Is Life a Terminal Illness?

Nwachukwu Egbunike

Autumn Leaves On The Virginia Creeper Trail

A friend visited the cancer ward of University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan and was visibly shaken because he saw death floating in that ambiance. To think that most of the patients were on the exist route, the time being immaterial but going they would. While that realisation crept over him, an elderly man who was watching him; pierced through his thoughts with his deep baritone voice and declared that ‘life is a terminal illness’.

Is life a terminal illness? Are we all born to die? Pondering on this I practically pushed it into the gutter of pessimism. How can one paint life with such depressing strokes. Life is good, it’s meant to be lived in full, not looking back with the sword of death hanging ever behind. If not then we can as well mope, do nothing and wait for death to come. Why should I go through this rough life, working my skins off only to die? Life is good; it’s a transcendental gift that will help us merit commendation or condemnation when we expire.

My positive stance is not the ‘say no evil’ disposition of most Pentecostals, who assume that thinking or speaking ill necessarily translates into evil. The Nigerian diction has been enriched with expressions like ‘I am strong’, ‘my enemy is sick’ and other absurdities.

Since being surpasses non-being, then life is better than death. However, to remain on the natural level is to deny the most fundamental aspect of man – a rational being made up of a body and soul. The fact is that no one can live forever, and the reality of death shows that there is an essential difference between a living person and a corpse.

C. S. Lewis poured these into Screwtapes mouth: “They of course, do tend to regard death as the prime evil and survival as the greatest good. But that is because we have taught them to do so.” When the fangs of death dig deep into the recesses of our loved ones, when death plucks were it did not plant, we are jolted to the realisation that life on earth is just transitory. This reality has much more merit than a thousand essays on life and death. Life is certainly a mystery, dying a greater puzzle. Yet the brevity of this earthly appearance in contrast with the immensity of eternity most times never strikes us.

Burial ceremonies for departed ones are even far more befuddling. For a widow, it is a death sentence. Aside the disgusting custom of hair shaving, a woman who has lost her husband – without a male child – is in for trouble; she is branded a witch and disposed of all she has. When this is not the case, then the family of the bereaved should prepare for a litany of absurd demands just to bury their dead. If dying is a disaster, burying the dead in this clime is no sweet talk.

I was delighted to learn that the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, has lifted the burden of burials in his kingdom. Achebe has slashed the internment rites from 3 days to a day (actually 11 hours). No more wake keeps and post burial ceremonies. The funeral starts by 7.00am and by 6.00pm same day, there should be no trace of visitors in the home of the bereaved.  All external signs like canopies, hired chairs and singing bands must evaporate before 6.00pm and failure of which the bereaved family pays a cripplingly fine. In addition, the aso-ebi farce has been strictly confined to members of the immediate family. Who wants to incur unnecessary expenses, the acquiescence to this new law is surprisingly high.

I only hope that there is a fusion of Igwe Achebe’s decree with the trend in some orthodox churches in eastern Nigeria who insist that the burial be conducted within two weeks of death. This will not only prevent scandalous cost of burying the dead but will also prevent the ruining of most families. Many have been awarded a first class ticket to poverty on the death of their loved ones. That’s why the tears that flow when people loss their relations, is not so much about the pain of separation but due to the hole that will be formed in their pockets.

While I have no intention of lingering on the creepiness of death, I cannot but forget that there is a life there yonder. Man’s eternal temptation is to believe that we have so much time on our hands; that this life will not end. I suppose if we think more about death, we will be spurred to leave a trail of good behind us. So that when we take our final breath, there will be people who will weep – not hired criers – for us. Not so much in relieve for severance of a thorn but in pain for the loss of a strut. Let the good that men do live after them.

New Nigerian Newspaper and the Plagiarism of my Article

Nwachukwu Egbunike

It was a rude shock, stumbling upon the online edition of the New Nigerian newspapers (Opinions, Perspective of Wednesday, September 02, 2009) in which one Ishola O. Emmanuel plagiarised my article The Tragedy of Tyranny. My essay was first published in the Nigeria Village Square (August 30, 2009). I hoisted it on my blog - Feathers Project the following day (August 31, 2009), and a month latter it appeared in the Guardian (September 23, 2009).  Mr Emmanuel‘s only contribution was his by-line, the prefix he appended to the original title of my work, FG, ASUU and the Tragedy of Tyranny and end note which reads: “Emmanuel wrote in from Kaduna”.

The scoundrel writer, who lazily copied and pasted my work, is certainly an indolent pig. For even thieves exhibit some trace of innovation. Not for Mr Emmanuel, he certainly could not write, and if he could there seems to be no trace of his essays on the internet – save the plagiarised one.

My first reaction on noticing this stark thievery was to send an email to New Nigeria newspapers (NNN), asking for a retraction and public apology. As at the time of writing this piece, mute was the response from NNN. The newspaper published a plagiarised work, if they lack the courtesy to respond to my email, they should give me the details of this faceless Ishola Emmanuel. Otherwise I have no other option than to conclude that NNN has seamed with their stealer-writer to deprive me of the moral right to my own work.

Since the discovery of this infringement, I have not ceased wondering what has become of honour and trust. Writing has its risks, which I am fairly acquitted with. This is certainly not the first time; at times a whole book has been plagiarised in the past, and who cares? So why am I making so much fuss because an ordinary article was recopied? How can I labour, fighting the intricacies of a harsh writing climate, putting my thoughts into words, transmitting the very core of the river that flow within my person, only for someone to violently violate the end product.

The Tragedy of Tyranny was a sequel to my frustration with the establishment over the inane industrial action by university teachers. My first tears flowed in the Dirge to University Education which I wrote after savouring Niyi Osundare’s poetic prose, Dialogue with My Country. It was quite melancholic that Osundare’s conclusion twenty years ago captured the madness of the present. Rather than relish the victory of ASUU over the dictatorship of might is right, here am I saddled with an infringement on my intellectual property!

I don’t want to preclude NNN’s response, let me hope they are decent enough to apologise and publicly retract the said article. I have no problem having my articles re-published un-solicitously. Nonetheless, it is a tyrannical tragedy to plagiarise to my work and behave as if nothing happened. Asides, the NVS should please subscribe to the creative common licence.

Obama and the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Nwachukwu Egbunike

President Barrack Obama had to be draged out of his sleep by his aides – who could not wait for the sun to rise – to inform him that he won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 was ‘awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.’ I’ll say that the Nobel committee has caught the Obama sneezer effect.

Coming on the heels of  the award to Al-Gore for his green disposition, tackling global climate change, this years award to Obama seems to put the committee at a risk of populism. The Economist queried thus: ‘Although the prize may be given in the spirit of encouraging Mr Obama’s government, it might have been better to wait for more solid achievements. With so many good intentions, and so many initiatives scattered around the world (and an immensely busy domestic agenda, including health-care reform and averting economic collapse), Mr Obama appears to be racing around trying everything without yet achieving much.’

Granted as an African, am quite impressed with what Obama stands for, an Afro-American who has broken out of the cyclical dump that seems to characterise his kin. A man who takes his family life seriously and above all has proved that hue has nothing to do with heights. Nonetheless, it seems that the committee gaffed this time around.

If this the peace prize is supposed to be granted for achievements, then what has Obama achieved within nine months of his presidency? It is rather too premature to make a critical judgement of his government. I hope this Nobel Peace Prize does not end up like honorary Ph.D’s or the National Awards List of my country? From all intents, these two are practically synonymous with oddity and the mentality of gathering titles. Though the Nobel Prize may not equate with the examples stated above, methinks that this is a prize too early. Obama may actually be put on the spot and thus makes him liable to be judged rashly if he does not deliver his promises.

‘To whom much is given, much is also expected’, I hope Mr Obama, would not fail the world that seems to place much trust in him. I hope he moves from rhetorics to action. At least Obama has not taken the path of most African (read Nigerian) politicians who have lost all shame and gather titles with nothing to show for it. To be fair, he did not beg for this award! Congratulations, Mr Obama!

21 Reasons Why Marriage Matters

What do we know about the importance of marriage for children, for adults and for society? There has been a sharp increase over the last two generations in the proportion of children who do not live with their own two married parents, spurred first largely by increases in divorce, and more recently by large jumps in unmarried or cohabiting childbearing. A vigorous public debate sparked by these changes in family structure has generated a growing body of social science literature on the consequences of family fragmentation…

Read full article on Fast Edition

Painting while ASUU Strikes

Kenechukwu Udeh

A debate is being waged, a debate whose outcome is supposed to determine in the long run the turn of events for our dear country. ASUU has called a halt to all academic and tutoring work in protest to the state of affairs in the nation’s universities. While I eagerly await an amnesty and/or bail out – hopefully with Oshimolole’s intervention – from this lethargy, I went for a work camp packaged by Uhere Study Centre, Nsukka.

Most students all over the country are jobless, with so much time (days became weeks and then months) and yet nothing to do with it. Many of us now spend our days watching one movie after another, sometimes viewing as many as five a day (a killer for the future intellectual), roaming/touring the different cities with no real purpose, engaging in endless conversations from which we hardly gain anything constructive. Don’t quote me, but there may be a correlation between the violence and kidnapping in some flash spots in the country with this present bitter holiday. After all, the saying goes that an idle man is the devils workshop.

Being stiff tired and bored to death, I jumped at an invitation to participate in a work camp organised by Uhere Study Centre, a private hostel for male students of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Uhere is a project of Education Cooperation Society (ECS), a registered charity in Nigeria. There were fifteen of us and the aim of the two-week camp was to paint a block of classrooms at the Holy Infant Nursery and Primary School Onuiyi Nsukka.

Being armature painters, we had to learn the art of painting. Little did I know that it takes a lot to roll, dab, cut and mix paint? While we cheerfully made a mess of the painting, we excused our lack of professionalism to the fact that as students we are more at home at using our brains than our hands. And can you believe it; we were not paid for this job. It was free. That was what Uhere Study Centre has made us realize, while it may be easy to whine and bewail our condition, we call all make a difference. Thus, the work camp was a synergy: Uhere and ECS sourced for donations to buy the paints and feed us for two weeks, we contributed our labour while making the kids in the primary school in Onuiyi happy.

Other activities of the camp included soccer through which the campers learnt team work as well as kept themselves fit, movies nights and also a number of documentaries, after one of us exclaimed that everything here is beautiful. Excursions to Kogi State and S.J rapids in Eziagu, get-togethers where the campers were able to interact fraternally with one another. It was a camp of fun and work. The spiritual needs of the camp were provided by Opus Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church.

I was lucky to attend this camp; many others lacked a similar opportunity. It will be a massive encouragement, if many of our youths sort to use their day in constructive ways such as these and if the opportunities were afforded them. In this way we can have youths, leaders of tomorrow who not only dream or have heard of serving their nation as leaders but who really know and have lived out what it takes to serve society. By the way, in case you need a painter – this article is my ad – just call me. You would not be disappointed.         

Udeh is studying Economics in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.          

Happy Birthday Nigeria

Nwachukwu Egbunike

“Ask me, I should know, I am proudly Nigerian!” (Eugenia Abu, In the Blink of an Eye)

COME OCTOBER 1ST, 2009, Nigeria will be a year shy of her golden jubilee independence anniversary. While some may posit that there is nothing to celebrate, given the numerous traps – economic, values, leadership and natural resource – that have bedridden the country. Still, Nigerians deserve some congratulations. This birthday message is for ordinary Nigerians who have defied all odds, labouring without public recognition and, above all, towering in their desire to make a difference. Asides, since being is far superior to having, Nigeria also deserves some praise for maintaining her nationhood for this 49 years. The problems of Nigeria are legion, we know them, what we need are solutions.

In the Beginning

‘ Nigeria ’ was first used to describe the country by Flora Shaw (before she married Lord Lugard). According to Michael Omolewa, Shaw in her despatch of January 8, 1878, as a correspondent for the London Times, suggested that: “as the title Royal Niger Company Territories is not only inconvenient to use, but to some extent is also misleading, it may be permissible to coin a shorter title for the agglomeration of pagan and Mohammedan states which have brought, by the exertions of the Royal Niger Company, within the confines of a British Protectorate and thus need for the first time in their history to be described as an entity by some general name.”

Frederick Lugard bought Shaw’s suggestion and on January 1, 1900 he named the territories occupied by the Royal Niger Company as ‘ Northern Nigeria ’. Fourteen years later – January 1, 1914 – Lugard united the North and South protectorates into a new nation called Nigeria . A flow of events led to the independence in October 1, 1960. The euphoria before self rule was contagious, Nigerians were proud of their country. 49 years after things seems to have fallen apart. What went wrong?

Rebranding Nigeria ?

I will employ Nigeria ’s image problem as a means of discussing the challenge of our nation. I have been sceptical of attempts to revamp the Nigerian brand, not because it is unnecessary, but because of the superficial approach.

“Most of the rebranding rumbles have been hinged on the fact that it does not pay to send a malnourished person to have a plastic surgery. Nigeria by all intents is malnourished.” In the Rebranding Rumble I also maintained that, “Thus any attempt at rebranding should go to the root cause of the problem. The criticisms have all being hinged on the shallow attempt in the past to garnish the symptoms with the hope that the illness will be disappear. It is a well known fact that a defective product cannot be turned into a superstar, by the strength of media campaigns only.”

Tunde Fagbenle captures the problem like no other in these words; “when we talk of ‘Nigeria‘s bad image’ what exactly are we saying? We are saying: that Nigeria is a haven of corruption and for the corrupt; that the Nigerian is viewed abroad as a crook… In short, that the Nigerian should be treated as a social leper among all decent peoples of the world. There can‘t be a worse fate, a worse burden, especially for the majority millions of Nigerians who are honest, hard-working, and possess sublime human qualities.”

Certainly the people have not changed. What seems to have changed is that the nation has assumed new and unfit apparel. “In my experience, the people in Nigeria are incredibly friendly and cheerful. They love a laugh and have a great sense of fun. They are always willing to help, sometimes at great inconvenience to themselves…” contends a Brit, Ian Nason.  But the smear of a clutch of dishonest, lazy and dubious Nigerians is doing a lot of harm. It is stark clear that the root of the rot simmers from the abdication of strong moral values.

Moral Values

Some may contend that Nigeria never had any ‘national’ moral values – being a fusion of independent nations – as such it will be futile trying to revive what never existed. However, we tend to forget that every human has a set of principles that have been engraved in his conscience. Besides, the diversity of our roots should be a plus not a hindrance. No nation advocates that stealing is good or that killing is commendable. We have under-mined the roots of our ethos, with our value system so violated that we seem to have lost all sense of shame. It pays to bury the tendency of money-at-all-cost; perfidious pilfering of the public till and milking the national cow to death. Corruption should be discouraged, not only with loud mouthed exaltations but by sending the corrupt to the dungeon.

National Garri

Morality in Nigeria bears the face of Janus: ‘the primordial morality,’ which is tied to the individual’s immediate community and the ‘public morality,’ which relates to the larger society. While a Nigerian may find it difficult to steal from the community purse, there is no inertia in dipping into the public dish. The national cake syndrome represents our collective atrophy.

The present state of exclusivity in government business, lacking in transparency and account-ability may be one of causes of this attitude. It’s high time we morph from having a slice of the national cake into contributing to the national garri. “The most immediate source of disconnect between Nigeria ’s wealth and its poverty is a failure of governance at the federal, state and local level”. This according to Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, “has eroded the legitimacy of the government and contributed to the rise of groups that embrace violence and reject the authority of the state.”

However the national garri mindset can only evolve when our leaders show a commitment to serve. And one needs not go to Sokoto (a city in northern Nigeria ) to experience that, right here in our sokoto (Yoruba word for trousers); the Lagos State government is a light house. The infrastructural and attitudinal development it has recorded is being reciprocated by the citizens, who now compete to pay their taxes. The Lagos BRT has been adopted by the South African and Ghanaian governments. Tunde Fagbenle again asserts that: “the example of Lagos State ’s Fashola again comes to bear… If tomorrow he goes on air and says he wants Lagosians to jump, I would imagine many would ask “how high” and go right ahead. They have seen him in action, they have seen leadership by example, and they are ready to follow.”

Flaunting Nigeria

Our motherland is a piece of beauty; a creative masterpiece that needs to be displayed on a show window. We have to tell our story, or else someone else who has no love for us will tell it. Nigeria is beautiful; we have it, and then let’s flaunt it. How many countries on earth have been so endowed by Mother Nature, bereft of ecological disasters and have so many natural allurements? Not many.

Sonnie Ekwowusi explains: “there is the need to let foreigners know that Nigeria is not Niger Delta. We need to let them know that the part of the earth called Nigeria is richly-endowed with abundant human and natural resources. We need to tell the whole world that our children are not all completely malnourished. We need to show them Obudu Cattle Ranch, Tinapa, Olumo Rock, Omo Virgin Forest , Ogbunike Cave etc. We need to show them the skyscrapers in Lagos Island .”

Mission Possible

The project of rediscovering our culture values is not being piggy, it’s plain common sense. The road may be strewn with difficulties but not impossible. We can still clean up the slimy and putrefying face of our beautiful motherland.  It will take a lot of effort, time and patience. Nonetheless the words of the late Sunday Awoniyi resonate in my ears: “we may be fed up with the present, afraid of the future. Yet we dare not despair.” Happy birthday Nigeria !

References

Eugenia Abu (2007): In the Blink of an Eye, Ibadan : Spectrum Books: 248.

Hilary Clinton (2009): “ Clinton : Leadership has failed Nigeria – Yar’Adua admits challenges”, Daily Trust newspaper, August 13.

Ian Nason (1991): Enjoy Nigeria, Ibadan : Spectrum Books: xiii.

Michael Omolewa (1986): Certificate History of Nigeria , London : Longman: 12.

Nwachukwuu Egbunike (2009): “The Rebranding Rumble” Feathers Project.

Tunde Fagbenle (2009): “The Oily Road to Rebranding Nigeria (1)”, Nigeria Village Square, February 15.

Sonnie Ekwowusi (2009): “ Nigeria : Akunyili and the Country’s Image”, ThisDay newspaper, February 17.

Sunday Awoniyi (2008): Sunday Awoniyi: Selected Speeches and Writing, Ibadan : Spectrum Books: 455.

 

GANI FAWEHINMI: THE DEPARTURE OF A HERO

Nwachukwu Egbunike

“The hero is known for achievements, the celebrity for well-knowness. The hero reveals the possibilities of human nature. The celebrities are people who make news, but heroes are people who make history. Time makes heroes but dissolve celebrities.” – Daniel Boorstin.

Gain Fawehinmi has taken a final flight to the great beyond and Nigeria reverberates in shock and grief. While the loss of this hero of the unsung numbs the senses, the praise of his life rises to the firmaments. Since the news of his death broke in the Nigeria public sphere, the ebullition has induced tears throughout the country. Very few Nigerians will be mourned like Gani and his funeral in Lagos has a Michael Jackson’s Memorial flavor.

Gani’s material immortality was not achieved via the Nigerian delusion, though a generous part of his life was a continual struggle for Nigeria. Unlike the American dream the Nigerian delusion is the obsequious tendency to be a ‘big man’ at all costs; a bargain that has no place for suffering for the attainment of the common good, rather a tendency to hemorrhage the pubic purse.

His credentials are awe inspiring, leaving a niche that will be difficult to replace. Gani was detained 32 times by the police and state security agents. He has been guest in eight prisons, his chambers and home had suffered 16 desecrations and his international passport was seized on 10 different occasions.

Nigeria is in dire need for heroes, men and women whose principled stance is not in question. People who do not change with the winds of time, rather their integrity are strengthened by travails.  Mr Fawehinmi stood tall while his peers crawled in the danger of their own shadows. He never allowed his voice to grow dim despite the conspiracy of silence by Nigerian elites. While others refused to do nothing, than moan their fate, Gani sued and sued.

When the history of democracy and human rights in Nigeria is recounted, your contribution will certainly hold a prime post. Towering paladin of human solidarity, go forth to your rest. Your fight – and the labours of hero’s past – will never be in vain.

The Tragedy of Tyranny

Nwachukwu Egbunike

The Federal Government’s (FG) delegation in the current dispute with university teachers has suddenly discovered the forte of her muscles. Seeing the ineffectuality of hot air and other niceties, the FG mediators have prescribed an aggressive medication for striking university teachers; ‘pick up your chalks or face the music’. Admittedly their argument seems to make sense, the federal statues (which we claim to run) makes it clear that the central government cannot make decisions for the other tiers of government. However, it is baffling that the FG just woke up to this realisation. Were their brains on sabbatical when they started the talkses with ASUU, reached an understanding in 2001 only to renege in 2009? This is certainly not about rule of law but a tragedy of tyranny.

It is basic knowledge that ASUU is a union of federal and state university teachers. The FG cannot feign ignorance of this bitter fact, for it has continually dialogued with ASUU. Thus if the government knew from day one that the union is not homogeneous why did she go ahead to negotiate? Why has the establishment just realised that she cannot afford to sign an agreement because of federalist considerations? This is not being as smart as a whip but garnished hypocrisy, bearing in mind that this same government in the recent past ordered the Lagos State government to reverse the creation of Local Development Authorities or face reprisals. It took public indignation for the government to recoil into her shell, showing that this flaunting of federalism is just a show of might is right.

The solidarity expressed by the unions – ASUU, SSANU and NASU – in calling the bluff of the FG drew my jaws wide with a salubrious smile. It was indeed pleasant to read in the Guardian (Saturday, August 29, 2009) that “the argument by the government that it would not sign an agreement that would be binding on state governments was puerile.” The three unions maintained that “the structure of university system does not discriminate against what form of ownership, as a lot of things were being done jointly.” The tilt that nailed the coffin on the government’s stance was that, “the National Universities Commission (NUC) operates a uniform academic standards in all universities; it also accredits the degrees and other academic awards in the universities; lecturers in the public university system move from one university to another as lecturers or examiners, irrespective of ownership, state or federal, and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) conducts admissions into university system, with one set of requirement.”

However the unions should do more, to avoid the villain cloak to cling on her. It seems that aside these sporadic fumes of angst there seem to be no real effort to tell their story. This is imperative if the university staff intend to retain public sympathy which is unfortunately waning. The perception that ASUU and gang, espouses seems to be a bunch of juvenile activists who are unwilling to see reason but rather blindly reproach all advances for reconciliation by a paternalistic government.

A solution to this crisis cannot be reached in atmosphere of condescending snobbery, blackmail or arm twisting. Why must it be the teachers that have to take the first step before their demands are met? Why not the establishment, or is it the sole prerogative of government to decide when and how best to settle disputes? Unfortunately, what seems to be so straight forward has been reframed into a web of intrigues?

The guile of the FG seems to be plastered with patriotic dousing that is never lacking in the registry of public officials. Asides the order to work or not get paid, the Minister of Education, Sam Egwu continually flies the flag of a victim, who has tried all that is within his powers only to be shunned by his former colleagues. Time and time again, Mr Egwu’s facile tongue reminds ASUU that their un-patriotism impairs a generation of young men and women who are at the receiving ends of this battle. What a wise guy?

By the way, when was the FG hired as the media manager of Nigerian students? I would not be surprised if majority of the kids of those in government are in foreign universities. And even if I stand contradicted, am still unaware that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has outsourced this responsibility to politicians. By the way, where the hell is NANS? It’s a rather sad that amidst all this kasala, the student leadership has maintained a suspicious silence. It’s not just wary but unpleasant that those who bear the brunt of this season of tyranny have remained mute. If NANS cannot act, they should at least pretend to speak. History will neither forgive nor forget their present inaction. Student activism is not just about rag-days, boot licking politicians for the crumps of ‘democracy’ and rioting against increase in tuition.

Just thinking aloud, would government have delayed this much if legislators had requested an increase in their allowances? I suppose that as a matter of national security, the executive would have long assented to their demands. Tyranny will certainly not recall teachers to their classrooms, dialogue will. It’s time to declare a state of emergency in the educational sector. We need as much manpower to generate the electricity we all crave for, provide security (even for kidnappers), stimulate agriculture, create wealth, provide jobs, propel land reforms, calm the strained nerves in the delta, and other 20 visions postulated for a better Nigeria in 2020. Nonetheless, “the 7-point agenda minus education, equals to zero”, so says ASUU!

Nigerian Village Square, (30th August, 2009).

The Bank Stench

Nwachukwu Egbunike

Mr Lamido Sanusi, CBN Governor

Though stale, but the shock of the sack of high heaven Nigerian bankers still reverberates across the country.  While other countries – France and Germany – gladly sailed away from the rocky waters of an economic recession – some glitterati bankers had sworn an oath with Amadioha (god of thunder) to continually enslave Nigeria in an economic trap. While the econometrics of Lamido Sanusi may be far off for mere mortals like us to comprehend, it is obvious that these booted money handlers are either ole (thieves), olodo (dullards) or both.

A discussion with a passionate economist and writer was not able to purge me of my doubts about the root cause of the rot in the banking sector. As much as I admit that incompetence and professional recklessness was behind this big fall, I still defer that taking an ethical holiday contributed heavily to the bank stench. When we lazily ignore the moral depth of the virtues as mere Victorian or a useless attempt of an idealistic past, then the present scenario in the banks will continue to be common place.

Nonetheless, I don’t intend to via into a pulpit recitation, for most of these booted bank CEO’s can quote the Holy Writ, more faultlessly than I can ever dream of.  This is not surprising because there exists a huge gulf between what most people claim to believe and what they actually live up to. The virtues are the classical norms of conduct that were ascribed by ancient philosophers of yore. The cardinal virtues like prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, are the universal map that leads man in the voyage through life’s stormy waters.

Most of the axed bankers thought they were sharp, cooking their books and not disclosing the true affairs of their former banks. They gave loans without collateral, which seems odd because O’level Economics made that quite clear, admitting stock certificates as security, in a word, they were insincere and imprudent. Had they had practical wisdom (prudence), ‘the good according to reality’, they have not been that dumb. It shows that olenishness is ingrained in all men, be they banker or not, everyman has the propensity to cut corners for peculiarly gains. Why were they afraid of the sun, of spreading the accounts of their banks for all to gaze at? Simply put, in the short term their imprudence only tightened their grips on what has been run as a family business in most cases. In the long term, their jobs, fame, prestige and very soon their name, were all thrown into the lagoon.

While the stench may seem peculiar to the banks in question, individually and collectively it manifests the stink down under of the Nigerian nationhood. For many times we stagger like people with no sense of shame. This crisis may be economic in origin but the root causes have been laid by all. It is a reflection of the collapse of the basic moral foundation of individuals and society. Rather than burying our heads under the sand while exposing our down under to mercy of the elements, crying and shouting foul about these bankers, let every Nigerian do an internal audit. If we would not have acted like these disgraced bankers then there’s hope, if not, then God save us. This country is in need of strong institutions not strong men, the CBN seems to have woken up from a deep dream; it took a Mr Sanusi to do that. When will we evolve to the stage of needing not a Sanusi but the lids that are encrypted in our statues?

An olodo is one who is ignorant. Who can match the impressive credentials of these booted bankers? One amazing reality in this country is the imbalance between theory and practice. While some Nigerian professionals will hold their heads high across the seas, they seem to slump into paralysis once they return to these shores. Why, what then is in our air? Are our brains also dark as our skins? What happened to the impressive consolidation of the Soluldomanic era? Nigeria lacks not hot brains or good people. What she lacks are people who have integrated intelligence with integrity.

As the rubble continues to unfold, with the tremor in the strong room snatching more heads, let’s hope this will happen no more. Or worse still, it’s no smokescreen, for I am beginning to lose hope in banking reforms and their attendant noise, only for things to go back to business as usual. Mr Sanusi, please purge me of this cynicism!

Hey! What a Nation…

Chinedu Ugwu

Nigeria, a nation blessed with rich human and natural resources. Almost over four decades of independence is still wallowing in unemployment, insecurity, poverty, epileptic power supply, ghastly education system, dearth health system etc.

The alarming rate of societal misdemeanor perpetrated by the youths today is nothing to write home about. Yahoo-yahoo, racketeering, militancy, and kidnapping have become the order of the day. One tend to ask the question, is it that the leaders of tomorrow are fast becoming too lazy and impatience?  Or are they trying to secure a better future in a society with the rudderless ship of seven point agenda, and a deaf and dumb captain.

A country with the education system held hostage by striking workers at a time when the honorable minister of education is still recuperating from the hangover of 120 million naira wedding anniversary.

ASUU are on strike over the failure to sign the agreement reached with the federal government since 2001.The demands include: university autonomy, improved package, 26% budget allocation to education, 65years retirement age, all geared at curbing the hydra headed monster of brain drain and reposition our education system to a standard level. This strike is over a month and all we get from this insensitive and belligerent government is scathing comments and propaganda with no action. The Nigerian students have been sitting at home, some have resorted to crime, but do you expect any action from this people when their children are receiving first class education abroad with tax payer’s money. I strongly support the cry by Education Right Campaign for a bill to be passed that makes it compulsory and obligatory for children of political office holders to attend Nigerian schools. Of course, if they think they are patriotic enough why can’t they patronize Nigerian schools?

A nation governed by a deaf and dumb president whose sole agenda is northernisation of Nigeria. Where is the principle of federal character?  When major office stakeholders are from one part of the country, minister of finance, national planning, petroleum, FCT, NNPC boss, EFCC boss, CBN governor, etc. A very good and non sentimental question is whether they are the best for these positions, but a thorough appraisal of the ministries and agencies will not only provide the answer but may also sow the seed of secession.

As expected, none of these ministries received pass mark after quarterly review by the law makers. The finance minister trailing the footsteps of his master, managed to accrue $3.6 billion foreign debt in just two years. I wonder what will be going on in the mind of our dear Ngozi Okonjo Iweala when all her effort has been laid to dust in just two years. The minister of justice, a renowned and successful senior advocate of Nigeria [SAN], has turned Halliburton case to a family affair with their snail like speed. Over five months we are yet ascertain the culprits, may be the sacred cows are involved.

Minister of information, angel of rebranding, rebranding a nation without rebranded leaders. I hope she was briefed about the faith of Heart of Africa’s Project, which stared former president Obasanjo as guest artist. A woman of integrity who has the guts to bite the fingers that fed her, with her scathing comments against the university dons which she was part of and if not for their patriotism I wonder if she will be where she is with her deceitful smile full of propagandas. Please Ma, what we need is reorientation and reevaluation rather than rebranding.

The health system is in a sorry state, but does it affect them with frivolous allowance for medical check-up abroad. The president is up to Saudi Arabia and the poor citizens are left to expire in empty hospitals. The roads are now death traps. Travelling through Benin-Ore road is like journey to hell. I wonder if the minister of transport will shed blood this time around?

Furthermore, in Nigeria problems are addressed with exploitative ignorance rather than with constructive reasoning and intellectual justice. For how long will amnesty sustain the social injustice ravaging the Niger Delta where the major resource of our country is derived? Fifty billion naira for insurgents, what of the amicable ones? Are we encouraging peace or violence? Have this government provided basic amenities like good roads, good water supply, constant electricity, qualitative education, job opportunities not just for the deltans but Nigerians at large and people still grumble?

Electoral fraud and irregularities has become the bane of Nigeria’s democracy. Over ten of the gubernatorial election has been nullified based on electoral malpractices and the umpire still has the guts to parade himself with the mantra of free and fair election. Political hooligans rather being reprimanded and stigmatized as a deterrent and lesson to the youths are being rewarded with party chieftain also as a lesson to the leaders of tomorrow. A society where a victim of nullified election based on electoral fraud is still eligible to contest for re-run.

Hard work has become the subject of mockery. Why won’t the youths turn to militancy, racketeering, yahoo- yahoo, armed robbery, when you wake up every day and all you see is a gloomy and murky tomorrow? We are subjected to temporary hypertension over what tomorrow bringeth. Monkey dey work baboon dey chop has become their anthem. Our efforts and the sweat of our fathers are being carted away to foot the luxurious bill of the selected few.

Finally, this is a clarion call to the youths, the trustees of tomorrow’s posterity. We have been pushed to the wall and its time we jumped the fence. It’s time to wake up and demand our right from this brutal government. Nigerian students, we have been forced on compulsory holiday and all we get from this people are lies and propaganda. This is what I called brutality of the highest order. Of course, their children are schooling abroad and in their private universities because they can afford it with tax payers money. Our colleagues are fast turning miscreants; their generation is wasted, will we allow our generation to waste? It is left to you and me: we have to secure our future. We should not allow this people mortgage the prosperity of tomorrow’s posterity. I believe there is always light at the end of every tunnel. Let us act now or suffer silently to our graves.

Chinedu Ugwu is a student in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.