THE FEAR OF TAX COLLECTORS WAS ONCE THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM IN AFRICA.

MANY YEARS AGO, THE FEAR OF TAX COLLECTORS WAS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM IN MANY COUNTRIES IN THE AFRICA CONTINENT INCLUDING NIGERIA. THEN WHEN A WOMAN IS PREGNANT, THE PARENTS PRAYER WAS THAT THE CHILD SHOULD BE A FEMALE BECAUSE THE FEMALE FOLKS WERE EXCEPTED FROM THE PAYMENT OF TAX, ONLY THE MATURED MALES ARE ELIGIBLE TO PAY. THE RACE THEN BETWEEN THE COLONIAL MASTERS TAX COLLECTORS AND THE PEOPLE WAS A DO OR DIE RACE. THE MALES ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOK OUT FOR THE TAX COLLECTORS. ANY SIGHTING OF AN UNKNOWN PERSON/S, THE MALES WOULD IMMEDIATELY FLEE INTO THE FOREST TO HIDE THEMSELVES. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE PEOPLE WERE SCARED OF THEM WAS THAT MONEY WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET IN THOSE DAYS AND SO TO BE ABLE TO PAY IT REGULARLY WAS NOT AN EASY TASK. AGAIN IT WAS BELIEVED BY THE PEOPLE THAT IF YOU ARE CAUGHT AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO PAY YOURS, THE COLONIAL MASTERS WILL TAKE SUCH A PERSON AWAY INTO SLAVERY. OTHER REASONS WHY THE PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO PAY THEIR TAXES WAS THE BELIEVED THAT HOW COULD THEY PAY MONEY TO OTHER HUMANS LIKE THEM FOR NO JUST CAUSE. THE COLONIAL MASTERS TAX COLLECTORS GO TO RAID STUBBORN VILLAGES AND SO IN MANY VILLAGES, YOU ONLY SEE THE FEMALES AND THEIR CHILDREN AT HOME WHILE THE MEN STAY IN THE BUSHES OR KEEPING WATCH OVER THE ROADS. THERE WAS A PARTICULAR VILLAGE IN THOSE DAYS THAT NEVER PAID A DINE IN ALL THEIR EXISTENCE. BEFORE THE TAX COLLECTORS WOULD GET THERE, THEY HAD ALL ESCAPED INTO THE FOREST. THEY PLACED LITTLE CHILDREN IN ALL THE ENTRANCES INTO THE VILLAGE TO KEEP WATCH AND PROBABLY SEND AN URGENT MESSAGE  TO THE ADULTS IN THE VILLAGE  SHOULD THEY SIGHT ANY PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS WHOM THEY DON'T KNOW COMING INTO THE VILLAGE. WITH ALL THESE TACTICS, THEY BECAME SAFE SO THEY THOUGHT. BUT LIKE AN ADAGE SAYS THAT, "WHEN A PERSON PROVES TO BE TOO WISE, HE WOULD ONE DAY SIGN A DOCUMENT OF HIS OWN DOWN FALL." AND SO THE COLONIAL MASTERS HATCHED A PLAN. BECAUSE THIS VILLAGE WAS CLOSE TO THE RIVER, THEY DECIDED TO RAID IT THROUGH THE WATER SIDE. THEY LOADED SEVERAL AUTOMATIC RIFLES INTO A COFFIN AND THEY CARRIED IT INTO A CANOE AND THEY SET OFF TO THE VILLAGE. AS THE CANOE APPROACHED THE WATER SIDE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE INSIDE THE CANOE BEGAN TO CRY LOUDLY. WHEN THE VILLAGERS SAW THE CANOE APPROACHING THEIR WATER SIDE WITH A COFFIN AND PEOPLE CRYING INSIDE THE CANOE, TWO THOUGHTS CAME INTO THEIR MINDS. EITHER THE DEAD PERSON WAS ONE OF THE VILLAGERS WHO TRAVELED OUT OF THE VILLAGE MANY YEARS AGO OR ONE OF THE VILLAGERS WHO HAD AN ACCIDENT AND DIED. THEY LOOKED AT THE FACES OF THOSE IN THE CANOE BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THEM AND SO THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY MAY HAVE BROUGHT THE CORPSE FROM A VERY FAR PLACE. THEY  CROWDED THE CANOE AS IT CAME ON SHORE AND EVEN HELPED THEM TO CARRY THE COFFIN DOWN FROM THE CANOE. AT ONCE, THE MUSIC CHANGED. THEY OPENED THE COFFIN VERY CAREFULLY AND WITH A JIFFY BROUGHT OUT THE RIFLES AND ROUNDED UP ALL THE VILLAGERS. BEFORE MR GOAT COULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE TWO SMALL SHINING EYES IN THE DARKNESS WERE THAT OF MR WOLF, IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE! THEN IT DAWN ON THE VILLAGERS THAT THEY WERE NO OTHER PEOPLE BUT THE DREADED COLONIAL MASTERS TAX COLLECTORS. MANY PAID WITH EVERYTHING ON THEM. SOME PAID WITH FISH, PALM OIL, KERNEL AND RUBBER. MANY WHO COULD NOT PAID THEIRS HAD THEIR SKINS FLOGGED OFF THEIR BODIES. IT WAS A GORY SIGHT!  LIKE AN ADAGE SAYS THAT THE, "THE DAY THAT THE WISE MAN WILL FORGET TO SHUT HIS DOOR, WILL BE THE DAY THAT THE MOST FOOLISH MAN WILL STAY AWAKE TO SEE IT".