I have been around for a while. I have followed the rise and fall of many money men in society and I have also observed the steadiness of the wealthy and how they do their things quietly.

I have seen the mad dash to be noticed among the new money class even in the 80’s and 90’s. Boys will travel abroad, do a few deals, bring the money home and instead of investing, they want to attend every party in town. Spray every musician and become popular overnight. And how can I not add that they also seek out StoryTellers to tell bloated versions of their rise to ‘success’. Some of them opened glamour businesses like hotels, nightclubs, restaurants, fashion houses, boutiques…anything that was in Vogue to show off. They did not bother to learn the rudiments of the trade. That is tedious. They rented space, bought machinery, paid an interior designer to do up the place and employed staff. They paid crazy salaries that the income from the business could not accommodated. In less than a year, when the original source of funds dried up. The closed up shop, sacked everybody and called mallams to come in and buy everything for pittance. I have seen it happen again and again as a StoryTeller. I always tell people, take it easy, hide yourself. Life na jeje.

Today however, the level of vanity amongst the newly arrived money class is beyond Imagination. And social media has been a propellant. Each person wants to out do the other. Each wants to buy what the other has not bought or a much newer or higher version. The competition is high voltage. From musicians to actresses to businessmen. They are all throwing their vanity in their faces and expecting us to applaud. Maybe someone will say because I am not part of them I can talk. Time will tell.

These days I see guys like Obi Cubana and Cubana Priest exhibit heart breaking ostentatious living. Showing off different fleets of luxury automobiles, eye popping mansions and private jets, with armed escorts flocking in front and behind them.

Musicians like DAVIDO, Whizkid, Burna boy, are also in this mad craze to tell is how much their diamond necklace cost, how much they paid for their wonder machines and why they always travel with private jets.

The actresses show of expensive cars and beautiful mansions that we know is not funded by their acting carears. They display hand bags worth millions of naira and boast about how much they spend on jewelry. Some of them say head to toe, they are worth two to three million conservatively. Even runs girls, are caught up in the madness.

The parties of these days are beyond imigination. People budget something in the neighborhood of N30 to N50million to do a party. Drinks alone will gulp N10m, food and others another N10m. Other vendors and decorations and sundry will gulp another N15m.
What of musicians and comedians and fireworks, throw in another N15m. Souvenirs between N5 m to N10m. Then we talk of the costume of the celebrant. Clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry. Conservatively add another N5m to N10m , the world must know they have arrived. Dem go gree. That is how crazy our world has become. How can I forget that they will also budget handsomely for publicity. My brother, Seye Kihinde will collect his share, Uncle Bisi Olatinlo will demand a few millions to air on his TV show, some will pay Bob Dee for an exclusive coverage on Ovation Magazine, bloggers will also be paid. The latest champion will shine for a few weeks, be the toast of her friends till the next big party floors all the millions she spent. Memories for another day.

Last week an actress had a party. Seven years after the death and burial of her mum, she felt she had arrived, acquired rich new friends. She spent a couple of good millions to throw a party where Wasiu Ayinde Marshal entertained. The fee for the Fuji crooner can’t be less than N5 million. Who was she trying to impress you ask? It was after this party that she went to her social media handles denying that she had an amorous affair with the big spender MC Oluomo who was very visible at the party. Few people believed her. Sources say she moved out of her matrimonial home few months before the party. That’s the trend with Actresses these days. Nobody should suffocate them. They need to be free like their friends, to come and go like the wish.

Everybody wants to impress us. Every one of them wants us to know they have left everybody behind.

Where does all this leave us? In a deep hole. The young see all this display of wealth and believe hard work does not pay in Nigeria. Easy living is the way out they believe. Yahoo and Yahoo plus, ritual money and fraud is the answer they think. Others take the route of drug trafficking and prostitution and pimping, many others see salvation in becoming agberos and collecting money from Danfo and Okada riders and oppressing others at their level.

And we also have those youth who believe they quickest way is to rob, armed robbery. They join gangs, rob people of their valuables and live off the proceeds.

The most daring are kidnappers. Most of them are young, educated and enlightened with a good grasp of technology which they use to their advantage. Crime has become a flourishing and expanded Enterprise, now than ever before. The level of criminality and illegality in Nigeria today is like no where else in the world.

And their are also those who are waiting their turn to come into power, to be elected in Politicial office so they can acquire even more than those before them. But better cars than they did, throw bigger parties and date more beautiful actresses and society women. The circle of vanity just never ends.

By; Al Humphrey Onyanabo (The StoryTeller)
Tel; +2347054674906
Email; Nigeria360online@gmail.com

Hmmm

Wizkid worked for his money tho


🦅