THE FISH SELLER

DATELINE: Thursday, March 12, 2015

When I entered Lekki, Lagos yesterday I drove through the Admiralty road, I passed just in front of the branch of my bank FCMB. Everything was normal. I picked my son shortly after from school and he requested to visit a supermarket in the opposite direction, and I obliged him. This meant I did not follow the same route I came through. When we finished at the supermarket, I went to the Auto Workshop (The whole of my detour took about 30 minutes). When I finished left the workshop I attempted to link the Admiralty road, but I noticed all cars making furious U-turns. We also made a U-turn. I got a call immediately from my sister who works in Lekki wanting to verify where I was because some dare-devil armed robbers were operating in FCMB. (She knew it was my way). I have also visited the branch to use ATM severally with my son on the way from his school. I later learnt the robbers killed three policemen and a young lady – a fish seller. The internet, as usual, is littered with pictures of the dead bodies soaked with blood.

THE FISH SELLER DIED

I found it very difficult to sleep yesterday night and have cried and cried to God because I often see a young girl hawking fish along that route and I felt she might be the one killed by stray bullets … the blank face of a young girl hoping for survival and a better future is registered in my mind … now laid in her pool of blood, possibly gasping for breath … Just trying to hold on to life .. perhaps some help may come but typically it did not come. I can picture her as she let go in disbelief heading to eternity… we all may have failed her.

Just about two weeks ago I saw her and my mind told me to stop and purchase her fish – I just felt for her because she was young and possibly did not have an opportunity to go to the school unlike us and our children who are privileged. Worst still no one seemed to care for this class of people as they labour through life and towards a hopeless future. Several people that I know pay crazy amounts in dollars as school fees for their children but show no concern for the underprivileged. Is God entrusting us with so much just for our personal consumption? Functional NGOs are few, rather some people use NGOs to make monetary gains.

SHE DIED BECAUSE WE FAILED!

She was just trying to earn a living; perhaps a banker that earns some good salary without time to go to the market would see her wares and purchase her fish, rather she was felled by hot bullets fired by some demented souls from the very pit of hell permitted by our failed security system … knowing that they most likely would not get caught after the horrendous crime … knowing also that our society … even the church now celebrates questionable wealth.

The fish seller … the poor … the sick … the orphans .. the weak .. are all God’s parameters of judgement he has put amongst us to prove us. I’m afraid our society has been failing because the church, which is the conscience of our society is failing.

I am sending this to all those I love dearly perhaps we may make a difference. How do we help the girl child?