by
Patrick Ogungbola
MD/ CEO, BLUEHEDGE REALTORS
“We no go gree o, we no go gree, FGN We no go gree’…‘We no go gree o, we no go gree, FGN We no go gree”
“Donatus, When you join NLC they protest against Federal Government of Nigeria? It seems you’re now employed, because I remembered you told me few weeks ago that you were looking for job”
“Oga, make I talk true, I still dey look for work…this is just a temporary employment. They hire us make we protest on top this petrol subsidy removal. They promise to pay us N1,500 for each day of protest, which equals N10,500 for one week, and about N45,000 a month. At least, that one don pass minimum wage”
“Donatus, see what unemployment has turned you into. I can’t believe this… Unemployment is really taking a hold of you. See your mentality, so you want the strike to extend for up to a month, you won’t even mind if the strike takes a whole year”
“Oga, if the strike reach one year, I don hammer be that… that will be hmmmm……hmmmmm….ehn…over N500,000 for me alone”
“This is serious. May God deliver you from the spirit of unemployment. Strike action is a very bad thing, but you see it as an opportunity. As a matter of fact, if there will be labour strike at all, it should be restricted to those who are working, and not an unemployed opportunist like you”
“Oga, this thing dey vex you?… If you know say e dey vex you, find me work now. My own even better now, I no dey carry slate for neck like deaf and dumb people dey find work. My own unemployment get level, I no fit dey announce, carry placard say I dey find work”. I no fit at all, shame go dey catch me”
“En-hen, that reminds me…I heard that recently a young lady in her desperation for job had to device an ingenious means to ensure her demand gets to her state governor as well as to Mr. President”
“Oga, na true ooo, the thing really happen. Infact, they don plenty now for street dey announce their unemployment status. Some carry placard dey call Mr. President, Governors, Tinubu, Dangote, Ooni of Ife and other prominent people make dem find them work”
“Donatus, just thinking aloud, won’t it make sense if you guys form association of unemployed youths of Nigeria, rather than fight the battle individually”
“Oga, you be comedian? Which kain yan be that? Association of Unemployed Youths of Nigeria (AUYN). Are you making jest of the unemployed people of this country? Oga, no condition is permanent o”.
“No be joke Dona, won’t it make more sense if you’re protesting with your fellow unemployed people, so that Federal Government will know the seriousness of the matter than this one you’re doing for NLC”
“Hmmmm…..I think you have a point there sir, but e no go fit work. By our very nature, we Nigerians are selfish. Individuals will prefer to sort out their issue than form forum”
“May God help us all”
“Amen. But Oga, how you see this sudden increase in the price of petrol from N85 to N145 per litre.
“Dona, how does that affect you, at least for now, you don’t have a car, or where you dey waka go”
“Oga, why you dey talk like this now…I’m a big boy in the making o …My money is in the pipeline”
“So, you never hear Dona, Niger-Delta Avengers don vandalize that your pipeline? Better wake up from your dreams.
“Me, I know say I get plan for my life and I get hope. I no get car now no mean say I go die car-less, if not for any other thing, I know how much I dey spend for my ‘I better pass my neighbour generator’, no be small money oga”
“That means everyone is affected in a way. Well, I’m not in total support of the increase, but what can we do since they told us Nigeria is broke”
“Oga, na wetin I no understand be that, how they go talk say Nigeria dey broke. That statement really they vex me. How can the whole of Nigeria be broke when Dangote is not broke. Is he not a Nigerian living in Nigeria. Make the man kuku buy the whole country and give us money to survive”
“Dona…Dona…Wetin we dey talk and wetin you dey talk. Aliko Dangote is an individual who is also a business man, whereas Nigeria is a system comprising of many states and local governments”
“Oga, are you saying e dey normal make one person get money pass a whole country”
“En-ehn….Donatus……En-hen…..Dona, make I talk true, the thing confuse me too abeg. But, we read and heard in the news that the fall in the global oil price, as well as the fall in the value of our local currency ‘the Naira’ necessitated the partial removal of subsidy, as payment of subsidy is no longer sustainable”
“Oga, yawa don gas be that ooo… How person go survive now? Do you know the price of almost everything has gone up. Imagine, common tomato is now more expensive than apple. May God have mercy on his people”
“Amen, Dona. But, you know, I don’t complain, neither do I lament on the state of the economy. I have a completely different mentality to these crises of a thing”
“Tell me something oga”
“Dona, have you heard this African proverb before: ‘If they pound yam in leaves and cook the soup in groundnut shell, it is the person that has decided to be full that will be full”
“I’m sorry sir, I’m not too good with proverbs, what does that mean”
“The meaning is, ‘With determination, you can succeed in the midst of any hardship’”
“Hmmmmm……Hmmmmmm…… Hmmmmmm…… Whao, my eyes just opened and there’s a spark in my brain cells.
“You see Dona, from generations to generations, there have always been economic crises, and there will always be…it’s a cycle. Do you know that as some are presently complaining, others are having a field day. As a matter of fact, there are certain evidences that there’s still so much money in this economy. For instance, if you go all around Lekki area of Lagos, such as Lekki phase one, Ikate Elegushi, Osapa, Agungi, Chevron, Ikota, even up to Ajah environs, building construction is in high tempo, and these properties are being sold even before they are completely finished, and then we still say there’s no money in the system”. In fact, my recent observation is that well finished and nicely located properties don’t stay up to a week before they are sold, even in this economy! If a property stays longer than necessary in the market, then there’s something wrong with the property itself, and shouldn’t really be blamed on the state of the economy”
“Hmmmmm…….. (Donatus had a deep sigh and dropped the protest placard). My brain has just been illuminated, and a scale just fell from my eyes; I now have a greater insight and a better perspective about life and the economy. Please sir, remind me about that proverb again, I remember pounding yam and eating soup”
“If they pound yam in leaves and cook the soup in groundnut shell, it is the person that has decided to be full that will be full”
“Hmmmm…This is really transforming….Thank you sir…Thank you….Let me run with that before I forget again”
“I want to be on my way too, thank you, Dona”
As usual, we want to remind you that we care so much about you, and that when it comes to your real estate investment, we are always here to give you the very best service you can never get elsewhere. That is our promise, and will always be.
We wish you the very best in the month of June.
Thank you.
We remain;
Very truly yours,
