Though it is the state capital, in many ways Bauchi is a small town. It has many of the problems that plague areas where there are glaring gaps between the haves and have-nots; an undereducated, idle youth population –and more including intolerance based on a number of factors-religious, gender, tribal, socio-economic standing, among others. Bit by bit, I am learning more about the complexities of the society. In the process, I try to adhere to the guidelines of the organization to avoid conflict and be secure.
One of those rules is the office should close and all projects vehicles should be back in place by that time. Of course, the nature of this work does not support a regular, Mon-Friday, 8-5 schedule. We have worked late and on weekends. During the holidays, someone from another project was carjacked while entering the gates to his residence. We were reminded, and behavior changed-- at least for a while.
Last Friday, our IT guy closed up just after 7 and headed home. As he approached the guarded gate to his home, he was waylaid by a group of young men. Laptop, phones, car- stolen. He was roughed up, though thankfully not seriously injured. The office now closes at 5 sharp. The driver comes to my office around 4:30 to speed up my packing so he can be back at the compound by 5.
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