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Published Sep 18, 2007
Part 4: The Departure
The taxi-driver explained that the policeman wanted some money before he
would let us pass. Unfortunately, such bribery is a matter of routine in
Nigeria. I handed over some cash and we were waved onwards, towards the
International airport in Lagos.
I had previously called and visited our airline office three times to confirm my
flight, as I had been told that there were often problems with flight
confirmations. I did not want to take any chances.
Once I arrived at the check-in desk I gave my ticket and passport to the
airport official and he checked his list for my name, once, twice, and then
once more. He appeared confused and looked at me, his gaze penetrating
directly into my eyes, “No name,” he said. “Next!” The person in the queue
behind barged me aside and I stood there, flabbergasted and wondering
what I could to do to get on the plane.
Russell was at the next check-in counter and soon enough, he had the same
bewildering experience. I was more than a little relieved to find that we were
in the same leaking boat.
As we were standing around discussing the situation, a Nigerian man
approached us and asked if we were on the flight list. When we said we were
not he then told us that we must pay the airport official a ‘fee’ and then they
would help us. The fee was placed at 1,000 Nigerian Naira each. We emptied
our pockets and found we had around 1,500 Naira left between us. The man
told us that we must give the money to him and that he would then
discretely offer it to the airport official. We decided to go for broke and give
the man the last of our money and hope that he didn’t run away with it. If
he did we were in deep trouble, but there didn’t seem to be much of a
choice. Fortunately, after handing him the money the man did quietly
approach one airport official and discretely gave him our cash. After some
thought the official nodded and we were told to get back in the queue.
While we were waiting in the queue again, we noticed a large sign behind the
check-in desk that read,
‘CORRUPTION AND BRIBES WILL BE PROSECUTED’
Armed policemen were walking by as we read this sign and I wished at that
moment that I had never seen the movie Midnight Express, the true story of
American Billy Hayes who got a life sentence in Turkey for possession of
hashish. I certainly wasn’t stupid enough to be carrying hashish, but I had
no idea what the local laws were for foreigners caught bribing airport officials.
Still, we had to catch that Midnight Express, we had to escape and go home.
Finally, we got back to the check-in desk and the official this time
miraculously found our names on his list, accompanied by an Oscar-winning
look of convincing surprise on his face. Before long we were relieved to be on
the plane and heading back home, reflecting upon the past two months and
trying to make sense of it all.
I still haven’t reached any tangible conclusions about the experiences that I
had in Nigeria. But having said all that, I would not change a thing! I guess
the old adage ‘when in Rome…’ is a philosophy that should not be taken
lightly.
Go back to Part 3
Part 4: The Departure
The taxi-driver explained that the policeman wanted some money before he
would let us pass. Unfortunately, such bribery is a matter of routine in
Nigeria. I handed over some cash and we were waved onwards, towards the
International airport in Lagos.
I had previously called and visited our airline office three times to confirm my
flight, as I had been told that there were often problems with flight
confirmations. I did not want to take any chances.
Once I arrived at the check-in desk I gave my ticket and passport to the
airport official and he checked his list for my name, once, twice, and then
once more. He appeared confused and looked at me, his gaze penetrating
directly into my eyes, “No name,” he said. “Next!” The person in the queue
behind barged me aside and I stood there, flabbergasted and wondering
what I could to do to get on the plane.
Russell was at the next check-in counter and soon enough, he had the same
bewildering experience. I was more than a little relieved to find that we were
in the same leaking boat.
As we were standing around discussing the situation, a Nigerian man
approached us and asked if we were on the flight list. When we said we were
not he then told us that we must pay the airport official a ‘fee’ and then they
would help us. The fee was placed at 1,000 Nigerian Naira each. We emptied
our pockets and found we had around 1,500 Naira left between us. The man
told us that we must give the money to him and that he would then
discretely offer it to the airport official. We decided to go for broke and give
the man the last of our money and hope that he didn’t run away with it. If
he did we were in deep trouble, but there didn’t seem to be much of a
choice. Fortunately, after handing him the money the man did quietly
approach one airport official and discretely gave him our cash. After some
thought the official nodded and we were told to get back in the queue.
While we were waiting in the queue again, we noticed a large sign behind the
check-in desk that read,
‘CORRUPTION AND BRIBES WILL BE PROSECUTED’
Armed policemen were walking by as we read this sign and I wished at that
moment that I had never seen the movie Midnight Express, the true story of
American Billy Hayes who got a life sentence in Turkey for possession of
hashish. I certainly wasn’t stupid enough to be carrying hashish, but I had
no idea what the local laws were for foreigners caught bribing airport officials.
Still, we had to catch that Midnight Express, we had to escape and go home.
Finally, we got back to the check-in desk and the official this time
miraculously found our names on his list, accompanied by an Oscar-winning
look of convincing surprise on his face. Before long we were relieved to be on
the plane and heading back home, reflecting upon the past two months and
trying to make sense of it all.
I still haven’t reached any tangible conclusions about the experiences that I
had in Nigeria. But having said all that, I would not change a thing! I guess
the old adage ‘when in Rome…’ is a philosophy that should not be taken
lightly.
Go back to Part 3
"Ebonyi Tales" by Jason Gaskell
http://www.jason-gaskell.info/index.html
http://www.jason-gaskell.info/index.html
Anne Zahalka
Reader
Reader
