Sahara Series Entrepreneurship Cases ETHICS GONE WRONG - BOMA’s Foundation By Shulammite Paul

Boma looked down at the pile of registers on the table with satisfaction. She picked one up and smiled with even more satisfaction “Yes” she said to herself, “these should do”.Flipping the pages, she scanned through the phony names that have been registered for training programs that never took place. Beside the pile of registration folders was another pile of signed registration papers and copies of I.D cards that matched the names on the registers. All the documents were made up and so were the receipts of payments for training materials, refreshment, money paid to participants as take-off grants, invoices of machines and materials made out to participants, as well as payments for every other expense. Boma was happy. Nothing was left out. Everything was taken care off and accounted for. The money received (N20 million) was spent as has been reported to the donor.

Boma: “Ajaye, we have made it”. “500 women trained in Doro Community. The donors will be happy, and will give us more money for another training”.

Ajaye: “But Boma, are you not scared that they will eventually realize that you only trained 50 women?”

Boma: “Ajaye, why are you always a spoil sport, I have been doing this for the past 10 years. I am really perfecting my art here, or are you not happy with all the money you are getting?”

Ajaye: “I love the money, but I’m scared that we may visit a community that will have one person that can read and he or she will read the papers making these claims and may rat us out, Boma, we need to be careful”.

Boma: “Ajaye, at the end of the day nobody is hurt. The donors have money to spend, the community receives a stipend and some training, and everybody goes home happy. After all did they ask for it? But they got it. So it should not be their business what happens afterwards.

Ajaye: “Hmmn, may God help us”

Boma: “God helps those who help themselves”.

ITS Just Boma!!!