In a recent article titled “Nigerian Haters and their Childish Rants”, published on the Nigeria Village Square website, Mr. Chukwura Achife took upon some of his fellow citizens whom he believed to have been unconstructively critical of the government and the situation in Nigeria.

To drive home his point, Mr. Achife sited the example of his simple and hard-working grandfather whose focus and priorities were on the simple things that mattered to him; such as providing for himself and others who depend on him – amongst other ways he positively influenced his immediate surroundings. Perhaps that was the simple message that the author sought to convey in his article – or not. Whichever the case may be, Mr. Emmanuel Chukwura Achife had his own method of delivering whatever message he had to deliver.

He alleged that these critics, many of whom are based outside the country, spend most of their time criticizing without proffering solutions or joining in the effort to solve the many problems that face Nigeria. For Mr. Achife, these people will rather “wish Nigeria failed” simply “to prove their idiocy and lack of will to effect change [sic]”. He identified what he called “common threads” of these Nigerians to include “their aversion to risk and hard work” and how “they would rather have someone else do their (dirty) job while they spend the days attacking and destroying the country that gave them so much and demanded nothing in return.”

It is quite obvious from Mr. Achife’s words that he was angry at the group of people he opined on in his article; so much so that he may have allowed too much emotion to dictate the thoughts he expressed. Points that may have been otherwise valid were unfairly sensationalized and generalized, leaving them virtually incredible. Throughout Mr. Achife’s piece, not one word or sentence acknowledged or gave credence to many other critics out there who do not necessarily belong to the group he excoriated so intensely in his piece. That and other obvious oversights, mis-statements and exaggerations have called the inspiration and motive behind his article into question.

First of, there are so many Nigerians out there who juggle influencing their immediate spheres – like Mr. Achife’s grand dad – with things like keeping abreast with developments at all levels of government in the country. The most vocal critics in our society are well-accomplished individuals. Where do we place, just to mention a few, people like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Gani Fawehinmi or Balarable Musa? How about the Okey Ndibes, the Reuben Abatis, or the Ayo Obes of CLO? How about the up and coming young intellects around us all?

In keeping active, these well-exposed and enlightened educated men and women identify the very many wrongs in our society. It is no exaggeration to state that in our Nigeria, there is much more to criticize than to praise!

Two, unlike the author’s grandfather, not every Nigerian have the luxury of a peaceful and quiet village life. Many Nigerians reside in cities where circumstances forbid their making any contribution to the development of that local community. How easy, for example, is it for an ordinary Nigerian to engage in constructive dialogue with the thugs who have held a city like Ibadan ransom for the last few years? How easy is it for a decent man or woman to make inputs in local politics of Awka when individuals like Chris Uba had the city under their grip? Since these people cannot have a say in the way their affairs are managed, would Mr. Achife rather have them mind their private affairs while their immediate society rot away?

What is wrong in finding a platform – internal, external or wherever – to bring the plight of your local community to light when you have been denied your right to contribute [unlike the author’s grand dad] at home? Haven’t the best of our good ambassadors used the same methods of traveling out to safer and more profitable climes to highlight the mis-governance at home? The internationally respected Chinua Achebe recently criticized the government from his location abroad, addressing many issues that range from local politics in his home state to national affairs; does he fall within the group Mr. Chukwudi Achife called otherwise unprintable names? If not, did the author spare just one moment of his righteous tirade to pay accolade to the efforts of the respected critics out there?

Mr. Achife, said “..some of us blame the country for their own personal failings” – like it was a lie or blasphemy to blame the country for the failure of many of her citizens. Has Mr. Achife never heard of Nigerians who moved back home from their very comfortable lifestyles abroad to the promise of a great Nigeria that terribly disappointed them? Do such people not have the right to hate the system that set their personal success back by years? What does Mr. Achife say to the Nigerian who moved back home as a successful college professor, only to be forced to borrow money to pay for his airfare back to where he came from to start afresh as a Security Guard before he found employment? Was Mr. Achife too angry to take such plights into consideration before he unleashed his reckless vituperations?

A list of global industrial giants – mostly in the United States – was provided by the author to buttress his point about how hard-working citizens can build an empire from available resources in a rich nation. The question one would love to put across to Mr. Achife is, how favorable is the Nigerian business environment been for an upstart? How many average citizens, other than established and connected business tycoons and politicians like the Dangotes and the Ibrus, have been able to set up businesses like those he mentioned? Mr. Achife probably failed to note how the home governments of those industrial giants like Honda, Ford, Wal-Mart etc protect the rights of the average citizen – unlike in Nigeria where a sitting President encourages the abuse of the most basic of our rights by so-called godfathers.

I have a friend whose father owns a farming/manufacturing business in a south-western state in Nigeria. His business started from almost nothing in the 60’s but through the years, he established himself as a shrewd, rich and powerful businessman; such that he became the highest private employer and taxpayer in that state. He minded his business and never got involved in politics – perhaps that was his ‘sin’ against the town where he set up his approximately 40 year old business. The town got embroiled in a chieftaincy tussle that he refused to wade into. Rioters came and burnt his property in that town to the ground. The police who were meant to protect the people joined in the public humiliation of this septuagenarian by cudgeling him; beating him like a common thief based on unfounded rumors. The man has since departed that town to lick his wounds and start his business elsewhere.

That is just one example out of many. Can anyone blame someone like that old man and his children and grand children for being very critical or loathing  of a system that failed to protect him from a people’s ignorance? What more can you do for your society than contribute towards its development the way this man did in terms of providing employment for hundreds of the local residents and bringing so much in desperately-needed revenue to the community? Is that the type of system or government that people like Mr. Achife choose to side with by accusing those who criticize it of “idiocy”?

The author also addressed life in “utopia” for the critics whom he branded with names like “patently lazies”, “institutional panhandlers” and “stranded”. I think it is heartless, very heartless, to denigrate the suffering of the people who dared the odds under extremely risky circumstances to find an ‘El-Dorado’ outside Nigeria, after years of suffering at the hands of an irresponsible, conscienceless and greedy political class – it is wicked to disrespect them the way Mr. Achife did in his article. At certain points in life, people need to make decisions that are best for them before it gets too late to act. While some continue to try to break the jinx at home, others get tired of the frustrations and seek better lives elsewhere. To generalize in that reckless manner that those who have tried to make a living elsewhere are “lazies” is not only uncharitable but terribly ludicrous.

In those places where the author branded as “Utopia”, one can retire on being a truck-driver, after buying a house in Florida and saving enough to last him or her for the rest of his life. No matter your income or profession, you are guaranteed a decent lifestyle as long as you do not live beyond your means. “Washing dishes in Utopia” may not be better than owning your own ‘Molue’ or ‘Aba-by-Night’ at home, but it definitely is an honorable means to an end! It is NOT every dishwasher’s end-dream to be a bus owner; some have dreams of being a Pat Utomi, Donald Duke, Emeka Anyaoku, Sulu Gambari or Kofi Anan someday!

The author’s generalizations about Nigerian critics abroad is just as bad [if not worse] than that recent ‘CNN Report’ - the documentary where 40 percent of Nigerians in the US were reported to be criminals. There are young and experienced graduates and post-graduates working with Fortune 500 companies everywhere across countries like the United Kingdom, United States and Germany etc. A lot of these people are unanimous in their criticism of events back home in Nigeria, not just for criticism’s sake but because there is a hell of a lot to criticize in our society for goodness sake! Many of them don’t want to make the mistakes their parents’ made in returning home to later disappointments and the ones who go home keep one leg in and the other out for the same obvious reasons.

It is painful to read the simplistic characterizations of Nigerians abroad by Mr. Achife. One is left to wonder what type of Nigerians he associates with. Does he have any respectable friend abroad at all? How will these friends feel reading through his simplistic and jaundiced generalizations of Nigerians abroad as “lazies, institutional panhandlers and stranded” – especially when he never even bothered to give any dues to the many honorable critics out there?

When he talks of lazies, does he give a thought to young, brilliant Nigerians in Microsoft, EMC, Google, Entergy, Boeing, Rathyeon, Merck, Ford, Arthur Andersen, Goldman Sachs etc? When he talks about “institutional panhandlers”, does he remember institutional giants like Okey Ndibe, Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe who are respected in colleges everywhere – not to mention many other respected intellects across the world who were frustrated out of service by a corrupt system in Nigeria and had no choice than to find other places where their intellect is valued and respected?  When Mr. Achife mentions the “stranded”, does he take a moment out for people like, Hafsat Abiola, a Harvard University product, who stayed abroad out of harms way after she and her siblings were orphaned due to her home government’s reckless irresponsibility?

When Achife talks about “ethnic warriors”, does he take a moment to address the years and years that successive governments and political leaders have exploited the gift of our ethnic diversity for their selfish agenda, such that the average Nigerian is much more conscious of his ethnic difference than the ‘Nigerianess’ he shares with other Nigerians? Did he even for a minute think about that???

Mr. Emmanuel Chukwura Achife stands guilty of the very things he finds wrong in the people he criticized in his article. He stands guilty of unfair and extremely biased criticism and generalizations of Nigerian critics abroad. He failed the test of balanced assessment and interpretation of the situation at home vis-à-vis the people’s frustration. If his grand-father had the good fortune of making enough to live a peaceful and successful life in a village in Enugu, he should be simply grateful for the positive influence on his life. It is however no carte-blanche for him to hate on or reprobate those whose negative personal experiences left indelible marks in their lives. Neither does it allow him to lump-up the best of Nigerians in diaspora in one ridicilous garb like he did.

The challenge is more on the types of Mr. Achife, who spend more energy defending the indefensible mismanagement and political chicanery and brigandry at home, to stand on the side of truth and be fair before giving vent to uncivil outbursts. And here is the bigger challenge, when Mr. Achife has established his own corporation without hooking up with Transcorp and the the likes, or whetting any government official’s appetite, only then can anyone take him serious as a challenger. Be the pioneer; be exemplary. Hopefully you are one already.

Mr. Achife is a Nigerian like the rest of us Nigerians; no one can claim to be more Nigerian than another Nigerian. We all desire a great Nigeria. So he should vent his rage at a system that made his fellow Nigerians so cynical, critical and doubtful - not at Nigerians. The very reasons why they are so cynical exist to date – and some reasons have even worsened; so their criticism and skepticism is justified. Mr. Achife should tone down his rhetoric when next he chooses to inspire his fellow-citizens to be constructive in their criticisms. It is better to influence someone by appealing to their good senses than lashing out at them in that condescending holier-than-thou manner. That is good advice for Mr. Achife and ‘we’ hope he will take it; otherwise ‘we’ will be forced to conclude he belongs to that class of people who suffer from Blind Patriotism.

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Your Comments

Please make The Square an enjoyable experience for everyone by refraining from gratuitous ad-hominem contributions, defamatory comments and off-topic posting. Such posts will be removed.

Robot  # 1 | 13.06.2006 16:18

In a recent article titled “Nigerian Haters and their C...

EezeeBee  # 2 | 13.06.2006 16:47

Mr Ogunleye, That was an excellent rejoinder to the original article. I appreciate the spirit in which it was delivered, without heat or fury; rather the points of view and variance were marshalled and addressed, singly and simply. I sincerely hope Mr. Achife has an opportunity to read your write up and respond with equal civility leading, perhaps, to an in-depth discourse. May you both, lovers of Nigeria and Nigerians, stay blessed!

Anthony  # 3 | 13.06.2006 21:53

Here comes the masquarade again.........using various names on NVS..... What really is your name "Afolabi"? And if you must use an alias, why a far-flung one....I'm sure you understand what I mean.....

Omo'nna  # 4 | 13.06.2006 22:17

"Where do we place, just to mention a few, people like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Gani Fawehinmi or Balarable Musa? How about the Okey Ndibes, the Reuben Abatis, or the Ayo Obes of CLO? How about the up and coming young intellects around us all?" Indeed!!! Out of respect for their proven sense of patriotism and consistency over the decades, I'll not like to comment on the mentioned names of Soyinka, Achebe and Fawehinmi. But the rest of those you mentioned in your articles have nothing special about them. So, when the likes of Okey Ndibe, Reben Abati and other young turks whose mettles in public life have not been proven, rant on and on week after week on negativity.....theirs are not"righteous tirades"? But when an "unknown" guy like Emmanuel dared to canvass for some positivity, his and those who agreed with him automatically become "righteous tirades", "blind patriotism" etc etc. Nna a beg!! As far as you are concerned, the only credible means of showcasing "real" patriotism is by putting our nation to disrepute all the time under the pretext of criticism? And you branded Emmanuel an angry man? No sir! If any one is angry-----and over personal frustrations and taking it against their nation, it's the likes of Okey Ndibe, Abati and the numerous diasporan Nigerians who daily expect an Utopian State out of their nation. Yet, ask them what they have contrtributed or, at least, what they are planning to contribute, they only get all the more abusive. Nna, having read the article written by Emmanuel and now your "rejoinder", seriously, yours came across as an unnecessary intellectual shadow-boxing. To say the least, you took that of Emmanuel too personal!

philipikita  # 5 | 14.06.2006 11:13

Omo'nna, what are you contributing to Nigeria? Yes, Nigeria is great, has great leaders performing great feats. You are one of the great leaders? Or one of the great followers? Congrats Omo'nna. Woe betide the Abati's, the Ndibes and their ilk who tell lies about Nigeria and contribute nothing to her progress. Our government performs above average, so it deserves more praise than criticism. That is why the ministers, the governors and local government chaimen, senators etc are making a lot of sacrifices, growing poorer and working very hard for the people they govern and represent... Long live Nigeria and her patriots... Death to the Lazy critics. Now, Omo'nna, you have a new addition to your ranks of patriots, Just be rest assured, we (patriots) will always triumph over these senseless and selfish critics who are blind to the achievements of Nigeria and the progress Nigerians are witnessing. Hip Hip Hip...Hurray

UNREGISTER  # 6 | 14.06.2006 13:09

I did not notice any "rage" in Emmanuel Achife's piece. Truth is bitter. You need not throw back the challenge he threw at critics. Thanks, by the way, for creating the rank of HONOURABLE CRITICS OF NIGERIA (HCN) (and even going further to suggest names.) The piece, to me remains an empirical analysis. If you click on "authors" on this board and read topics, you will be surprised what people have written about their motherland. Don't drag us into politics. The article's focus is economic and social development. So, all your refrence to Oyo, Anambra and Obasanjo are totally off the mark. And you are also wrong even on those. You and your cohorts better get a life and leave our Baba alone. Obasanjo's Govt has achieved a lot in terms of economic Development whether you admit it or not. Ngige has been a blessing to Anambra through the instrumentality of Chris Uba, a Patriot and Ladoja knows in his heart of hearts that he is only reaping what he sowed in being used by enemies to pumel late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1982. Nobody can deny who you coose to be your heroes but don't peddle names on this board. Wole Soyinka is a distingiushed Citizen of the World (Not only Nigeria) Ditto Chinua Achebe but they are no experts in Political and economic affairs. Gani Fawehinmi is a good lawyer. Balarabe Musa is a radical. Must you put their names to buttress your point? Did they tell you they have the magic wand to transform Nigeria? Do you know the circumstances that made them reside outside Nigeria in the twilight of their years? Now, read this. None of them was as critical as late Tai Solarin who matched his criticism with positive action. He founded a school, wrote every week but took up job as Public Complaints Commissioner. Removed decaying corpses off our roads. Joined Chief Awolowo's Party - UPN and campaigned for a candidate. Headed People's Bank etc Clearly this was a man who loved Nigeria and offered to serve. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, NIGERIA NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE THAT: JUMP INTO THE TRENCHES OF PUBLIC SERVICE, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL INITIATIVES rather than sit by the side and cash in on other people's errors. (WHO IS INFALLIBLE?) Don't hold govt responsible for everything. Dont hail every criticism of govt. (Many of those accusing Federal Govt of disobedience to court orders never read those orders. How then are we better than the cartoon riot culprits? And if a respected person makes a palpably errorneous statement such as the recent one by the retiring Chief Justice, should we hail it?) In contrast, Emmanuel has listed the characteristics of our destructive critics (Honourable and Dishonourable) Did you read him write that it applies to every Nigerian or every Nigerian in the diaspora? Of course it does not apply to every critic or commentator. It does not also imply that he is a govt agent. (Won l'ele'fo o, oni ooo; ol'e'fo oun koun sefo aatan o. Ara niun fu o.) The analysis was so sound, pungent, objective and comprehensive, you would have thought he was refering to some writers on this board. Even without mentioning names, some fit perfectly into the picture. Mirrors don't lie! Admittedly, some of the issues confronting our society are novel and difficult. That is why caution is expected, especially from those who should know better. There is a thin line between critism and unpatriotic seddition. Was President Bush right in going to war in Iraq? You guess is as good as mine but what you read on stickers T-****s bill-boards etc in America is: SUPPORT OUR TROOPS. Some of our "honourable critics deserve no less than the "DIXIE CHICKS" treatment. Did President Bush win his first term election against Al Gore? Supreme Court of the US decided he won. (Did you see Al Gore crying about and whining like a baby as Muhammadu Buhari did? No! Buhari even went to America to complain - a very disgraceful act by a former head of State.) Those who run down the entire Federal Govt because of hatred for one man need psychiatric attention. Take away what you will, we have a winning team at the Federal. But they are not perfect. Some states are also lucky but some are not so lucky. As Public Officials they and their acts are liable to criticism. Emmanuels piece is timely and relevant. It is not perfect but this attempt by Folabi to rebutt it begs the question, seeks to justify acts and utterances that are unacceptable in a civilised society and of which some of the authors may be sincerely remorseful. They are dragging Nigeria behind, slowing the pace of development and standing (unknown to themselves) as cogs in the wheel of progress hence the utility of Emmanuel's challenge.

Omo'nna  # 7 | 14.06.2006 13:50

Hello Philipikita, Are you alright? Chineke, what was your problem? Why have a heart attack over nothing? If I didn't contribute anything to Nigeria, would I be bold, like others in that league, to keep telling some of you professional whiners to see what you can do too? The problem with guys like you is that you're always converting your personal failures into a war of attrocities against your nation! Instead of you to think of what you could contribute, you're more engrossed with what you could get from the nation. Have a change of heart, will you? Hitting your head on a stone or wall will not help you. And neither will your suffering from a stroke (out of built up hatred and anger) be a worthy contribution to the growth of our nation. Rather, stop whining for awhile. Re-appraise your life, get your sufferable acts together and think of your own contribution to our nation.....no matter how little.....we can start from somewhere.

Auspicious  # 8 | 14.06.2006 19:27

Yes, truth is bitter.. Or what more can explain why anyone will deny that there wasn't any rage in that article? That simply amounts to being cavalier with truth. If that was an "empirical analysis" then by God the latter "rejoinder" is Biblical Gospel straight from Heaven. Politics affect socio-economic life..they are all linked. We cannot afford to grade a leader in just one aspect and shun the rest. Or fail him in one and shun other successes. Which is why many Nigerians have different reasons to praise or condemn the current President. No doubt many of those critics have a lot to praise him for and they may have a lot to condemn him for as well. And that is the genesis of the whole brouhaha - how some Nigerians arrogate so much moral authority to themselves and pour caustic invectives on those who may not entirely agree with them. Can anyone explain how calling other critics *****s and other names helps a man educate the people he thinks he is better than? What does making sound references to examples of sound, enlightened and sucessful critics out there have to do with "peddling names"? Why in the world should anyone not avail himself the opportunity of good examples of sound critics out there to butress his salient point that NOT all critics are "failures" or "lazies" or "intellectual panhandlers"? I will never wish to be on the side of ANYONE who employs such method and language to get his point across in any fora. When the author talked about critics, did he sort them based on their "economic" or "political" affairs? Didn't he simply lump them all togther in their "idiocy"? So why should any unregistered being suggest that people who take offense at that authors method do same? Is critisism not a method of positive enlightenment of the masses? Haven't many of these people inspired younger people to be effective journalists, authors, playwrites, radicals, sponsors etc? Does a person have to serve in government before he is recognized as contributing to the society? And how has the society paid back people like Tai Solarin anyways? So that author didn't say his gritty invectives was directed at the whole of Nigerians in diaspora BUT did he for one little minute take a breather off his virulent tirade to pay his respects to those who don't belong to the group he excoriated? The answer is a resounding NO! And did anybody label the author a government agent yet before people start defending him as not one? Perhaps some Nigerians out there should look inward before misapplying the rich proverbs of our cultures - because it may just apply to them. And they have the godamn effrontery to tell others to get a life..that's just laughable! (Oh, and the Dixie Chicks came out bigger and better than all those who sat and faced the same wall when those girls had the courage to stand up and be different. Today they are grateful they did not allow extreme verbal intimidation and hatred change their views..as they are better off..compared to the man they criticized at least.) I wouldn't use the extremist who threaten to kill people who simply exercised their freedom of expression to strenghten my case anyways. It just might make me look like a bloody extremist - like a terrorist. No doubt that author's piece is relevant - just as the latter response to his piece is. The message is simple: no one man or woman should sit on a moral hightable and lampoon or insult others the way that man has done. People should be fair enough to feel the same assault to their sensibilities as they felt with the CNN Report on Nigerians in Diaspora. Suppose CNN defends herself by saying "It wasn't directed at all Nigerians in Diaspora?" Ah, there you go..anyone can imagine our justified reaction to such ridiculous defense! The latter response does not condone unconstructive critisism; rather it strives to let all know that Nigeria belongs to All and people should STOP insulting others in the name of Patriotism. We are all patriots and we all want a Great Nigeria. God bless Nigeria!

Odinaka  # 9 | 15.06.2006 05:49

Thank your dear Afolabi. You got it right. I hope Mr Achife understands the point and take time to balance his articles next time. Did someone say that truth is bitter? Whatever that means:wink:

chibuzor  # 10 | 15.06.2006 08:10

Folabi, You have a great mind ... history beckons. Using Pareto's 80:20 rule, only 20% of Nigerians are really required to be actively engaged in industry and high end innovation for the country to be great. The rest may play supportive roles. Nigerians abroad constitute less than 5% of our 150 million (my humble guess) therefore we have enough bodies in-house to start new Wal-marts and Microsofts if the socio-economic environment is designed to promote creativity. Fortunately, the investment climate in the country is fraught with risk and uncertainty. Governments exist to improve welfare of the majority and ensure that utility trickles down to all, while the citizens are expected to remain vigilant and criticize potential and real deviations from this objective. I am pleased to say that Nigerians at home have not spared present and past administrations their share of the blame. There were too many holes in Mr Achife's write up, but he is entitled to his opinion. My advice to Nigerians in diaspora is to stay where they are and send much needed capital to their dependents back home. They no longer have the survival skills for modern day Nigeria, such as armed robbery evasion skills, Police management skills, petrol procurement strategies, alternative medicine development skills and a host of others.