IKORODU KILLINGS: Nigerians and the culture of no identity

Many good people have lost their lives in strange environments and many others have ended up in Police cells here in Nigeria simply because they had no form of identification at a crucial point of demand.

The average Nigerian does not see the necessity to leave home with an identity card, something that should bother our minds!facebook.com

Market traders hardly have work I.D’s, even comedians, musicians and other talents. After millions of persons have reportedly gotten the new national identity card, one wonders why the little piece of art appears in public only when holders are strongly required of it in the bank.

White collar jobbers are also guilty of this neglect. I remember working with a company where only the Director and his PA had a work I.D card. Other staffs were treated like hungry men who only joined the workforce for the ridiculous monthly pay.

More standard organisations traditionally give out identity and complimentary cards to their workers at the point of employment, and even make it compulsory for staffs to come to work with it, yet some persons still find it difficult to keep the tradition, making the job of security operatives harder than supposed.

It’s rather perplexing that normalcy is taken so much for granted in this part of the world. To the extent that a car owner can confidently mount his steering without a Driver’s license in hand. And at checkpoints, they boldly tell inspectors, “I forgot my license at home!”