Part II
By 10:02am his taxi stopped by the Iwo road park. Lagos buses are always conspicuous from any direction in any park, even all over Nigeria. Getting down, the sun was shinning crimson gold, so bright
Ope had to cover his face from the illumination. He complained to nobody in particular "
Na wah o, the kind weather wey we dey experience these days sef" and switching to Queen's English almost effortlessly "Is this not too much for a Monday morning now?" His grumbles was about the heat he would experience on whichever bus he might board eventually. As he was walking towards the inner section of the motor park, different conductors rushed, dragging him and trying to buy him over when he told them his destination he was left with just one of them who guided him to the loading bus.
Adding to his discomfort was a throbbing ache on the right side of his head, from the temple down to the nape. Runny nose was automatic, right eye grew red and teary with the pulsating pain stringing the right part of his face with each beat of his heart. He sometimes experience this sensation whenever he's faced with a stressful situation like this very one. It was as if the devil himself is organizing a party around that part of his body. Ordinarily, he would have opted out of the interview if it hadn't being his childhood dream job, and the urgency involved.
Thank heavens, the migraine did not last long as always but the short intense fit of about 10 minutes was soul-wrenching.
After securing a seat, two more passengers would get the bus filled up. This is serious, there would be not much wait for him to get a cash at the ATM close by. He looked in the direction of the bank, shook his head, the same old story. Throngs of angry and anxious users are on a really long queue. Each person on the lookout for anyone to try to outsmart, lynching with curses will be inescapable. The sun is scorching no be small.
Plan B was activated, trying his luck with the driver before he started collecting the fare.
"
I better try my luck with the driver", that seems to be the best move now was his conclusion. He was calculating frantically how to break the ice, these drivers can be lousy and derisive. He would have to bargain with the driver using
mobile banking option to pay else joining the next turn and the god-forsaken ATM queue would be a bad choice but who knows...
He approached in the most polite way as he could but the man answered back half-heartedly. Drivers do not count politeness as a virtue, they are used to polite perverts in the park every other day, to them, no one is to be trusted.
Ope started almost doubting his own words but suddenly gained the courage "Oga I beg o, I get one issue." he paused a little, expecting a feedback, none came and he continued
"I get one very important appointment now, in fact if I no reach Lagos in 2 hours time na serious problem for me".
The driver answered "So?" vaguely and with clear disinterest not minding who was talking.
Ope furthered "its about the fare..." and abruptly, the driver cuts in
"Eh..en, what about the fare? Is it too expensive again? You know how much we buy fuel per litre now? You..."
He was ranting away when Ope interrupted with "No, it's not that. I do not have cash on me here but I have a way to ..."
"No no no no no..." he was so loud that every person nearby was gazing in their direction.
All the passengers in the driver's bus were already onto was was transpiring, the whole show was ongoing beside bus.
He continued "...go get the money or join the next turn, I no be father Christmas. Abeg na money..." he did the sign of counting money using his right fingers to scrape the left palm repeatedly "...money money I want else join the next bus."
He allowed the driver to calm down a bit and ...
These three concepts are interrelated due to the niche where they operate, the fintech world. They are not the same thing but many financial institutions name their apps randomly making each platform appear sometimes confusing. The names however have a ring to them that speaks volume of the concept of being "mobile", on the go. That exactly is what they all have to offer, automating banking and financial transactions on mobile devices. This give users more mobility and flexibility of doing business transactions and other activities at any time and anywhere. Financial activities have grown beyond the traditional banking sector.
eTranzact is in the league of Interswitch Group in the world of financial services handling across Africa and the rest of the world. Of course these two fintech giants started operation in Nigeria in the early 2000s, both coys have come a long way and are still waxing stronger. PocketMoni, from the stable of eTranzact is a worthy competitor with Interswitch's Quickteller. Competition is good in any clime, Abi una no remember the tale of Messi and C.Ronaldo? Not actually a tale, we are still in their era but that exactly is what competition can do to anything -Vying to be the best. In our own respect, consumers of fintech services are reaping the prospect in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
