A Civil Servant Eating Amala & Fish While On Duty At Lagos High Court

By Tola Kudus - You know, it is still amazing, although we all know it - how Nigerians simply lack any sense of customer service whatsoever. It can be bad even in the private sector, but is always massively worse in the public sector. The public service and civil service are just. . . . wow. 

Here's a tiny example. About 2 weeks ago I went over to the High Court of Lagos State at Tafawa Balewa Square; Lagos Island. Having practiced as a lawyer there several years ago, i already knew the court had many improvements (there is also a new Multi-Door wing at the rear); and there had been many other modern improvements. When I left practice about seven years ago, I was already very pleased with the many gradual improvements at the court. Not just structurally but also in terms of process and practice and the rules of court. 

There has been a general effort to improve the processes of the court. For example the new 2012 Rules of Court have introduced a compulsory Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism to see if cases can be resolved amicably before being assigned to a Judge. 

You can therefore imagine my shock when I entered the office of the Chief Registrar; and came upon the sight of one of his officers eating a meal of amala and fresh fish (stinking to high heavens) right there in the court office - whilst attending to lawyers and litigants. 

This is something that Nigerian civil Servants do A LOT and with impunity and its simply totally unprofessional and disgusting. I was totally ashamed. 

I decided to do some "sleuth" journalism and so I managed to sneak a shot of him with my phone in the dastardly act.