Wealth without Enterprise

We despise hard work because we have seen many people with overnight or unexplainable wealth. This quote is becoming popular: “Did you probe my source of poverty? Why are you concerned about how I made my money” A driver was narrating his experience with young men in their early twenties that were into internet fraud. They drive exotic cars, live in expensive homes, and flaunt wealth in people’s faces, demean folks who “are yet to make it”, spend their money clubbing, sexual romps and drug abuse. They also engage in diabolism using human beings, especially ladies, to renew their “power”.  The driver narrated how on many occasions, he would bring different girls to them in hotels or drive to a village to get a “soap” and several other weird experiences. 

Can you blame them? Was it not the same wealth without enterprise our politicians have shown us? Someone without a known job became a local government chairman, and in two years, he had built his own house, had fleets of vehicles and married more wives. Just look around to see our senators and governors who will continue to claim that their salary is less than 1m naira a month but will spend hundreds of millions of naira to be elected and live in much affluence in a few months in office. Just one contract inflation would have paid their salary and allowances for four years. A friend shared an experience of her sister getting a contract from the federal government to supply goods to an agency. The total supplies were about 25 million, but she quoted 50 million naira. Without leaving her house, they supplied the goods within three days, and she made a 100% margin. Which business in Nigeria will give you that kind of ROI without sweating, skill, or platform but just knowing someone who can give you access to public funds? If she can make that kind of money, imagine what the minister or the person who gave her the contract can make.  HRH Sanusi, the former CBN governor, also said a similar thing. He said with his level; it is possible to access $1m every quarter at the official rate from CBN- without leaving his house, people are in line to buy from him. He would make 300 million naira in three months without leaving the comfort of his home. What kind of job can give you that kind of money, even at an executive level?

Folks no longer want to grow wealth through diligence and persistence but want to drive the best cars within three months of graduation. Many people do not know that many rich people who made their money legally were products of disappointments, failures, persistence, vigils etc. They didn’t become rich overnight. That they can afford some luxuries now doesn’t mean they didn’t sacrifice much when they started. Every legitimate wealthy individual has a story to tell. Take that 70,000naira job- start from somewhere. Do not despise the small beginnings. Take that course, take that job, read biographies of people and do not be in a rush to “make it”. Be patient, be diligent and be hopeful- you will get there!

I am well convinced that these cannot last forever. The Bible has these to say about wealth without enterprise: “Dishonest money dwindles, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow”, “One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth….comes to poverty”, “ “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished”. ”Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”