Chapter 7: Layoff Day & Secrets

Our oga stingy die. He hate to pay severance. Company policy na N+1 compensation—my colleague years for here reach like one hundred fifty thousand.

Oga dey count every kobo. E dey calculate how e go avoid paying big money. Company policy strict, but oga get him own backdoor style.

So oga give me secret offer: if I fit sack people with reason, he go give me thirty percent as reward.

Oga call me for corner, drop the offer with quiet voice. For Lagos, na who get sense dey survive. Thirty percent na real awoof.

E no pure, but many companies dey do am to save money.

For Nigeria, na so e dey. Big man go look for way to dodge paying people, then go act innocent for public.

Thirty percent of one-fifty thousand na fifty thousand.

My eye shine as I do calculation. With that kind money, I fit run my mama surgery, even send small to my younger brother for school.

In fact, I don already get evidence to sack am well.

Na God open my eye. If no be that day for bukka, I no go see wetin my colleague dey hide.

Yesterday for pepper soup, as he go carry water, he forget him phone for table. I see notification pop: file enter him email.

The phone vibrate, light flash, me I no wan snoop but the thing just dey there for my front. I see subject: "Project Files," and I just note am for mind.

I sabi the file name—company secret, no supposed leak.

The file name too clear: "2024 Q1 Strategy"—wetin suppose dey for only management hand.

But I no know the sender. He no even save the number.

The phone dey show just eleven digits, no name. That one make me suspect say something dey fishy.

I write down the number, check am, find say na university student get am.

I use truecaller, confirm say na Uniben student dey use the line. E shock me.

For two years, my colleague dey send company file give student make e dey do him work, two thousand every month.

Na so I gather evidence, dey follow the trail. The kain laziness and sharp man work dey everywhere for Lagos offices.

Forget severance—na company go even collect damages from am.

I dey calculate am. For this Naija, if company catch you, dem no dey pity o. E fit even reach police matter.

Some things light for eye till you weigh am—na there you go know say e heavy.

Life be like bag of cement. Na until you try lift am, you go know say weight dey inside.