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If two children, presumably boys, grew up in a cupboard
(without outside contact and not contaminated by any culture) at the foot of a
mountain range, there is likelihood that by adolescence they would have
developed different traits. Our own Ojukwu was alleged to have told this
to his friend, Fredrick Forsythe, and his assertion was that one of the boys,
most likely, would have climbed the mountain, at one stage, to find out what is
on the other side of the mountain range. The other, meanwhile, and most
probably, would have erected a shrine at the foot of the mountain to worship
that mountain. The one that did not climb the mountain, at best, would take a
tortuous route to circumnavigate the mountain range in an attempt to get to the
other side. Ojukwu did not clarify who these two children represent, but
your guess is as good as mine. However, one can easily postulate that the one
that did not climb the mountain could have been a Nigerian, at least.
In
my community, we seldom climb mountains; instead, we go around obstacles; no
matter how inconvenient that might be. As I grew up in
Nigeria
, I watched helplessly as we chose not to climb over
the mountains of developmental problems, but instead chose to circumnavigate
around them. When electricity supply, the core ingredient in modern
development, became epileptic, we did not climb the mountain to fix it; we
circumnavigated around it; we bought individual generators. As our taps began
to run dry, we did not overcome the obstacle by fixing the public water works;
we circumnavigated that problem by digging individual wells and sinking
individual boreholes. The dearth in our public transport was not addressed by
improved mass transit, but first we downsized to minibuses and most recently,
and ingeniously, we mount commercial bikes (the okadas). What about the Indian
tricycles in our urban areas – that is called progress. We have become the
epitome of individual freedom, if you like.
There
is no telling, we could drive this style of deregulation to the next level and
become the symbol of generation-next in communal living. The rest of the world
would then have no choice but to copy us. Who wants to wait for buses or trains
at bus stops or stations that arrive at specific times and go in a particular
direction – too regimental - when one could mount a commercial bike at any
point that could be asked to go in any direction? What freedom could be higher
and bliss? Two guys, one Briton and the other French, once had an argument on
the virtue of their respective road traffic systems. The French derided the way
the British drive; on the wrong side of the road, while the French drive on the
right side; but the Briton argued it is just the left side of the road. A
Nigerian intervened and ridiculed both of them – pioneering what freedom could
mean. In
Nigeria ,
he says, we drive on all sides of the road, left; right and centre, facing any
direction: that is freedom and deregulation at their heights.
When
it was fashionable to seize power by force through the barrel of the gun, we
where not left behind. Those who sacked the past rulers made sure they outdid
those they ousted for whatever ills their predecessors were accused of. As the
wind of democracy blew our way, we embraced it, but refused to climb the
mountain to make the votes count. Who says the votes must count? Our freedom is
to vote if we want to and their freedom is to count the vote if they like. To
circumnavigate the obstacles of counting of votes, we even set up electoral
tribunals before the elections took place. Which goes to show that we knew the
elections would be rigged. Why climb the mountain to prevent rigging, when we
can circumnavigate the process by judicial process. As the TV cameras stared
relentlessly during the recent presidential election tribunal judgement, one
could easily be misled into believing that it was a joint session of the bar
and the bench. The tribunal hall was a sea of wigs and gowns – a symbol of the
rule of law. My vote at last, as expected, did not count, and was rule out.
Nigeria
has gotten to a point where doing it the rest-of-the-world way, would spark up
a revolution. The revolution will not be precipitated for failing to fix the
ills but by attempting to eradicate the ills. So, it might be better to let
things be as they are and play the usual rhetoric of fixing things. That has
always given us hope. Try and imagine what would happen to the economy, if one
day the electricity supply becomes steady and uninterrupted. No, it’s not what
you think. What become of Zenon and a host of diesel hoarders could stir
up an mayhem. What would become of the economy without generator importers?
What are we going to do with over twenty million electric generators already in
Nigeria ?
What do we do with over four million batteries that are used to start the
generators? Who is going to look after the families of those who have survived
or prospered in the business of no-constant light? What will happen to the
water tankers and the meruwas if the public water works work? Who would
feed the families of the okada riders if the public transit system
becomes modernised?
‘If
you have a stomach for a revolution, try and climb the mountain to fix the
underdevelopment in a place like
Nigeria
,’ a Nigerian stated lately. ‘As people, we have done
everything in the book to start a revolution. …yet there has not been one,’
another stated. Social scientists are now of the opinion that the process of
eradicating what other people in other lands regard as ills, which
unfortunately we relish, could stir up a revolution in Nigeria as people will
fiercely oppose the idea of fixing them. Eradicating the endemic corruption in
Nigeria
, for instance, could have sparked off a revolution,
which is why the present administration, in its wisdom, has toned down the
process and have resorted to rhetoric which gives us hope. To circumnavigate
the mountain of eradication of corruption, we call it the rule of law. This
is the same law that continues to rule; not to prevent corruption, but comes
out in full force to impede punishing it.
It
is a beautiful country inhabited by beautiful people. See how we love our
Ghana-must-go bags. Why fix the pothole when we can drive around it. If it
becomes a gorge, we slow down and move on. We set fires to our markets so that
we can trade on the streets. Why make your vehicle roadworthy, when cheaper,
you can bribe your way through. If eventually you have a breakdown, why push
the vehicle to a side when other vehicles, including those in authority, can
drive around it. Why bother not to hurt other people, when the pastor or the
imam is ready to argue your case before God, for a fee of course. It has been
confirmed that we are the most religious in the world; you can be sure why.
Nigeria
is a prayerful nation and it is prayers that have
sustained us. As common and when the 419ers GSM networks become epileptic, we
just buy into another network and end up moving about with four handsets.
Things can stay as they are, and there will be peace. God willing there is hope
that one day e go better.
But,
on the other side of the coin, is what happened lately.
Nigeria
and
Niger
Republic
have a pact that come what may,
Nigeria must
supply uninterrupted power supply to its northern neighbour,
Niger
Republic . The pact was to
prevent the
Niger
Republic
from damming the River Niger in order to allow the river
flow uninterrupted to our own Kainji Dam. The authority over there announced in
late January 2008 that power supply would be interrupted for two weeks to
upgrade their electricity supply. The people of
Niger
Republic
took to the streets of
Niamey ,
the capital, to protest against the planned power interruption. The authority,
however, capitulated in the face of their peoples’ refusal and power supply was
diverted from
Nigeria , some more,
to avert the planned power interruption in the
Niger
Republic at the expense of
guess who.
It
was the Paris born, English author, W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), who was
reported to have given up medicine for writing, that said, ‘It’s a funny
thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often
get it.’ The people of
Niger
Republic
might have just refused to accept anything but the best: it
isn’t funny, but they got it.
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Authors 
Posted by Robot| 04.03.2008 10:59