Co-operation, no be competition, By Pa Monday

Pa Monday prefers to write in Nigerian Pidgin English.

One thing wey dey slow down our development and progress for Naija na say we dey compete with ourself instead of to co-operate. We want better pass the other person. We want to shine pass our neighbour, we want carry first.

Many people main ambition na to get money pass their neighbour, friend or brother and to show everybody say we too much. We want make our motor big pass, cost pass, fine pass, latest pass and speed pass other people own. My house big pass ya own. My cloth fine pass ya own. My pikin know book pass ya pikin. My pikin cloth fine pass ya pikin own. My dog big pass ya own.

This competition dey for every level. Politicians wey dey public office dey carry money so dat dem go get money pass the people wey dey there before dem. Dem want get money pass the former Governor, President, Senator, Minister, DG, Perm sec. Dat na why every government wey come dey worse pass the one wey dey there before.

No be only for politics. Some time ago, banks dey compete with themself. Everybody want answer the biggest bank for Nigeria. Dem dey pay money to win award, dey open branch anywhere wey others open branch, some even open 2 branches for one street, dey declare profit wey nobody see and their MD dey appear for newspaper everyday. Instead of dem to help customers to grow, dem dey compete for who get property pass for Dubai, London and America. Loan wey 5 banks go join hand give one customer, only one bank go want do am alone! If one bank give customer loan, others go run go give the same customer another loan, leave other people wey need the loan. Now breeze don blow, all of dem don fall yakata, scatter people investment and spoil work for many people.

Even we small people dey do our own. Sotay we get generator wey we dey call ‘I better pass my neighbour’. That name alone don show how bad this spirit of competition dey. If you on your generator, connect light for your neighbour, na bad thing? Dat neighbour fit contribute to buy fuel na. Why house of 10flats go get 10generators?

Na de same thing dey follow cause traffic. We dey compete with other road users. If person put trafficator to enter our lane na so we go just speed block am as if to say if he enter our front we no go reach where we dey go again. For express road people go dey speed as if dem go win prize for first to reach end of the road.

The one wey bad pass for this our competition wahala na when person get something, e no go want make another person get. Why you dey block another person to get contract, promotion, buy land, get business when you get your own? Na this one dey make some people dey go some kind place wey I no fit even use mouth call.

Nobody dey come first for life but all of us fit achieve wetin we want if we no dey selfish and co-operate. If your neighbour achieve him ambition, dat one no go stop you to get your own. If we co-operate and work together, Nigeria go be better place.