Corruption or Nah?

So, I was standing at a particular junction, waiting for a vehicle I could take home. True to the Abuja style, this particular junction was packed with people. The inner agbero in me was already on high alert. In other news, we die here.

Do you know or have you heard of the Toyota Coaster Bus?

Yes, that ‘long white bus’. Ehn, that one.

So, this bus is approaching me and fellow country people, its destination is our destination. As it slows down with its door open, fellow country people started climbing and literally jumping in. No fear, me sef I follow.

 *wipes tears, *sniffs, the things naija makes you do.

We sha got into the vehicle.

Remember how the interior of the Toyota Coaster bus is? Two seats to the left, one seat to the right, and that one low seat in between the left and the right. As population demands, the vehicle is filled up in matter of seconds.

Next thing…

…driver parks the vehicle and turns off the engine.

Driver: na five five for each row o, make una adjust

Passenger: na four four, motor don full abeg make we dey go

Driver: I no go o, na five five

Passengers outside start finding their way in pushing and shoving, till bus is packed full. Packed full!

Me: (which kind wahala be this, shebi if na normal motor na I don dey reach my house)

Journey begins.

Passenger 2: Oga shebi this one na fifty fifty Naira we go pay as you pack us like this

Driver: (looking back from his rear mirror) which kain fifty fifty, I go park now now

Passenger 3: Oga abeg dey go!

Passenger 4: this is supposed to be free sef, is not government motor?

Passenger 5: corruption everywhere in this Nigeria

Passenger 6: is this one corruption? This one is not corruption.

Passenger 4: madam it is corruption, using government vehicle to enrich his pocket

Passenger 6: this is small corruption nau

Passenger 4: madam corruption is corruption, no small or big

Passenger 6: too much corruption, nobody knows again which one is good or bad

Me: corruption is corruption

Passenger 6: if that is the case we are all corrupt for entering this vehicle

Me: (in my defense I did not know that it was a government vehicle. I had previously entered a similar vehicle, neat clean, no overcrowding, and it was free. Well, we didn’t know this till it was time to pay and the driver refused to take money from us. But then again, how many individuals own a coaster bus for private use?)

So, corruption or nah?