THAT 'E WO LO KAN MI' ATTITUDE

 

I was thinking this morning..... As I did my daily morning walk during the week, I noticed a water pipeline leakage within the estate that has caused flooding on the major road. 'Is this not the same leakage I reported weeks ago?' I imagined. Yes it is. Why has no one, particularly those living next to the leakage, taken the initiative to attend to this minor challenge that will cost so little to fix? Again, I called the Exco chairman's attention and he promised to do something. As I walked away, I wondered where Nigerians got this 'E wo lo kan mi' (meaning 'not my concern' in yoruba) attitude from. 

As my legs moved forward, my mind did the reverse, reminding me of how my cousin took his sick daughter to a Community Health Centre in Warri, and noticed that everyone was in darkness because the only power generator has been down for over two weeks. Why? They were waiting for government. He called a generator technician to fix the problem and was shocked when told that the bill was N1,500. Yes, you heard me right. N1,500. The whole community suffered for over two weeks, because everyone was waiting for the government to provide N1,500. What a shame. Ahh!!! That 'E wo lo kan mi' attitude. 

Look around you and you will see the 'E wo lo kan mi' attitude. When the Punch Newspaper reported that the major Nigeria Police tracking device acquired in 2015 to go after kidnappers, bandits and terrorists is down and out since the beginning of 2021 because they have not paid the yearly subscription, I need not ask why and how because I know it is because of the 'E wo lo kan mi' attitude. When a small pothole formed on the Lekki-Epe expressway some weeks back and no one paid attention until it grew and started causing a three hours traffic, we all suffered and cursed the government but no one thought to do something. You know why? The 'E wo lo kan mi' attitude. 

The 34th US President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953 to 1961) had said 'A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.' It seems like we've all lost our principles and waiting to enjoy privileges we don't deserve. Everyone is waiting on somebody to do what anyone could do. At the end nobody is doing anything. We must remove and burn that cloak of 'E wo lo kan mi' which we wear like a winter coat and begin to take more interest in fixing what directly affects us rather than wait for government or someone else. James 4:17 'Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.' It's true, whether you say 'E wo lo kan mi' or not. 

Stay hopeful. God's got your back. 

Happy Sunday. 

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey