On this Democracy Day, I had intended to rest my pen. I wanted to leave the fate written on the walls of history to speak for itself. I thought perhaps the sacrifices of those who fought for democracy were enough testimony. Yet, in the final hour, a thought stirred within me, compelling me to write a message to all of us who have come together to form this sovereign nation called Nigeria. My message is particularly for those who believe that the business of Nigeria lies in the hands of a powerful few. Perhaps they are influenced by what the German sociologist Robert Michels described as the "Iron Law of Oligarchy" ,the tendency for power to concentrate in the hands of a small elite. Looking at our politics, our institutions, and our economy, one may be tempted to believe that the destiny of Nigeria is determined only by those who occupy powerful offices and influential positions. But history tells a different story. Nigeria does not belong to any president, governor, politi...
In the dense, humid forest of multi-level marketing, two mighty creatures roam freely: Neolife and Qnet. To the untrained eye, they look like harmless herbivores, nibbling on dreams and opportunities. But step closer, and you’ll hear the rustle, not of grass, but of ambition sliding across the floor like a polished snake.
Welcome to the jungle, where the only law is recruit or be recruited.
The Newcomer’s Illusion
Every fresh recruit enters the forest bright-eyed, carrying the hope of quick wealth and global travel packed neatly in a starter kit worth half their rent.
They are promised transformationfrom ordinary civilian to business mogul, by leaders who speak like prophets and motivate like pastors.
But soon, these dream-chasers discover the truth:
The forest is wide, dark, and slippery.
And the path to success is narrower than a lizard’s waist.
Where culprits hide
You see, in this ecosystem, you may hardly find any culprit.
Not because no one is involved, but because everyone points upward.
Ask the newcomer who lured them in, they’ll blame the mentor.
Ask the mentor, they’ll blame their upline.
Ask the upline, they’ll blame “the system.”
Ask the system, it will hiss softly and slither into the shadows.
At the bottom of the hierarchy, everyone is innocent.
At the middle, everyone is hopeful.
At the top… well, that’s where the anacondas sleep with full stomachs.
The Anaconda Level
Reaching “anaconda level” is the mythical transformation point.
It’s the stage where the recruiter becomes so large, so powerful, so well-fed with commissions and recruits that nothing touches them anymore.
Not complaints.
Not tears.
Not logic.
By then, the anaconda doesn’t sell products.
It simply opens its mouth and waits for hopeful recruits to crawl in willingly.
A Forest Without Villains
Ironically, no one is ever guilty here.
Failure is simply labeled as “you didn’t try hard enough.”
Loss becomes “a learning experience.”
Debt is rebranded as “investment.”
And quitting is the only sin the anacondas will never forgive.
So the cycle continues poetic in its tragedy, ironic in its structure, and satirical in its sincerity.
In Conclusion
In Neolife and Qnet, the forest thrives not because everyone wins,
but because everyone believes they can win,
right up until the moment they learn that the only true predators are the ones at the top of the food chain.
And unless you reach the level of an anaconda,
you will always be the gazelle.
Abioye Tosin Lawrence is the publisher of Oriontimes Online Newspaper and author of Voices From The Fire: My Journey Through a Hollow Empire
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