, honesty
has become a rare commodity
in our society.
Story 2
An old man carried out a
social experiment. He was
walking along the pedestrian
sidewalk at Utako, Abuja,
Nigeria’s capital city, when
some cars (in a bid to avoid
traffic) turned on the side walk,
driving towards him.
Everybody gave way to the
vehicles, but the old man did
not. The driver almost hit him
but he stood his ground. The
driver honked. The following
ensued:
Driver: Oga, commot for
road! (meaning “Man, leave the
way”).
Old Man: No, Sir; this is the
pedestrian walk way. You
should go back to the road.
Driver: Are you blind? You no
see traffic?”
Old Man: I see it sir, but
that doesn’t give you the right
to drive on the pedestrian
sidewalk, Sir.
A man and a woman came
down from the vehicle.
The Woman: Respect
yourself ooo! If not for the white
hair I see, I for deal with you!
Old Man: But ma’am, your
driver is in the wrong lane. Your
anger should be directed at
him, ma’am.
After a while, about thirty
people gathered.
They all saw the old man
as an irritant person, causing
trouble. People in the vehicles
in the stand-still traffic, also
joined in the verbal assault.
Baba! Why are you
embarrassing yourself in
public? Don’t you have shame?
Old Man: It’s not about
me, guys. It’s about this driver
driving on the pedestrian
sidewalk!
The mob came for the old
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Accomplish Magazine