13/12/2025
Experiences shape us all
THE DAY ABEOKUTA ENVIRONMENTAL SHOWED ME PEPPER (AND STILL COLLECTED MY PEPPER)
Very funny story
It all started on one innocent Thursday morning, my first Thursday ever as a fresh Ewagoyin CEO.
I had only started the business on Monday, so I was still vibrating with new business ginger.
My brother kept telling me:
“Guy close shop o… today na environmental. Make you wait till 10am.”
But me?
Stubbornness was worrying me.
I said:
“What do you mean?
Environmental ko, environmental ni.
Is it not environmental sanitation?
We are supposed to CLEAN the environment, not close shop...
And my environment is clean".....I argued
So I confidently opened my shop, arranged my beans, brought out my pot, set my gas, and started frying plantain like a boss.... biggest mistake of my business life..
I should have known, The whole street was quiet,shops locked, everywhere dry.
I just concluded they were lazy or doing family meeting.
Little did I know I was the only stubborn person on the entire street.
Because in Abeokuta, environmental law is not suggestion. It is a COMMANDMENT.
If you dare open shop before 10am…
"WOLE WOLE" WILL COLLECT YOUR DESTINY.
But I didn’t know.
So as I was frying plantain and inhaling the aroma of my own progress, I just heard my brother shout:
“WOLE WOLE!!!”
I turned, gbam!
A white bus parked like film trick.
Three angry women in white and brown uniform jumped out, plus one hefty man that looked like he was carved from Olumo Rock.
Before I could shout “Beans!”
They had LOCKED my shop with padlock the size of elephant leg...
Next thing, they carried my gas.
They carried my pot.
They even carried the pepper I was supposed to use for my Ewagoyin sauce.
I was confused.
I was lost.
I was shooketh... shock,shocker,shoocketh
After they packed my things and entered their bus.
Me tooI ran after them and ENTERED the bus o
Other "Wole Wole" people inside the bus turned and looked at me like:
“Is this one mad?
Who enters Wole Wole bus voluntarily?”
But I held the bus door like Jackie Chan.
They couldn’t move.
I was breathing like someone that swallowed anger and kerosene together.
One of them said:
“Oya come to our office.”
I said: “Which office?
Who are you people?
Is this how you operate?
You didn’t even talk to me, you just came and lock my shop and pack my things!”
They didn't answer me o... One of them who appeared soft, was negotiating with me,
"come down from our bus and come to our office"
I located their office after asking around..
I went there, and waited for TWO HOURS.
They finally returned and one of them said:
“Is this not the stubborn Ewagoyin boy that was hanging on our bus?”
I just frowned my face
Luckily, two good Samaritan women who saw the whole drama had followed me to go and beg on my behalf.
Their Oga looked at me and said:
“So you hung on a moving bus? What if we moved and you fell down?”
After the begging and drama, they finally said,
“Pay ₦50,000 before we unlock your shop.”
50,000 what?
For a business I just started on Monday.
For plantain I haven’t even finished frying before una carry una wahala com.
Thank my ancestors for those Samaritan women who kept begging them..
Finally, they reduced it to ₦10,000.
Even that ₦10k, I no get
The good Samaritan women called me aside and asked how much I had.
I said ₦4,000.
They completed the remaining ₦6,000 and said,
“Oya go and pay.”
That was how I got all my equipment back...and they also followed me to unlock my shop
Since that day, every Thursday morning, I lock my shop like madman...till 10am
But later, my brain reset and I said:
“No, environmental cannot be ruining my business every Thursday.”
So I did what any intelligent Nigerian entrepreneur would do…
I built a GATE in front of my shop.
Every Thursday, during environmental, I lock the gate…
…but open the shop behind it.
Ah!
The gate is closed.
The shop is open.
Business is moving.
Ewagoyin is selling.
And Wole Wole cannot enter.
Since then, they never caught me or came back again.
last last…
HE WHO LAUGHS LAST, LAUGHS BEST.
