The Laws of Inefficiency – The Anatomy of a Decaying Nation

I’ve have been away for a bit and while I was away, I was busy making keen observations in order to bring something very important to your notice.

Is it just me? Or have you yet taken time to note the ‘Laws of Inefficiency’?

I have observed people in situations of gross inefficiency and lack of responsibility (case study: Nigerian civil society) and noted the unwritten rules behind, beside and beneath the attitude of every unpatriotic and apathetic Nigerian. These are not theories or hypotheses, they are laws. Tested and proven, they are the Laws of Convenience.

This first law states that;

“An apathetic citizen will choose over and over again an option that guarantees him minimal or zero social responsibility, minimal or zero stress, minimal or zero effort and minimal or zero work to achieve a purpose, disregarding the social, mental, financial and health effects to others in civil society”

Have you ever driven on the streets of Nigeria? If yes, have you ever taken one-way traffic, or driven against traffic to SIMPLIFY your journey instead of going ahead to make a U-turn? Then the law directly applies to you.

Have you ever jumped a queue at the ATM or anywhere else, this law applies to you.

During NYSC orientation camp, did you wait your turn on the queue or did you short?

Have you ever given ‘facilitation fee’ at a government office before?

Have you ever parked your car in a way that blocked someone else’s?

Have you ever done double parking?

Have you paved your veranda in a way that channels the flood to your neighbour’s house?

Have you ever driven recklessly, blared your horn recklessly, blocked the side lane (which has the green light) at the traffic light, while you are actually going ahead (and you have the red light?)

Have you ever stopped on the road to drop off or pick up a passenger or be dropped off or picked up as a passenger yourself while holding up traffic behind you?

Well, you get the gist.

The second law states that

“An excuse is tenable and sufficient in a situation of non-performance regardless of the cause and the resultant effect of non-performance. Additionally, any behaviour from another party that does not accept the excuse and absolve the non-performer of any responsibility is immediately viewed as’ hostility, jealousy and prejudice.”

With this law, I do not even know where to start. It is so incredible yet so widespread. It is almost as if we have a generation of irresponsible people walking about passing on a chain of responsibility from one person to the next. The chain finally falls on one person who eventually blames it on entities or occurrences that cannot speak for themselves, e.g. weather, money, or better still… the government.

“Why are you late?”

“The rain was so heavy; I could not come in earlier”

“The rain only started at “7:55AM and ended at 8:30AM. You came in 9:30AM”

“THIS OGA IS WICKED. IS IT MY FAULT IT RAINED?”

But hey, you saw that it was a bit cloudy and you decided to catch some more sleep and blame it on the rain later. You know you are wrong yet you transfer the blame effortlessly, how do you sleep at night?

Have you ever heard of the Nigerian Factor (the likelihood of things not working appropriately or at all simply because it is Nigeria) or African Time (generally accepted tardiness)? Take away these two laws and they cease to exist.

Actually, take away these laws and you will have caring neighbours, accountable and performing government, responsible employees and employers, good roads, and a functional system.

These laws need to go, we need to stop applying them people!!! Be responsible for and always consider the repercussions and effects of your action. If any of these laws apply to you, know that you too are holding up the birth of this new Nigeria that we all so dearly speak of.