Before Blaming Politicians for Corruption, Reflect on Ourselves

I’m not here to excuse our leaders. Instead, I want us to look inward. We complain about corrupt politicians, yet we mirror many of their practices in our own lives. Back in secondary school, our principal hired a photographer at ₦100 per class photo but convinced him to charge ₦50, promising bulk business. Teachers then charged each student ₦20. A class of 30 paid ₦600 for a photo worth ₦50. That small-scale graft started in our classrooms. In SS1, a classmate tricked his father into buying two halves of a single Biology textbook at full price. He split “Biology” into “Bio” and “Logy,” and the landlord—an uneducated man—paid double. These may seem small, but they taught corruption as normal. Today, I work around people bragging about “yahoo” fraud. They mock politicians yet cheer on small scams among peers. If given the chance, many would outdo those in office. Before we point at Tinubu, Atiku or others, have we checked our own hands for stains? I rest my case.

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