"I produced what I had on me, my bus pass for which you have to be 60, my government issued OAP card, my pacemaker certificate, which has my name on it.I asked the girl behind the counter to repeat herself three times, I just couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I thought it was a joke. I can understand shops being strict with all the youngsters buying booze but surely there's a difference between a 92-year-old and someone of 18. I ended up storming out in indignation. It is just ridiculous to ask someone of my age to prove they are adult' That was the lamentation of a great-grandmother, who blasted a shop staff at a local One Stop Shop in Harlow, Essex in the UK after they refused to sell her alcohol at the age of 92, because she had no ID to prove she was over 18. A couple of years ago in the UK, as I was coming out of Somerfield, where I went to buy grapes, a boy came up to me asking me to assist him buy a packet of cigarettes. But then I asked him why he wouldn't go in to buy it. And then he innocently told me that he was not 18 yet. Well, I declined assisting him to buy it. This would never happen in Nigeria, my country, where at every nook and cranny of Oshodi, Mushin, Sabo, and Kara; paraga (locally-made gin) is sold to every Ade, Chinedu and Ekaite. In Nigeria, a father could ask his eight-year-old boy to buy him a stick of cigarette from the aboki across the street. In the autumns of 2006 at Gare du Nord, Paris, I was in a long queue with a friend waiting to buy a train ticket. Since my friend, who was in front of me had the money, I decided not to move along in the queue, thus unknowingly creating a wide gap between my friend and I. Lo, as I inadvertently looked back, I saw that a lot of people were already queuing up behind me, obviously waiting for me to move up. And so, I decided to move out of the line so that people behind me could move up to my friend who was already with the cashier. The high point of this was that those behind me did not jump the queue. Rather, like a patient dog, they all quietly waited for me to move up. That may never happen in Nigeria; unless perhaps we go back to 'War Against Indiscipline' (WAI) days with whip in soldier's hand. Nigerians love to jump the queue; it is a common sight in banks, local airports, and eateries ' it is that bad! I have seen notable people abroad queue up for their turn. I have seen the UK parliamentarians at the Westminster tube station quietly file into the train with briefcases in their hands. That will never happen in Nigeria, where our distinguished senators and honourable members of the House of Representatives will board a bus with commoners to Asokoro District in Abuja. Do they take taxi at all, not to talk of being in the same bus with a commoner' It is perhaps only in Nigeria, where you see police checkpoints at every closest bus stop. As a result, the Police have caused a lot of fatal accidents on our bad roads; thereby sending Nigerians to their untimely grave. Is it not ironical then to say that Police is our friend' It is only here in Nigeria that I see a uniformed officer argue or even exchange blows with a commercial bus conductor over unpaid bribe. Recently in Abuja stadium, whereas, policemen were supposed to back the pitch whilst the game was on, they were seen backing the spectator and watching the real football game. What a comedy! It is only in Nigeria where you see motorcyclists and motorists drive against the traffic (one-way) yet claim that they are right. Some are even ready to abuse or curse the driver, who is on the legitimate lane, if they are not giving them enough space to pass. Sometimes, the uniformed officers aid and abet these lawbreakers, and the Road Safety marshals helplessly look on. Some major national newspapers had recently written on the mindless roadblocks mounted on the weakened old bridge connecting Ogun State and Lagos State at the Berger end and other dangerous bends on the expressway; yet nobody in government has looked in that direction to correct such deviance. The unnecessary long queue being created on this wobbly bridge by the men in the Force may just be another disaster waiting to happen ' (God forbid). But God will only forbid, when necessary measures are being put in place to avert mishap.RE: The tragic flaw in a heroUncle Yemi, it is now crystal clear that the myriad of the world heroes and heroines, most especially our leaders; both dead and alive lack wisdom, knowledge and understanding. The reason is not far-fetched considering how they ended up in government. Sadly, our kinds of leaders are those who see themselves as gods of the land. No sooner do they get to power than they start to oppress and torture their subjects.In Africa, it has become the tradition of our so-called leaders to sit tight in office; forgetting power belongs to God. It is high time they jettisoned their 'I don't care' attitude. In the words of the Biblical King Solomon, whose understanding, wisdom and knowledge surpassed that of every human being on earth till today: 'I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted allkinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers and a harem. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired'I refused my heart no pleasure. Yet, when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless ' a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.'Vanity upon vanity all is vanity! Our leaders must know that naked a man comes from his mother's womb and so naked he would depart. Must our rulers sit tight in office that is meant for everybody' Why should they divert billions of dollars and naira alike into their own private purses when such cannot save them from death' None of the harem went with King Solomon; none of the million of dollars being recovered from Abacha's loot went to the grave with Abacha. Why do they watch their subjects wallow in poverty while they eat fat' Why do they send assassins to eliminate their political opponents, and forget that their blood will one day cry for vengeance' Why do they turn deaf ears to the yearnings and aspirations of the people' The Psalmist says, 'Do not be afraid when a man gets rich, and when the wealth of his house increases, for when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth will not follow him down (grave)...' What a meaningless world! The article 'The tragic flaw in a hero' indeed, is warning to all world leaders, especially Nigerian leaders. It is never too late to correct a mistake when it could still be corrected. Heaven and earth will pass away but God's word will remain forever. I hope that all true religious leaders across the country will call on these 'greedy' leaders and instill the fear of God in them, so that their end will not be like that of Samuel Doe of Liberia, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, Iraqi's Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Sani Abacha of Nigeria and a host of others' I hope they are listening.Oladeji Bolade Ikorodu, Lagos.
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