The day my pension savings became a lesson I never forgot

I remember the year I retired from the civil service in Ibadan. I had saved for 33 years, putting away small amounts every month. My wife, she would say, "Kunle, why you dey keep all this money? We fit enjoy small." But I told her, patience is the father of wisdom. I wanted to be sure.

When I finally collected my gratuity and pension lump sum, I put it in a bank. Fixed deposit. The interest was small but steady. One day, a young man came to my house. He said he represented a company that could double my money in six months. He showed me papers, talked about oil and gas contracts. My son, who was still trying to find his way, he said, "Daddy, this is the opportunity we need."

I looked at the young man. I looked at my son. Then I said, "The Yoruba say, a word is enough for the wise. If something sounds too sweet, check for the poison." I did not give him a kobo. That company collapsed three months later. Many pensioners in Ibadan lost everything. My son, he learned that day that haste buries a man. I am not rich, but I can still buy my newspaper every morning and feed my family. That is enough.