“How can productivity work in a place where you have ten people clustering an office, no electricity, trek to about 11-storey building. Labour punches the button to work no matter what.” – Dr Tommy Okon, Trade Union Congress, TUC.
Dr Okon has captured only a fraction of the miseries of millions of “employed” Nigerians. Before reaching the office to start climbing the stairs, he/she might have trekked up to eight kilometres from home to get there. In reality, the relationship between employers and employees in Nigeria today is much closer to the seventeenth century slave and slave owner arrangement. After going through the hazards, including no breakfast every day, he might still not get paid at the end of the month. Nigerian workers, at all levels in many organisations now constitute the largest group of involuntary philanthropists in the world now.
Until about two years ago, I eagerly tried to help those in search of work. Their CVs would be collected; sometimes re-written and re-typed to convey the right impression to prospective employers. Some would even be invited for coaching on every aspect of an interview – dressing, greeting interviewers, appearing confident, smiling, making eye contact etc – to improve their chances of success. Occasionally, there would be follow-up phone calls to those in the company I could reach. I was a full-time lobbyist for several job applicants. The show came to an abrupt and sad end in 2021.
EMPLOYED NOT PAID
“Your friend has not paid us for two months and I have borrowed a lot of money from friends. Now nobody borrows me money. Right now, I don’t have a kobo in my pocket; my children and me have not eaten this morning. That’s why I have come to you Sir, to see what you can do for me.” James [not his real name].
Before James came, I had two other confrontations with people who were employed on account of my efforts. It was clear to me much earlier on that helping people to get employed had become a risky business. Invariably, for more than ten years, most Nigerians only get employed through personal relationships; you took risks both ways. The employer might not treat the employee well; and might not pay regularly. In that case, the negative feedback would come from the two parties. The employer would report that you sent him a “worthless” person; who he regrets taking in. The worker would weigh in with his/her complaints about how employees are regularly mistreated; and he/she is contemplating leaving except that work is hard to find.
THE WORKING POOR
It was understandable when people you helped to secure jobs are again seen roaming the streets once again. Now, the fastest growing segment of the working class is comprised of workers who are not mal-treated or unpaid. Increasingly, what we are experiencing are people who are well-treated by their employers; who love their jobs; who are paid regularly; but whose take home can no longer take them to work and home. James represents millions of Nigerians caught in this dilemma – whether to keep working when transport has consumed all the pay packet. Let me summarise their predicament.
Two years ago, after being employed, his landlord served him a Quit Notice because the building was going to be demolished. He took what he thought was a clever decision. He relocated from Lagos Island to Ikorodu Local Government, where the rent was far less than in Lagos Island. Despite the fact that the move meant he has to wake up earlier and pay more for transport, he was sure that he had made a good decision. The cash scarcity induced by the change of currencies by the Buhari government and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was the first blow he received. He frequently had no money to pay for his transport and had to borrow a lot of times. Then, the foreign exchange headed for the skies; and his daily transport fares increased from N500 to N900. That was bad enough.
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He not only voted for Emilokan, he actively campaigned for the APC candidate – convinced that fuel prices would decline and transport fares consequently. May 29, 2023, was a date he would never forget; even if he lives a thousand years. President Tinubu announced that “fuel subsidy is gone”. And he clapped; expecting a roll back of fares. Contrary to his expectations, transport fares rose to N1200 per day. Things were getting tough; but he could still manage to pay by reducing his expenditure on other items – particularly food. But, by then, he and his three school age kids were spending close to N2500 per day on transport – while his take home pay was N85,000 per month.
In September 2024, transport fares increased to a total of N3,200 for all of them; and consumed all of his income. To make matters worse, his employer had for three months stopped paying his staff in full. He borrowed more. By October, the transport fares alone had exceeded his revenue. His wife, a trader, who had been helping out was not making enough to continue helping out like before. When this month ends, he would have paid N105,000 for transport – just to collect N85,000; if he is lucky the employer pays in full. Suddenly, being unemployed appears more attractive than working. He is not alone. Millions of workers in Nigeria today are being forced to stop working because it no longer makes economic sense for them to continue. Because the Devil always finds work for idle hands, Nigerian courts will also be forced to ignore stealing, or we must build more prisons; as well as allocate more funds to feed more prisoners. That, to me, is the classic definition of a total waste. Yet, it is going to happen.
PRESIDENT TINUBU, NEXT TIME GO TO UYO FOR VACATION
“Charity begins at home.” That was a lesson taught to us by our parents when fathers and mothers still had time to interact with their kids early in the evening. I remember my mother reading to me stories from Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Aesop’s Fables. After which grandma would take over and feed me with Yoruba stories about the dubious tortoise always getting caught in his own scams. Invariably, there was a moral to the story designed to promote good behaviour. Today, primary school kids have to compete with their parents for television time. The children want to watch action cartoons (batman, fantastic four, battle of planets etc); and the parents are addicted to football and mostly boring Nollywood films. So, the youths are forgiven if they never heard that charity begins at home.
President Bola Tinubu was born in the last century; when mums and grandmas still had time to impart such sound principles as “leading by examples” which enjoin a leader to demonstrate the right attitudes and conduct his affairs in ways that would promote social and economic welfare. Make no mistake about it; the most closely watched person in any government is the Head of Government; irrespective of whether it is a monarchy, dictatorship or democracy.
That was why I was very disappointed when it was announced that President Tinubu was proceeding on leave to London. Nigeria, under him, has a Ministry of Tourism charged with trying to lure foreigners to Nigeria and boost our foreign exchange earnings. In their poorly conceptualised brochures, they point to various tourist attractions in Nigeria as the best places to visit. I am also aware that Brazilian-Nigerians in Lagos have established contacts with African-Brazilians and there is now an annual Brazilian Day in Lagos which attracts a few visitors from Brazil. The Northern Durbars are being developed to attract people from North Africa and Sudan etc. Such efforts are defeated when the President goes abroad for his vacation. It means there is nothing worthwhile in his country to see.
I fully expect every President of Nigeria to do two things. One; split his vacations in such a way as, not only to participate in at least three of those cultural festivals, but, to invite one or two Heads of States from other countries as guests. The presence of any national leader anywhere attracts the media in that country to the events – which will be reported in their media. Two, order a study to be undertaken, prior to the visit, to ensure that bilateral agreements are reached which would benefit the two nations. But, at all times the President should be promoting tourism in Nigeria during his vacation.
Meanwhile, a Nigerian President going to any country in Europe might not realise the economic implications of his choice. In effect, he is transferring some of our low foreign exchange reserves to a nation richer than Nigeria. It amounts to a very poor man voluntarily giving, out of the little he has, to a wealthy man – who would not even appreciate his contribution. Tinubu did not go alone. In London with him are the necessary security details, as well as other Presidency staff. The Airbus plane flown there would consume dollars of aviation fuel and parking charges. Despite the fact that all these expenses will not be disclosed to Fellow Nigerians (mostly fools), the majour beneficiaries of the decisions are relatively rich Britons; the involuntary benefactors are the people whose nation is the poverty capital of the world. So, the question needs to be asked: in whose interest is this jamboree.
I have a suggestion for Tinubu’s next vacation. He should go to Akwa Ibom State, lodge his entire entourage at Ibom Hotel and Suites, the absolute best in Nigeria. He can fly the best helicopter in his fleet and have his yacht piloted to the hotel; and invite golf-loving Presidents to join him on the best Golf Course in Nigeria. They will be entertained; can go fishing and play or watch Golf…..
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