Showing posts with label A Few Heartless Men. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Few Heartless Men. Show all posts

Friday, July 1, 2016

A Few Heartless Men

By Simbo Olorunfemi  
There is a reason why the rule of law, as opposed to rule of men, is fundamental to the entrenchment of all-round development of a nation. Should men be given the impression that they can get away with infractions and breach of the law, their hearts swell with impunity, they become heartless. They live by their own rules. They take on wings to do as they like. They assume that rules exist to be broken and other men are lesser mortals before them. They become gods. Six years back, I was in some other part of the world to supervise the production of a print job.
One of these days, the General Manager of the company asked if I was familiar with a particular Nigerian and I responded in the affirmative. Who does not know him? On our way out of the factory, he made a detour towards the warehouse and pointed in a particular direction. Seated there were cartons of goods ready for shipping, being held back. He told me that job had been commissioned by this Nigerian several months back, but because he had refused or neglected to make the outstanding payment of $10,000, the company was holding on to the goods. My host asked: “Why are Nigerians like that?” The same man, he said, had called him when he came into town.
He flew into that country in a private jet. He lodged in the penthouse of one of the most expensive hotels in town, but rather than pay the $10,000, he pushed it off the table. Rather, he dwelt more on dropping names of the President, state governors, ministers, and all sorts of irrelevant side talks. Rather than pay the outstanding, he takes on the outlandish, promising some future business, on the strength of connections with the high and mighty. A man will not meet his present obligations, but has no scruples in living large at the expense of tomorrow.