“Drop Something” Syndrome
When did soliciting for tips, and various monetary favours from strangers, become a norm? In Nigeria, the culture seems to have taken root. A customer may finish transacting business somewhere and get requests from members of staff at that location, for some form of personal gratification. It’s amazingly shameful! The people that make these requests are often salary-earners at the places where they make these shameful requests. Why can’t they live through decent means? They embarrass their employers and those customers who they trouble for those favours. It’s particularly bad in urban places like Lagos, though residents in some rural communities also engage in that disgraceful practice.
One day, I had a funny experience with that. I had just left a supermarket where I had gone to do some shopping. I was wondering if I had spent more than I should have. My concern was about having enough money for the next day. A small boy who worked at the supermarket was asked to help me take my refilled water dispensers to the car. As he finished loading the items into the car, he mumbled something that I couldn’t make out. He repeated it clearly when I asked: “Your boy dey here; anything for us?” “What do you mean?” I asked in a harsh tone. He quickly realised I wasn’t the sort of person with whom he could get away with that and so he ran off, like a child whose mum was approaching him with a cane, to flog the living daylights out of him.”
I tried to guess the boy’s age from his appearance. He was probably twelve; maybe thirteen or fourteen. At best, he would have been fifteen. To have a boy seeking such favours at such an age is worrisome. Interestingly, he couldn’t have worked at that supermarket beyond two weeks because I would have noticed him before then if he did. I shopped at that location regularly. Seeing the boy seek monetary gratification outside his salary, for work he is paid to do, is something hard for me to wrap my mind around.What a mess! What would one expect from him when he is in his twenties, thirties or forties?
The behaviour of seeking unearned gratification is spreading like wildfire. A former classmate of mine visited another African country and got a negative impression because of the frequent requests for tips at almost every opportunity. Why should our African brothers embarrass us in the view of foreigners? Does it have to get to that extent? I know that it happens because years ago, during my travels, when I went through screening at the international airport, it was normal to hear things like “Chairman, drop something for us”, “Put 100 USD inside the bowl”. I would simply smile and walk away but really… 100 USD? Are you joking? They’d expect me to hand them money they didn’t work for, just like that? Money whose source they didn’t know! Money they’d squander quickly, as they didn’t work hard for it!
The “drop something” syndrome comes in different variants. There are the executive, the business, the religious and the layman variants. Learn about these so that you can identify them when they present themselves.
The executive variant has executive beggars– salary earners who make money in addition to their salaries, through undignified means. You would find them at banks, malls, airports and restaurants, among a few. They are low-wage workers such as security personnel, waiters and various assistants. Their typical greeting is “Happy weekend, sir (or madam)!” even when it’s midweek. Occasionally, they’d say, “Big boss, your boy dey here o!” Ridiculous!
The business variant has a fraudulent base. Some people would pretend to be human resource consultants or claim to have a formal relationship with some human resource people and would attempt to scam their targets, offering them make-believe jobs and contracts. These job and contract offers are unsolicited but carefully targeted at those they believe would easily be swayed into offering money for those opportunities. One group of people that they target is those who have recently been discharged after completion of the NYSC programme. Business variant members of the drop something club would fish for names of past NYSC enrolees, using the NYSC magazines. With the high unemployment level, they would likely be successful at scamming a few of them.
This group of scam artists would lure their victims with promises of jobs and invite them for tests or interviews, to raise the hopes of their targets. Upon succeeding in drawing the attention of those ones, they would present them with an offer, on the condition of receiving some money in advance, as appreciation or money that they claim would be used to settle some ogas at the top.Sometimes they would extort such money in various amounts over a period of time, for various false causes. If their target isn’t careful, they could suck them dry before they realise that there is no job available.
The religious variant is seen with people who don’t fear God. They play on people’s emotions, positioning themselves in bus parks, claiming to be men of God; so-called preachers. As the bus is about to be full, they would get down from it and begin their so-called ministry. I say so-called because their message does not add up. They have no real message. Their aim is simply to stir emotions for their benefit, with the aim of provoking their audience to give money to them. After four to five minutes of speaking, they’d ask for an offering. This situation is prevalent in rural areas and can sometimes be seen in marketplaces.
The layman variant is perpetuated by people who seem to have studied in a school for tricksters. They are very crafty. Some of them would present themselves as common people without work or would pose as people who are stranded on the road. You’d find these ones all over the country and their chat lines are similar. There are, of course, different grade levels with these people; the lower and higher classes. The lower ones are often seen begging for alms in traffic but they have no form of physical deformity. The higher class ones are well-dressed and speak good English.
The higher class layman variant of the drop something club occurs where it is difficult to interrupt their business; in estates, houses of worship and market places, for example. Some of them have approached me in the past, in different places. Typically they’d say something like, “Excuse me, sir; please don’t be offended. I know you don’t know me from any place. I feel ashamed to talk to you about this…in fact, you are a man like me…you know how much courage it takes to talk about a thing like this…” “…some people will embarrass me; that’s why I came to you…” What would follow would be a story that culminates in a request for money because he is stranded, with no money for transportation.
Wonderful! Let’s consider the points:
“Don’t be annoyed”. Why would I be annoyed if he approached me?
“I know you don’t know me from any place”. That’s obvious.
“I feel ashamed…you are a man like me…you know how much courage it takes…” Why should he attempt manipulation in order to get his way?
“Some people will embarrass me; that’s why I came to you…” Why should he attempt to play with my emotions and patronise me? What’s special or different about me, really?
Most of these people repeat themselves. One day, I was taking a walk and one approached me. After spending time trying to sway me emotionally, I cut him short and told him to cut to the chase. He started all over, like an audio recording that was played, stopped, rewound and replayed. Amazing! I had no option than to hear his repeated whining. Interestingly, this person who claimed to be in need of transportation was not dressed as someone ready to leave for another location; he was dressed as someone who was within his environment. Even more curious was the fact that within the vicinity where he was asking for money, there was no means of public transport. It was a residential close. Was he requesting for transportation money to enable him walk into his house nearby?
Another encounter between me and a layman variant of these people was very dramatic. I was in a hurry to meet up with an appointment when he came towards me from the opposite direction. I was driving. His smile, as he approached, suggested he knew me. It seemed, at first, that he was going to warn me of impending danger. I wound the window of the car down and he cut to the chase: “I need money for transport to…” Before he could finish, I wound back my window and drove further along as traffic continued. Funny as it may sound, hours later, I saw the same guy. I wound down my window and this time gave him enough to take him wherever he might have wanted to go. Did he stop there? No. Forgive the expression but a dog always wants more meat; bigger meat. He walked up to a lady in a big SUV, to ask for money again. I hope she gave him what he deserved; a big NO!
Am I suggesting that there are no genuine and honest people going about seeking help from others? Definitely not! There would be those who genuinely use what is given to them for the purpose for which they ask. Some really are stranded and in need of help so we would do well to give assistance when we can. To however have this situation where around every corner, someone wants people to drop something,is not excusable. People should look for legitimate ways of earning an income. They should not look for easy escape routes but should use their skills and talents in more beneficial and dignifying ways. It’s unfair to make quick money by playing on people’s emotions.
Written
By
Ikenna I. Anyadike
Edited by Chukwudifu Onianwa, of ChuDifu Projects
Translation
Your boy dey here; anything for us – Your boy is here, acknowledge me with monetary value
Leave a Reply