Each time the news of people cutting corners to achieve results that impact or have the potential to impact negatively on people’s lives, one can’t help but wonder how people became so avaricious and what really fuels that level of greed.
Some may term it wickedness but to me, it is more of greed, a quest to make huge gains at the expense of other people.
In Nigeria, the get-rich-quick syndrome makes people indulge in all manner of things even if those things affect the lives of others.
As long as they get what they want, it doesn’t matter what any other person feels.
Come with me.
Recently, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said this year alone, four accidents that could have happened in the aviation sector were averted.
What happened?
The aviation regulator said Jet A1 fuel, contaminated with water, was discovered in the tanks of some commercial aircraft.
According to the NCAA, on July 17, 2023, an incident of multiple failure water tests upon refuelling a domestic airline occurred in Lagos and on July 7, 2023, another incident of APU shutdown due to heavy water contamination occurred in Yola while on April 28, 2023, an incident of APU shutdown during engine start due to fuel contamination occurred in Abuja and similarly, on April 30th, 2023, an incident of inflight engine failure following fuel filter bypass occurred in Abuja.
While it is cheering that no accident was recorded in all the incidents, one cannot help but imagine the magnitude of the disaster that would have occurred if the contaminated fuel was not detected on time.
To put it in perspective, if any of those aircraft took off with that fuel in its tank, the two aircraft engines would have shut down midair and the aircraft will lose gravity and drop to the ground like a stone.
A Boeing 737 carries between 110 and 230 passengers, depending on the specific model and configuration.
That is the approximate number of people that would have died in one fell swoop, in any of those averted accidents, because of one person’s greed and quest for money.
Unless it is a mistake, you begin to wonder why anyone would do something of that nature and cut people’s lives short.
It is this same quest to make money at the expense of people’s well-being and health that makes people forcefully ripen bananas and other fruits using calcium carbide, acetylene, ethephon, ethylene and ethylene glycol and other artificial ripening agents.
They do this not minding that these chemicals have negative effects on the health of those who consume them, as foods ripened through artificial methods lose vitamins and micronutrients and the dangerous chemicals in them, such as arsenic, are cancerous and can lead to health issues and death.
Studies show that consumption of artificially ripened fruits such as mangoes can upset the stomach, damage the mucosal tissue in the stomach and disrupts intestinal function and prolonged exposure to the chemicals can cause peptic ulcers. Calcium carbide also has the potential to affect the neurological system by inducing prolonged hypoxia, memory loss, cerebral oedema, numbness in the legs and hands, general weakness, cold and damp skin, low blood pressure and seizure, especially in pregnant women.
Recently, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) advised Nigerians to desist from selling and consuming artificially ripened foods as at least 200,000 Nigerians, including pregnant women and children under age five, die annually from consuming contaminated food.
Have you ever cooked with palm oil and the food had an awful taste and look? Do you know you possibly used oil that had been contaminated with other substances to give it a brighter colour for the purpose of marketing?
Sellers of palm oil, according to reports, add a substance called azo dye or Sudan dye to the commodity to make it look reddish and attractive.
Azo dye is a deadly chemical substance used for dyeing textiles and is known to cause gradual deterioration of human health. It is considered an illegal dye, mainly because of its harmful effect over a long period, as it causes cancer.
If this isn’t greed, what other name can it be called?
What of people who sell food laden with preservatives to people and pass them off as natural and additives-free? A lot of these kinds of products abound in our markets and people buy them hoping that they’re going for the best foods for their specific health goals but the foods end up exacerbating their situation.
It is greed that makes a motor mechanic take money for a faulty part but instead of buying and replacing it, repairs and fixes it back on the car, not caring that the owner could get involved in an accident and die.
Have we not seen cases of building collapse where it was said that in a bid to reduce cost, the builders didn’t follow the right process? Are they not aware that such buildings are susceptible to collapse and that people could die in them?
Is greed not the driving force for these kinds of people?
Greed is a psychological phenomenon that is quite complex, an obsession that leads to unethical or even illegal behaviour. It can be said to be a part of human nature fuelled by lack, envy, discontentment and insecurity.
Greedy people pursue money at any cost, even if it means compromising their values and relationships.
Admittedly, it is okay to have money to meet one’s needs and enough to provide a safety net that makes one feel secure but engaging in acts that are inimical to others and even oneself in its quest is not the right way to go.
Greedy people are more likely to engage in criminal activities to meet their never-ending quest for money.
