A few weeks back, at around 7 pm on a certain Friday, I was returning back to my home with the company of my mum (who was driving), me (in the passenger seat) and my younger sister (in the back seat). I was very anxious to get home after a long week, and I had just bought Kelly’s latest album and enjoying my fave track of the moment “Lay it on me”. Suddenly, my mum started to slow down as she had noticed some branches of a tree in the middle of her way. It was already really dark, and we wondered what was going on. And then, I looked out through the window and saw a man lying flat on the floor and his cap had been used to cover his face. He looked lifeless, and was surrounded by people. A couple of okada men and cars slowed down to look at what was happening and zoomed off. We were really distraught and decided that we should call Road Safety. My mom’s phone did not have any of the Road Safety or the Police Force numbers. That was when we decided at a whim to rush to the nearest police station to report what we saw in the middle of the night while we were just about a minute away from our house.
We took the detour and all the while pondered over what might have happened to the man and if he was really dead. In the end we came up with his case being a hit and run. We got to the police station, filed a report and took a couple of policemen in our car to the vicinity of the said “accident”. We had actually gotten there a little too late, as we heard that the corpse was taken away by a couple of people just before we arrived. The policemen were really nice to us and told us that not many people in Nigeria would have done what we did and they needed more people like us.
Before I went to sleep that night, I thought about what that last statement meant. Was it that not many people want to help people in need or that people are just afraid of the police? I think it might be a little of both. It is either that they are too busy to help the man in need; they just did not care or they don’t want to get in trouble with the officers of the law. Or maybe a little more of the last option. The fear of the Nigerian Police Force apparently is the beginning of wisdom. I guess all common sense flew out the car window that night when we voluntarily drove ourselves to the police station to report a case about someone we did not remotely know. We could have been detained for false reporting, as they did not see any dead body when they arrived at the scene, or as suspects in the hit and run case. I guess we were quite lucky none of the aforementioned happened to us because it would have been a pity.
I have been so appalled with the way Nigerians seem to live with so many atrocities going on around them and not complaining or asking questions one bit. Were we brought up to live like animals? I would see people stand on the sidelines when I was younger and watch people literally die by the roadside from minor accidents, while they would not contribute to anything. The people who actually helped were few and in my heart, I would have a warm feeling towards them.
But it seems to be getting worse by the day. It is every man/woman for him/herself in the jungle called Nigeria.
I once heard my mum say that she would never live in Lagos ever again because a lot of Lagosians were inhumane. She once went to an open market and saw a woman roasting corn and plantains beside a dead body. People were carrying out their normal business and walking past the body with no concern. How do people sleep at night after witnessing that? Wasn't anyone concerned about all the hazards of having a decomposing body just lying around? Weren't there any good Samaritans who could have done the rightful thing?
We need good Samaritans in our country and urgently. Jonathan can’t fix everything; we need to do our part too. That is why I have made my silent vow to help anyone in need if it is within my reach. As a doctor in the making, it is my in my blood to care about the well being about other people. I will start with the little things like teaching someone something I am good at; going to the orphanage once in a while; and maybe doing stuff for free, before I get to the big things that has to do with giving out money (no strings attached) and other money related stuff, when I am financially buoyant.
Please, let me know if you would like to join me in my quest to be a good Samaritan wherever you live.We need a revolution and it starts with each and every one of us.
Hope November will be an even better month than October for everyone. Love to hear your comments on this.
Sam.
