“Looking for someone I can trust to manage my food factory in Kaduna. Good pay with health insurance. You can steal because I know you will and I can’t control it, but keep the thieving between 5 – 10% of the total net profit and we are good. Please DM if interested.”
This message was posted on Mr Samuel Otigba’s Twitter account. I felt a sense of grief after reading this tweet. It is a clear example of how low we have sunken as a people. He’s not asking whoever that eventually gets employed not to steal, because he knows it is almost impossible not to, but he’s pleading that you steal between 5-10% of the net profit. It also proves that previous employees may have stolen the entire net profit and likely plunged the company in debts before.
Yet, this is not in anyway insinuating that there are no honest Nigerians, but if you have suffered losses as a result of greed, wickedness and lack of integrity and accountability by most Nigerians, you will understand how he arrived at such conclusion that he knows the person will steal. Most Nigerians have no iota of integrity and this has made it increasingly impossible to get people to stand as surety or guarantors when you need one.
I had an encounter some years ago when I approached a man to sign my guarantor’s form for an extra job I wanted to undertake with a financial institution at one time. I informed him of my intentions over the phone, he asked that I come over to his office. When I arrived, he handed me a cash gift of #200,000, and told me that as a matter of policy he no longer stands as guarantor or surety for anyone. He got bitten a lot of times for believing in people. He told me that even his brother-in-law absconded with a company’s money running into millions.
The money he gave me was to compensate for his inability to grant my wish, that he would rather part with that amount than sign as my guarantor, though I’m’m one of those he had come to trust.
I was disappointed, yet, I couldn’t blame him. Who doesn’t know that we murder trust daily in this country? Forget trust, a lot of people have dead conscience. We make innocent people with good hearts repay debts or run into trouble because they stood as surety or guarantors for us.
It is hard to vouch for an average Nigerian including some family members and close associates. People have proven time and time again that the heart of man is desperately wicked. Humans are mischievous and deceitful, they will intentionally make you suffer losses or have you pay for what you know nothing about.
We hate accountability. It is why we are where we are today as a country. Ask a Nigerian to give account of something left in their care, they will pick offence immediately. Instead of giving account, they act out. Most of us lack integrity in the real sense of it.
If someone stands as your guarantor and unforeseen circumstances happens, forget pride and ego. Just like financial institutions expects their debtors to notify them on time in case of any challenges that will inhibit their ability to pay back as and when due, it’s best you inform/confide in your guarantor/surety first. Let them know what you are encountering rather than just taking off without a word and leaving them to be dragged around.
To have integrity means doing the right thing in all circumstances even when no one else is watching. You are accountable, responsible, honest and self-aware. Your actions stems from within. You are simply consistent and uncompromising.
Integrity is the foundation for a successful life. It is also the basis for employee-employer relationship. An employer/employee with no integrity will almost never honor the terms and conditions of the work place.
Having strong ethical and moral values is an essential trait to succeeding in life and any job. It helps you maintain a positive reputation, practice accountability, it motivates you to Improve your work ethics and remain productive during working hours.
People of integrity take their time to ensure their jobs are properly done and delivered as and when due. If there’s any reasons for a delay or move on to better jobs, they reach out to those concerned thereby keeping them abreast. They will never compromise quality for quantity. They are conscious of any scandal that is capable of ruining their reputation, their guarantor’s/family’s, their employer’s etc. They would rather quit than be compromised. They treat people with care and protect other people’s belongings, businesses and interests at all times.
If you are an employee, employer, business man, politician, you have to be consistent and uncompromising. Do your best, always stick to the terms and conditions of you agreement. Be trust worthy, it’s your pathway to greatness.