Our Attitude Is The Problem
By Reuben Abati

I found myself in the company of some of our compatriots recently. They were engaged in a common Nigeria pastime: trying to figure out why we are the way we are, why Nigeria appears not to be developing in spite of its enormous human and material resources. This is a subject that Nigerians love to discuss with great passion. Every Nigerian has something to say about how the country can be transformed and made more efficient for the benefit of the citizens.

"Our attitude is the problem", one of the discussants had declared, setting the tone for the conversation.

"How?"

"How? You are asking me how? Just compare us to the white man and you'd answer your own question. It is simple"

"But you can't compare us to the white man. We are not the same and you should beware of racism."

"But you can't run away from such comparison in this age of globalisation. You use the same technology as the white man, you are setting up global banks, your country is trying to play big in the international market, your people want to live by international standards, your government wants Direct Foreign Investment, your footballers are playing in Europe. We are either part of the world or we are not. And my argument is that we do not have the right attitude, we are not bringing the right attitude to the world of competition. National growth is about attitude"

"I think I agree with that point", someone else said.

"Take for example the problem of gas supply to our new thermal stations, the thermal stations have been built but there is no gas because we are still flaring gas. And the gas that we are not wasting, we have sold to the mulitnationals and collected money upfront. President Yar'�dua himself said so. It means nobody ever thought that the thermal stations built by the Obasanjo government would need gas and that provision should be made for that. You get the impression that our leaders do not think"

"Oh come on. They think. But in the wrong direction. It was probably more profitable for the people in charge to sell off the gas and collect commission. Just take stock of all the commissions, waivers and kickbacks that were collected during the Obasanjo era"

"Even the white man collects commissions. That is not a Nigerian thing."

"The difference is that the white man may collect bribe, but he will not go out of his way to jeopardise the public good. And if he gets caught violating the law, he knows he will go to jail. There will be nobody to say that he is a saint and should be forgiven or that he is too big to be subjected to the laws of the land."

"Here in Nigeria, all you need would be a former Head of State to speak up on your behalf and you can run away with your loot and even get a National Honour in due course."

"Meanwhile the entire country is in darkness, and money that has been invested is wasted. The average Nigerian is greedy and wasteful."

"We have no respect for time. Some of our foreign partners in our company have been complaining that they don't understand the concept of Nigerian time. When you invite people to a function, you have to tell them 7 p.m. for 8 p.m. But you'd be lucky to have a sizeable audience by 9 p.m. Some people in fact insist that it is better to arrive late because it shows you are important."

"I know at least two important people who are forever punctual. Those are the examples we should be recommending."

"�nd who are these?"

"Mr Akintola Williams and Mr Gamaliel Onosode."

"You are referring to persons who went to school in the days of the British. Their generation is different."

"National productivity and efficiency cannot be a matter of generation."

"Mr Williams and Mr Onosode live in Victoria Island. If I have to keep an appointment in Victoria Island, I have to set out from the mainland about four hours earlier. And you can only access VI through only two directions, With everybody going in that direction, there is no way you can keep any appointment."

"You see, the Nigerian has an excuse for everything. This is our problem. If you know you face such a difficulty, then set out early. I know Nigerian companies that have lost businesses simply because they could not keep appointments."

"The environment is challenging. The government is planning to shut down the Third Mainland Bridge for six months in order to effect repairs. How can anybody ever keep any appointment in the city of Lagos without the Third Mainland Bridge and with only one mode of transportation."

"You can go through Carter bridge, Iddo or Ikorodu road"

"Have you taken those routes lately? And why are they just planning to maintain he Third Mainland Bridge now, after neglecting it for almost twenty years. We don't plan ahead. A country that does not plan ahead cannot be one of the best 20 economies in the world in the year 2020. Simple."

"Look at Abuja. The only means of transportation in that city is the road. And yet it is supposed to be a modern city. In big cities around the world, there is an attempt to integrate the poor and the rich. But in the planning of our cities, we separate the two classes, we make the poor feel inferior and we sow the seeds of social envy and chaos. And yet we have Nigerian graduates with degrees in urban planning from some of the best universities in the world"

"Those best graduates will not be allowed to make any inputs. Big contracts are usually won by nonenties or by well-connected persons or those who are willing to offer bribe. The Nigerian system is not interested in merit. Your religion, your ethnicity, these are more importnat considerations."

"The thing annoys me. If Nigeria wants to be led by the best and the brightest, it must end the culture of quota system."

"You can still have a quota system but a quota system that will throw up the very best and not the relations of privileged persons who have captured the state."

"Intelligent and gifted persons who want to make a difference find it difficult to survive in Nigeria. You should know that. If you show too much promise, there is a standby crowd of nonenties who will come after you. Is he the only one? He is disturbing other people. Who does he think he is? Let him go and sit down. The mediocres get praised because they do not pose any threat to anybody's ego; and they are given responsibilities that they cannot handle. And they cause havoc, or they pull down everyone to their own level."

"Peter's Principle"

"A Nigerian principle and an obstacle to national progress"

"What bothers me is that there are Nigerians abroad who also behave exactly that way. I know Nigerians who live in England but who are no better than Nigerians in Lagos. They watch Nigerian movies. They work in Nigerian shops. They attend Nigerian parties. They don't listen to news, if they have to, they prefer AIT, NTA, LTV, Channels - local Nigerian channels that are now available on satellite TV. They attend Nigerian churches in London. They live in the South East. When you listen to them, you would think they have just arrived from Shaki. I guess the only time such people have contact with the white man is when they use the underground."

"I don't see how keeping one's identity in a foreign land should be a problem. In fact, I don't like Nigerians who try to behave like white men."

"You are not getting my point."

"You are not making any point. The thing about us is that everybody thinks that he is better than others. The average Nigerian is too judgemental. That is why we are bad team players. We can't maintain relationships."

"We can't maintain infrastructure. We can't maintain personal belongings. When a Nigerian buys a car, he would rather drive it until it packs up. That is why there are so many funny cars on our roads. If you see some people's wardrobe, you would think you are looking at a junkyard. We men can't even maintain our wives."

"Who is talking about wives here? This is the problem with you people. You can't have a disciplined conversation"

"How about workers then?"

"The average Nigerian worker is lazy. He despises his colleagues who work hard. But he would like to enjoy privileges and earn promotions. The energy that should go into the work is directed towards sycophancy and eye service."

"You know our new partners had to call a general meeting to tell the staff that there is no such thing as company loyalty. They made it clear that promotion and remuneration will be based on performance and that people can be asked to leave at any time. They claim they have observed that Nigerians like to stay permanently in one company and the longer they stay, the less productive they become. They don't want a company that is full of big men telling old wives' tales about the past; they want a real time productive work force."

"They will soon discover that Nigerians are forever adjusting their dates of birth in order to remain in employment."

"The many lies Nigerians tell in order to survive."

"If you tell the truth in this country. If you are too honest, you may never get anything. My father was a Permanent Secretary in his days. He was too busy being honest. Now, what has he done for his children? I am having to struggle to find my way. Many of his colleagues acquired so much wealth, their children and grandchildren can boast of great inheritance ."

"You should be proud of your Dad."

"Yes, for making me poor."

"But the problem with Nigeria is that everybody is trying to acquire wealth for their children and great grandchildren. And this involves criminal conduct. Too much greed and lack of consideration for others."

"�f you are the one with the wealth, you won't complain. Why do you think people are going to church, mosques and spiritual homes.They are looking for Divine favour"

"Many of the churches mislead people. One educated woman gave testimony in our church, a doctor had told her there was a lump in her breast. She said the lump disappeared after she used the Pastor's anointing oil. The Devil is a liar. Breast cancer will not be my portion in Jesus name, she screamed. The whole church chorused A-m-en. I just pitied all of them."

"We have serious problems in this country, but the bigger problem is that I do not know where we are going to start from."

"By talking about it"

"�s anybody listening? People are too busy trying to say their own bit, they don't even bother to listen to you. But � think I have a simple solution"

"Which is?"

"Teach Nigerians how to eat buffet"

"What kind of silly idea is that? My friend, what has buffet got to do with national progress."

"May be our friend is hungry."

"I am serious about this"

"Okay?"

"I observe that at many Nigerian parties these days, guests are treated to buffet or what you call serve-yourself. You watch how Nigerian eat buffet and you'd see a picture of our national crisis"

"I don't see the picture"

"Me neither"

"Can't see nothing"

"First, there is class discrimination. The high table gets the best part of the buffet: A reserved serving point with more than enough, or the right to go to the serving point first. That is class discrimination. Others are made to feel like second class citizens. Just the same way there is inequality in the society."

"� have no problems with the idea of a high table, and VIPs getting the best part of the meal"

"I do. There is too much oppression in Nigeria. Why invite me to a party if your plan is to humiliate me?"

"But have you not also noticed that even when other tables are called, those who get to the serving points first, are so greedy they scoop everything. People mix all kinds of things, salad with eba, goat peppersoup with salad, porridge with tuna. When you look at some plates, you wonder whether some people have drums for stomachs."

"You are abosultely right there. In fact, once I hear buffet, I try to jump tables because if you wait for your turn, you may not get anything to eat."

"You know some people will carry three plates at once. Appetiser, main course and dessert. At a buffet, you are supposed to take a little at a time and eat according to the size of your stomach. But some women will collect food and collect for their husbands who are sitting down and waiting to be served."

"I don't do buffet. I recruit hostesses who ask you what you want to eat and serve you. That way, the food will go round"

"But the funny part of buffet is that the people who have stolen all the food end up wasting it. At the end of the party, there will be angry guests who have had nothing to eat, and abandoned plates with mounds of food literring some of the tables. "

"So what you are saying is that if Nigerians can only learn how to share and manage food, most of of our problems will be solved."

"You think about it. I am not supposed to spell it all out. Use your brain my friend."

Robot  Villager

# 1 Our Attitude Is The Problem ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 29.06.2008 02:26

Auspicious  Villager

# 2 I know some folks will come, read this latest piece by Reuben Abati, and say "Ah, Utter Tosh!" - as in, they will find one word, or phrase, that they have a grouse with. Or simply say "he's using conversation to hide his bigotry". Such is life; no two people can see things the same way, I suppose. I actually read this and I LOVE it! It is Witty. It is Informative. It is a Soul-Searching piece. It speaks about many a Nigerian's mindset - how many of us think, etcs. It speaks about our Good, our Bad and our Ugly. Yes, it is funny, but it is serious at the same time for those who can see the seriousness in it. But I choose to focus on the humor today. I don't want to bore myself about the troubles of our country. It is Sunday, afterall. I will laugh and come back to shake my head. This Abati of a man is too funny: "If you tell the truth in this country. If you are too honest, you may never get anything. My father was a Permanent Secretary in his days. He was too busy being honest. Now, what has he done for his children? I am having to struggle to find my way. Many of his colleagues acquired so much wealth, their children and grandchildren can boast of great inheritance ." "You should be proud of your Dad." "Yes, for making me poor." Ah, God Bless Nigeria! Auspicious. Posted by Auspicious| 29.06.2008 02:58

dapxin  Villager

# 3 =Auspicious;4295062406>I know some folks will come, read this latest piece by Reuben Abati, and say "Ah, Utter Tosh!" - as in, they will find one word, or phrase, that they have a grouse with. Or simply say "he's using conversation to hide his bigotry". Such is life; no two people can see things the same way, I suppose. I actually read this and I LOVE it! It is Witty. It is Informative. It is a Soul-Searching piece. It speaks about many a Nigerian's mindset - how many of us think, etcs. It speaks about our Good, our Bad and our Ugly. Yes, it is funny, but it is serious at the same time for those who can see the seriousness in it. But I choose to focus on the humor today. I don't want to bore myself about the troubles of our country. It is Sunday, afterall. I will laugh and come back to shake my head. This Abati of a man is too funny: Ah, God Bless Nigeria! Auspicious. It is how he manages to capture the very essence of this conversations from the conflicting characters inside him, making them that amazes me! These are indeed the real conversations that go thru the minds of many of us, eternally hopeful citizens, every minute, but Abati just finds an effortless way to capture it. Beautfiul! Leave all those our compatriots who cant see beyond ethnicity, in matters of simplest logic. This is a memorable, yet so simple piece. 5 stars ! And its just so freaking engaging, you feel hopeless about the depth RA, espouses here, the moment you start thinking - how do you balance all these ? How do you find a way of making the Buffet go round or is it make people realise the Buffet can/should go round in satisfying if not equal proportions ? That my brother, is the ultimate question and it numbs my thinking cells.... Posted by dapxin| 29.06.2008 04:21

Karo Akarah  Villager

# 4 GBAM! Abati there is no more to add. Na only one thing pere. Our Culture do not allow for a westernized kind of mental/economic development. If you go home now come they yarn big english with big oyibo ideas, na your own people go yab you say na you first go abroad? I beg go siddon where contain you. Me I tire for ma kontiri. Posted by Karo Akarah| 29.06.2008 05:16

aguabata  Villager

# 5 I dont believe that a prized nigerian editor should write purely for entertainment, Nigeria is a house on fire and we shouldnt take a break until something genuine has begun. We have a failure of leadership, whether we are poorly behaved, inconsiderate or uncouth, it is a failure of leadership, the same Nigerians are turned to workaholics abroad, our nurses work their butts out and are punctual to work same goes for all other professions. We keep to international standards once the system demands that from us.British police dont take bribes easily because the system makes it difficult, white public servants are not immersed in corruption because the system would not give them near god powers to loot their offices, white people are not as racist as they would want to be, because their institutions are reigning them in. We have a failure of leadership and in relative terms a lawless country. We should fine tune our systems to make corruption more difficult i.e be proactive about corruption Posted by aguabata| 29.06.2008 08:46

omoboi  Villager

# 6 "But have you not also noticed that even when other tables are called, those who get to the serving points first, are so greedy they scoop everything. People mix all kinds of things, salad with eba, goat peppersoup with salad, porridge with tuna. When you look at some plates, you wonder whether some people have drums for stomachs." "You are abosultely right there. In fact, once I hear buffet, I try to jump tables because if you wait for your turn, you may not get anything to eat." "You know some people will carry three plates at once. Appetiser, main course and dessert. At a buffet, you are supposed to take a little at a time and eat according to the size of your stomach. But some women will collect food and collect for their husbands who are sitting down and waiting to be served." :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: dis reuben man no go kill me with laugh Posted by omoboi| 29.06.2008 09:31

omo naija  Villager

# 7 =aguabata;4295062453>I dont believe that a prized nigerian editor should write purely for entertainment, Nigeria is a house on fire and we shouldnt take a break until something genuine has begun. We have a failure of leadership, whether we are poorly behaved, inconsiderate or uncouth, it is a failure of leadership, the same Nigerians are turned to workaholics abroad, our nurses work their butts out and are punctual to work same goes for all other professions. We keep to international standards once the system demands that from us.British police dont take bribes easily because the system makes it difficult, white public servants are not immersed in corruption because the system would not give them near god powers to loot their offices, white people are not as racist as they would want to be, because their institutions are reigning them in. We have a failure of leadership and in relative terms a lawless country. We should fine tune our systems to make corruption more difficult i.e be proactive about corruption My fellow villager, what Reuben wrote is very perfect, telling us just the way we are, failure of leadership goes with the society that breeds these so called leader - we Nigerians are perfect in blaming others but ourselves, we can all sit in the comfort of our home and blast our leaders or rulers, but what have we done of late to contribute our own quota in changing the world we live in, have you ever heard of individual efforts... Reuben, Nigerians abroad are not different from Nigerians at home, wait until you see them at Nigerian parties, then you will see the Nigerian in them, no matter how educated some of them are... We have to start changing the way we think, the way we act, the way we talk, and even the way we eat, if we can ever achieve that dream of a progressive nation... LET'S THE CHANGES WE DESIRE IN OTHERS BEGIN WITH US, LET'S CHANGE OUR MENTALITY. MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS NIGERIA AND AFRICA, AND HAVE MERCY ON THE TROUBLED CONTINENT, AMEN Posted by omo naija| 29.06.2008 10:06

Palamedes  Villager

# 8 This is a subject that Nigerians love to discuss with great passion. Sir, I hope it wasn't as “excitable” as the “Patito's gang”—(wink, wink) if you know what I mean. >>>One discussant says: “...And my argument is that we do not have the right attitude, we are not bringing the right attitude to the world of competition. National growth is about attitude." The discussant is right about “attitude,” but taking the so-called “whiteman” as standard for Nigeria is an attitude that belongs to the worst-top-five-list of attitudes. Sir, how you let him/her get away with such rubbish is also an attitude problem—one which is prepared to accept mediocrity. Reuben Abati, sir, but why do you hang around with these kinds of people. Chineke! Their conversation with you reveal a deep sense of their own inferiority complex and insecurities. I should say to them, “Physicians cure thy self.” What I sometimes find disappointing is the “dream killer” attitude of some Nigerians. Take problem solving for instance, they will often start with the risk analysis instead of as an adjunct to the problem analysis/solution process. Any problem solving process must starts with a clear understanding of the problem situation and then the recommended solutions. It is only then that risk analysis or “what could possibly go wrong with the recommended solutions” is considered. That is to say, one must have solution(s) before one can conduct risk analysis. But in the case of some Nigerians, they work backwards—first by listing all the things that could possibly go wrong--as if, looking for excuses to avoid taking responsibility. Posted by Palamedes| 29.06.2008 11:32

Auspicious  Villager

# 9 A relative of mine once attended an internatinal conference at The Hague, Netherlands. One morning, at the Hotel where they stayed right in the heart of the city, participants orderly got their glasses of OJ (orange juice) from a tank placed at the dinnng area. But my relative was shocked and embarassed when her fellow Nigerian women, without a care in the world, whipped out their 1.5 Litre bottles and proceeded to fill it with orange juice from the tank. These were ordinary Nigerians - not Nigerian leaders, exhibiting the kind of greed that others like James Ibori, Ayo Fayose, Dipreiye Alamieyesheigha, Olusegun Obasanjo, Peter Odili et al have been accused of exhibiting. The orange juice is right there for everyone and one can come there as many times to refill their glasses as many times as they want during the course of the meal. But some Nigerian women had to arrogate it all with their bottles. We often complain about our leaders whereas Nigerian leaders are Nigerians, too - not Sudanese or Saudi Arabians or Liberians or Ghanians or Senegalese or Martian leaders for that matter. They are products of our larger society. We are the ones who become leaders in our Nigeria and we often are our own worst enemies; the cause of our problems. It is often said that a society gets the kind of leadership it gets; perhaps we are deserving of ours, too? Auspicious. Posted by Auspicious| 29.06.2008 11:38

DeepThought  Villager

# 10 But my relative was shocked and embarassed when her fellow Nigerian women, without a care in the world, whipped out their 1.5 Litre bottles and proceeded to fill it with orange juice from the tank. Would your relative have been embarassed if it had not been a Nigerian woman? If not , why not? Posted by DeepThought| 29.06.2008 11:44

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