THOU SHALT NOT STEAL - by Oluseyi Vandy

Imagine going out to an occasion (let's say a kids party), you're having a good time mingling with the other parents as your kid plays with other kids.All of a sudden, something of the birthday celebrant goes missing. Everyone is now concerned, "Where could this thing be? This is a first time something's going missing in this house." To cut the long story short, turns out your kid took it. Imagine the horror, shame and embarrassment you'd feel. "How could you? I taught you better than this" are some of the words that'd be used. So tell me why, in this day and age we have all made stealing okay. We have become so used to it that we have created other code words for it "being sharp" "being smart" "not dulling". It's so bad that we expect people to take advantage of their office or position to take something for themselves. When the Bible gave the 10 commandments, I've come to learn that it was a template for not just the heavenly race, but a social law to keep harmony and tranquility in society. If we look around, we will see the many faces of this particular law being broken. It almost seems like everyone in Nigeria is a scammer or thief. Some convince themselves that it's taking profit, but the question is to what extent do you bend the law for "profit" that it then turns to a crime. This is what the worship of money has caused, everything has a price. There is no dignity, and if an honourable man keeps his code of honour, he is considered a fool.  We see people complain about the corruption in presidency. Yet, we see people in their various fields where they are paid to do a job looking for ways to skim off the top. Some take payment and refuse to do the job they were paid for. Some take money to buy things, they then buy less than instructed and pocket the change. People selling products charge full price and take out some parts and sell. What are the consequences of a society that runs on stealing and cheating each other? Trust fades, words mean nothing. A quote comes to mind "Stealing reduces a man". Pride does not let a person of honour disgrace his reputation and name by taking what is not his/hers. Sadly, a corrupt system makes people lack belief in pursuing the case through the legal avenues. What this means is that people take laws into their own hands, and what we have is a law of the jungle atmosphere. The weak getting oppressed, while the middle class struggle amongst themselves with hopes that they will get through to the high class. Corruption will only thrive in these situations.

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