It's still fresh news to those who don't have internet access for some days ago that American rapper, Jonathan Kirk, popularly known as Dababy flew into Nigeria, to visit Nigeria-born Singer, Davido based on their upcoming song, to be released later in the year.
The duo entered the street of Lagos, with the American rapper showcasing the beautiful Nigerian flag through his dress, a green head hood, White underwear, and green shorts holding a white handkerchief. Dababy entry to Lagos street will never be so forgotten quickly as he made some funny stunts.
First, he bought popcorn (cheese) in the always busy Lagos traffic, instead of paying with naira as the official Nigerian currency, he gave the young seller $100 (One Hundred Dollars), a cheese not worth up to a thousand naira. The receiver was just smiling as he met his luck that day selling. One hundred dollars in the market rate currently is equivalent to N60,000 (Sixty thousand naira) only. That was an opportunity to meet luck for the Cheese seller. The lesson learned is "keep pushing, you never know the lucky day"
No one who can rise before dawn 360 days a year fails to make his family rich - Outliers
Dababy, did other things while he visited Lagos, actions as throwing up dollars in the air, and people hustling for it. The more confounding thing is, how Nigerians conducted themselves when he was walking the busy streets of Lagos, without being rough handled. It's a miracle I long to continually see being done to visiting celebrities and tourists.
The Questions?
The part of the visit which begs for an answer, which is not palatable to hear, is the issue of the Visitor narrating how he had to "Settle the airport" before he was allowed to fly out of the country.
Wait, I don't get it, 'settle the airport?' It means he settles the security personnel stationed at the airport which includes, DSS, Custom, Immigration, Police, and nonsecurity personnel like Adhoc staff, cleaners, luggage carriers, attendants and the list goes on and on.
At first, this seems to be a lie, but in the retrospect, it sounds true, as we recall the case of a young girl who was extorted by 2 staff of the Nigeria Immigration Service at the same Lagos airport, the international wing. It is a credit, still fresh, the way and manner the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration service handle the matter with the dismissal of those involved.
"If we don't end corruption in Nigeria, Corruption will end Nigeria" - Buhari
It's a slap on our national pride, that we get to extort people at the slightest time, once perceived they have money, or we have the key to their movement. This is widely shown more by men of the Nigerian police force, particularly in the Southwestern part of Nigeria.
Using Ondo state as a case study, where police are in their numbers at not up to 10minutes drives on the highway, to do stop and search, make roadblocks just to do fake vehicle particulars check. And if nothing is found wanting, you hear, Oga roger, that is, doing the needful, in the absence of doing the needful, you get to park the car, get delayed until you do the needful. This must stop!
Extortion - A menace
The word, 'Nigeria to the world', is commonly used when a Nigerian born is being celebrated across borders, most times football players, entertainment celebrities like Iconic Damini Ogulu, Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, and others.
The extortion of Jonathan Kirk, Dababy is "Nigeria to the world" - a menace eating us up as a country. I hope the government of Nigeria will find a way to help solve the issues of security personnel extorting her citizens, and people coming into the country.
This is a threat to us as a nation. In Nigeria, even as a citizen, if you don't settle from the low to the top, you may not get things done quickly. This is common, in government-owned institutions, this is the new normal, not doing it is risking the speedy and upward movement of your case, file, and dealings.
Something or somebody needs to change, and the change should begin with us, theretofore spread to the other units and part of the system.
Truly, no country in the world is pure in its entirety, but it's better to be known for a good than a collective bad. Extortion of guests is a show of shame and abuse of national effort to clear Nigeria's name from every book of "Not good for investing".
Indeed, if we don't end corruption, it will most likely end us.
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