TO ‘LOOSE GUARD’ What is your definition of ‘Loose Guard’?
This past week, I was with a colleague whom I met during a training exercise organised by a body under the federal government of Nigeria. We were both opportune to have scaled through the training and posted to different areas of assignment to which we both had excellent outcomes at the end of the exercises.
But this colleague of mine did something that bordered me and I had to express my disappointment. It was an exercise that warranted our positions as technical officers to be in charge of kits that contain devices and gadgets belonging to the federal government.
Being it natural that humans, especially Nigerians have this greedy and gluttonous tendencies of wanting to occupy stuff such as gadgets for themselves, especially when it is said to be belonging to the government; to my utmost shock, I found him with one of these gadgets among others I am sure were inside his bag or hidden somewhere. Supposedly, he had reported that they had gone missing unavoidably.
I intended to pretend as though it is normal since it belongs to Nigeria and because we only met as colleagues, not very good friends already. But I was forced to ask why he ‘stole it’ when we were paid more than enough to buy as many of such gadgets as we’ll want.
His unapologetic response was “You no carry your own? Oboy I no fit dull myself o, I no fit ‘loose guard’ for this kind better opportunity we dey come only once in a lifetime. After all, na your own? No be federal government own? You know how much dem done thief wey dem use for all those kits? Na my own share be this o.”
Perplexed and disappointed as I was, I kept staring at him while he continued to do his stuff with no iota of remorse.
He didn’t even pay any attention to my disturbed state for a second. I just had to laugh a little after a while and forgot about it. We then proceeded to discussing other stuff that matter most. Also, I had to avoid further troubles that could result.
It is as saddening as it is disappointing that many Nigerians are suffering from ‘dead conscience’ and are defining ‘being smart’ as greediness, cheating, getting away with things that do not belong to them or negatively relieving people of their belongings.
Irrespective of religions, so many people have let off their conscience and they commit grave sins without thinking twice and while being completely negligent of the the heavy consequences that are very much likely to befall upon them now or later.
Unfortunately! And more unfortunate is that they consider these very possible consequences as laughable while many of them claim to be religious. So-called!
Let this sink in: Being strong and disciplined does not mean ‘You dey loose guard’. Seeing yourself above what does not belong to you no matter how broke your are means you are very powerful. You are a rare gem in the Nigerian settings.
I wish to define ‘Loose Guard’ more properly as either being very careless of properties in your custody, thereby allowing thieves of the advantage to put you in troubles after stealing from these properties or when you allow people to capitalise on your weaknesses to their own advantage.
I mean when you allow people to cheat you or use you. Being disciplined and making useful the home training and religious training you have received is not ‘Loose Guard’.
Stay Strong, Stay Disciplined, Stay Sharp and Don’t ‘Loose Guard’!
Engr. Abdulsalam Saba
