Why Did I Not Use ATMs Within Benin Republic, You Wonder?<\/strong><\/h3>\nBelieve me, I\u2019d have loved to. It would have saved me over 2 hours of to\/fro commuting I had to do from Cotonou, to the Nigerian end of the border at Seme, and then back to Cotonou again!<\/p>\n
However, since my arrival in this Francophone nation last April, I have been unable to find a single ATM machine with a Mastercard logo on it. <\/strong><\/p>\nThe bank I use (Guaranty Trust Bank) has no branch in Benin. Before travelling, I\u2019d called their support lines,and been assured the Naira Denominated Debit Mastercard issued to me would work \u201cwith any ATM Machine in the world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nStupidly, I believed them.<\/p>\n
Then one day in Cotonou, I visited a branch of UBA, and asked where I could use the ATM.<\/p>\n
The lady asked: \u201cIs your card Visa?<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\nI replied that it was Mastercard.<\/p>\n
She then told me the machines would only recognise Visa cards! <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSince then I\u2019ve come to learn that in virtually all the Francophone African nations, the ATM machines most widely available have Visa logos on them.<\/p>\n
Isn't is strange that my bank\u2019s people did NOT know that???<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nSo I\u2019m in the process of opening an account with another bank with branches across most countries. In the meantime, I have to visit the border, as explained above, to cash funds sent by buyers.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not why I\u2019m writing this article. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nAsking Questions Can Stop People From Taking Advantage of You!<\/strong><\/h3>\nI\u2019m writing this piece to share a true story that you can learn from, about why it\u2019s good to ask questions. <\/em><\/p>\nYou see, after I\u2019d cashed the money I needed, I headed back to the Benin Republic end of the border. As usual, I made sure to pass through the relevant passport stamping and yellow card inspection points.<\/p>\n
But Today, I Had a Series of Truly Odd Experiences Crossing the Border<\/strong>!<\/h3>\nAt the Nigerian end, I entered the left side of the Immigration\u2019s container office, and with a few seconds got my passport stamped out, and handed over the N100 payment always demanded.<\/p>\n
Next I entered the room on the right, where another immigration officer looked up at me. <\/em><\/p>\nI recognised him from a previous encounter (He\u2019d insisted the photo in my passport was of a person who looked much older than me, even though we looked alike. I\u2019d laughed in his face, to his displeasure. Then I told him the person to blame was his colleague at the Immigration Passport office in Ikoyi who took a photo that made me look older!)<\/em><\/p>\nI greeted him politely: \u201cGood morning Sir. Nice to see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n
He grunted \u201cHow are you?\u201d as he inspected my passport and scribbled my details in his journal.<\/p>\n
I replied that I was fine. Few seconds later, he was done. Then he looked up and said \u201cN200\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh?\u201d I replied in confusion, wondering what he was asking for.<\/p>\n
He said \u201cPay N200\u201d Mr ehm (looking again at my passport now) \u201cTayo Kayode Solagbade\u201d.<\/p>\n
I knew what to do: PLAY DUMB\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nSo I said \u201cI don\u2019t understand Sir. Last time you asked me to pay, I told you I\u2019d already paid N100 in the other office, and that normally my details are just recorded here. After I leave here I only pay N200 at the Beninese entry point where my passport is stamped in\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said \u201cLast time you said that I let you leave without paying, but it\u2019s not a right you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied \u201cWell I\u2019m sorry sir, it\u2019s just that I\u2019ve never had anyone ask me to pay twice before. What I\u2019m familiar with is what I just said.\u201d<\/p>\n
Realizing I wasn\u2019t going to give in, he looked away and said: \u201cOkay, forget it. Take your passport.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mean I can go Sir?\u201d I deliberately asked<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you can go. Have a nice day\u201d he replied impatiently handing my passport to me.<\/p>\n
I took it, and thanking him \u2013 politely again \u2013 left.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
As I Walked Towards the Benin Republic Entry Point, I Felt the Worst Was Over. How Wrong I Was!<\/strong><\/h3>\nJust as I passed a post mounted next a barricade to stop cars, a guy dressed in jeans and t-shirt, called out to me. He was standing right next to a uniformed immigration officer who looked at me with disinterest as I responded.<\/p>\n
I walked back to him and said: \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
He said \u201cCan I see your passport?\u201d<\/p>\n
Feeling he was an immigration officer not dressed in uniform for some reason, I gave him the passport. He looked at it, then handed it back. Next he asked \u201cDo you have any money on you?\u201d<\/p>\n
That got the alarm bells ringing in my head. But again, since we were right next to a uniformed officer I chose to play along. \u201cNot much I replied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much CFA and Naira?\u201d he pressed<\/p>\n
By this time I was getting irritated and it showed on my face. \u201cWhy do you want to know?\u201d I asked evasively.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt\u2019s because of the bad people who carry fake money. That\u2019s why we\u2019re checking. Just let me see what you have on you, and if none of it is fake, you can go.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked over at the uniformed man and he was paying us no attention, even though I knew he could hear us. I dipped my hands in my pockets, and showed him a few one thousand naira bills.<\/p>\n
He said \u201cIs that all?\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied that I had a few CFA coins. He nodded and said \u201cOkay, sorry to have disturbed you.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
As I Walked Away, I Did Not Know That Yet Another Strange Experience Awaited Me!<\/h3>\n
Just as I neared the Benin passport stamping post, I heard someone call out to me. <\/em><\/p>\nHe was not in uniform, and was dressed in jeans and t-shirt, like the guy I\u2019d just finished with.<\/p>\n
Now, this individual was not standing next to any post or barricade. It was just a short distance to the Beninese entry post. <\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cLet me see your passport\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n
Without thinking, I gave it to him, wondering why this unusual set of checks were happening repeatedly. <\/em><\/p>\nSuddenly, just as he opened the passport, I saw a hand reach out from behind him and snatch it. <\/strong><\/p>\nThen the person stepped out smartly dressed in a green guinea brocade. He was a slender, fit looking guy who looked to be in his thirties.<\/p>\n
He handed my passport to me and motioned for me to follow him, as he walked briskly away.<\/p>\n
I looked back and saw the guy I\u2019d been with quietly step backwards behind a parked trailer.<\/strong><\/p>\nNow I was totally confused. Before I could say anything the guinea brocade guy said<\/p>\n
\u201cHow could you just give him your passport like that?\u201d he asked<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand why you people behave this way. Why didn\u2019t you ask him for his identification first. Don\u2019t you know those guys are just thieves? If you\u2019d stayed long there, they would have robbed you of all the money you had on you\u201d he finished.<\/p>\n
I was opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water, in a mixture of surprise and confusion. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cI thought he was a non-uniformed operative\u201d I said lamely.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you should have confirmed. These guys are everywhere and you people must be careful\u201d he countered, all the while walking briskly towards the Beninese end.<\/p>\n
I could not help feeling that once again a guardian angel had been sent to save me, in one of my rare moments of zero street smartness<\/span><\/strong>!<\/p>\nAs I thought about what had just happened, my encounter with the first guy began to make sense. <\/strong><\/p>\nHis role had apparently been to check if I had money on me!<\/p>\n
By getting me to show it to him, the others watching got confirmation of that.<\/em><\/p>\nAs I walked away, he must have signalled the others down the road to work on me. And I guess this gentleman who\u2019d intervened, had seen the progression of events and decided to act.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut why are such people being allowed to carry out criminal acts right at the Nigerian end of the border, with all the government and security operatives present?<\/p>\n
Would it not have been better to simply round them off, and keep them out, rather than let them rob people under their noses?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
I rephrased that question twice. He ignored my queries on both occasions. So I shut up, thinking to myself that such absurdities are what make corruption difficult to fight in Nigeria. <\/em><\/p>\nA few moments later, we arrived the Benin end.<\/p>\n
I thanked him and promised to keep his warning in mind when next I visited the border. <\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nFinal Words: Lessons You Can Learn (and Also Teach Your Kids!)<\/strong><\/h3>\nNotice from the story that I successfully used questions, and subtle resistance, to avoid being made to pay more than I was supposed to pay.<\/p>\n
But I was later almost fooled by crooks allowed to roam freely within an area that should have been secured against their entry!<\/p>\n
That's to say one should always be alert at all, times, even in a supposedly secure area! <\/em><\/p>\nSo, Here Are Useful Lessons I Learnt From This Experience, Which I\u2019ll Also Be Sharing With My Kids<\/strong><\/h3>\nThis is especially important, in these times that kidnappers and other evil people have gotten more daring and creative in Nigeria.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n1. Once a person is not in uniform, asking for his\/her identification becomes necessary, before you do whatever s\/he asks!<\/p>\n
2. In addition, check and ensure that the identification provided is authentic.<\/p>\n
3. If you\u2019re not sure how to do that, insist on involving a uniformed officer (in the case of a child s\/he should call out to another adult for help).<\/p>\n
4. Try checking to also be sure that whoever you call is not party to the arrangement!<\/p>\n
5. And lastly, do not let him\/her (or them) take you to a corner, or remote or secluded area. Insist on staying in the open, or as close as possible to the officially designated areas with security.<\/p>\n
It goes without saying, of course, that no one can be 100% effective at detecting efforts to con him\/her. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nHowever, keeping the above points in mind, and staying alert to tell tale signs you observe, can save you.<\/p>\n
Lastly, keep your faith in your creator strong. And make sure to do His will at all times.<\/strong><\/h3>\n That way, even if you\u2019re unaware of the bad intentions of those you\u2019re relating with, your God will send a guardian angel<\/strong> to pull you out of there! <\/em><\/p>\nIt\u2019s happened to me VERY many times.<\/p>\n
Believe, and the same will happen to you as well.<\/p>\n
PS: By the way, the above final tip, has nothing to do with religion. It works for anyone who truly believes - and acts with faith - IN the creator. That includes even a person who practises NO religion. I\u2019m living proof of that!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I took the picture below, today at the United Bank of Africa (UBA) branch, on the Nigerian side of Seme border. I stood outside because the hall where the ATM machines stood was too hot for me. The air conditioners had broken down, and a long queue of people had built up. Since I considered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,266,814,87],"tags":[1042,1043],"class_list":["post-4071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-2","category-my-dn-travel-news","category-my-ideas-for-making-nigeria-better","category-parenting","tag-asking-questions-can-stop-people-from-exploiting-you","tag-lessons-from-my-seme-border-experience"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":2055,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4071"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7154,"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4071\/revisions\/7154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tayosolagbade.com\/sdnuggets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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