After spending close to 22hrs at Total petrol station yesterday, what I experienced got me thinking. I joined the long queue at about 1pm on monday, and my car was at the 215th position. Fortunately for me, my car got to the 14th position inside the station when they closed at exactly 9:15pm. All the cars were left there at the station till the following day. Now the drama started at about 8:35am. The station had not stated selling fuel when the chieves from the palace came with a coaster bus, a toyota hiace and one jeep. Immediately after that, the Nigerian Police Force came with very loud sirene in one of their vans filled with some kegs. they entered through the exit route. The station switched on one of its pump and started selling for the chieves while the rest of us whose cars slep over at the station were there waiting for no reason. The place became so rowdy. About 10mins later, the chieves were almost through with buying when another van came in with unusual sirence. it was Nigerian Army van; just 3 armed men. They did'nt com to buy fuel. Two of them remained in d van while one of then went to where the pump was. This small looking army guy had no rank on his uniform yet, but his first statement brought about 80% calmness to the station. Even the armed police assembled themselves around their wan with their ASP. These are the instruction given to the fuel attendant and their manager:
1. Everybody whose car slept over at this station MUST finish buying before u sell for the police..."you hear?"
2. Any officer on duty that comes here to buy fuel must wait for a considerable amount of time before u sell for them..."you hear?"... the girl and the manager answered "yes sir".
The police couldnt say anything. About 55mins later, I was supposed to be the next to buy but the police came and blocked me with their van at my front and because of that, the army ordered d sales attendant to stop selling for my queue and start selling for the other quere. (bad market). After selling for 5 vehicles, the police men got angry (four of them including their ASP) & attemped to attack the army man. I had to at this point windup my windows, getting ready to run when it starts. After much arguement as God will have it, a senior army officer not in uniform had to come plead with the young army guy to allow them befor he later agreed. These are his points:
1. You said you are police officers, you came here with the intension to send civilian out, buy fuel and go away? Haba! People that slept here overnight struggling for fuel.
2. You called yourselves officers on duty, this place was rowdy in your presence and you couldn't cam the situatin and put things in order.
3. You were here when the chieves came here to buy fuel before the people who slept here and you couldnt stop them.
4. I am not suppose to be here for this kind of small matter...I ought to be somewhere else for other Official assignment...
At this point... there was calmness.
The senior police officer (who they called ASP) gently walked up to me and said "please we are sorry for delaying you, dont be angry". I was shocked because I didnt expect it. I have never heard Nigerian Police man say sorry or admit they were wrong on any matter; not even on movies. Several questions were running throught my head that I still haven't gotten anwers to;

What could be wrong with NPF? Is it that they are not well trained or their training curriculum is incomplete or they prefer to recruit the stupid sets of people in the siciety or is it their salary package that is affecting their sense of reasoning? What could be the problem

NB: pls pardon my gramatical construct and spellings; expecially those who cried in english at birth.