Live And Let's Live

You can only know these things if you have lived or currently living in Nigeria. I am baffled at the level of laws that exist but are not functioning in our nation.

After work today, I decided to get some wares in the market before going home. 

First, I had to beat the rush hour traffic so as to reach the market on time and get home in time too. 

Wifey had decided to prepare yam and vegetable sauce for dinner and since my office is close to the market, I had to help out so that we don't get to eat dinner at midnight. 

To my amazement, all the traders who had no stalls to display their wares were not seen in their usual spots. Immediately, I knew it's going to be a tug-of-war trying to buy in the main market. My main customers are those guys who hustle by hawking and jogging to catch customers as they enter the market. 

What dazed me was that the local government official, a task force I think, had made their presence known in the market and all traders who were not in the stall were either arrested or sent parking from the roadside not to sell their wares. 

Apart from the fact that I wanted to quickly buy some vegetables and dried fish plus cows for the vegetable sauce, I wasn't just happy seeing those children hiding from the government officials who were all out to ensure they did not sell their wares.

Under the tables of one of those shop owners whose shop is closer to the main gate of the market is one little boy selling fresh tomatoes and pepper.  He was sweating profusely in the cold weather. Perhaps he was scared of being arrested by the task force. 

I felt pity for the boy immediately. I likened him to be someone's child. A child who might be at home watching cartoons or sleeping but is now in the street trying to make a living for himself and his family. 

This is the level of poverty in the country plus the heavy economic recession that has not been officially announced but the current inflation has made it obvious. 

Confidently, I walked to one of the government officials and spoke to him. He welcomed me at first and when I told him that they should allow the street traders to sell their wares, he said they were only acting from orders from above. 

I understand that safety is the first thing before sales can begin. If these people depend on their sales here for survival, don't you think asking them not to display their water could be detrimental?

The other members of their team have started to come closer. They wanted to know what I was discussing with their colleague. 

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I later got to know that the traders often pay a toll of #50 for displaying their wares on the road. That is part of the tax which accumulates to become part of the internally generated revenue for the government. Yet they have to pursue the people to and fro throughout the day. 

When the leader came to me, having heard my perspective of the whole matter and how the traders could be handled, he said to me:

You have a good point my brother but our bosses from above just give orders and want us to abide by them. 

Truthfully, I know what it is to have to undertake and act on an order. Disobedience could be detrimental. 

Even at that, the elders have a saying:

"When you sent the errand due to a slave, deliver it as a freeborn. 

As much as possible, I tried to engage the officers in an argument. I just took the role of a mediator to ensure the people are allowed to earn a living. 

That adage caught them right. Immediately, the officers paved the way for the traders to begin displaying their wares but a stern caution not to go closer to the road to avoid disaster. 

I bought the vegetables and other condiments that brought me to the market and went home. 

Making such laws as to who and where we should sell our wares or not should be softened in a time like this when earning a living has become a great task for families. 

When I arrived home, wifey had already cooked the slices of yam and was patiently waiting for me to come home with the condiments to prepare my beloved vegetable sauce. 

I would have to explain to her how I advocated for those fellows at the market but she didn't put up any troubles as to why I came home late, so there was no reason to start saying the whole lot of event I displayed at the market. 

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