The Nigerian state thrives on a very a solid foundation and enduring, pervasive culture of very crude selfishness. Maybe, “selfishness” is not the most appropriate word to convey the exact meaning I have in mind. But there is this consuming desire and deep craving by the average Nigerian to always have an unfair advantage over his neighbour, to ensure and emphasize the exclusive nature of whatever he does or possesses, and ultimately become the envy of others.

This should, however, not be confused with healthy striving for excellence and distinction. Rather it is this mindset that makes someone to value whatever he has, only when he has established that no one else has it, or that only a select, privileged few have it. I have observed that the average Nigerian derives peculiar animation, and in some instance, consolation, from constantly calling to mind some evidences of the advantages he has over his neighours, and some privileges he presently enjoys which his neighbour can only dream of.

Mind you, this is not an exclusive habit of the affluent and highly-placed in society. Even the very marginal advantage the poor, suffering fellow thinks he has over his neighbour  automatically constitutes the little flame that keeps his heart aglow, and makes him feel like a king in the neighbourhood. He derives profound, refreshing feelings of joy by the fact that he has, and can, at least, flaunt what his neighbour doesn’t have.           

Many years ago, when heavy traffic on Carter Bridge consisted of several new Raleigh bicycles racing along, some motorcycles and a couple of cars, a man returned to his village from Lagos, with a well tailored new dress, with which he hoped to cause a stir in Church the following Sunday. As his kinsmen converged to welcome him, he brought out the dress and told them he was sure no one had won that dress in the entire community. In fact, only very few people, he declared, had at that time possessed it in the whole of Lagos! On Saturday, as he basked in the pleasant expectation of how he was going to be the centre of attraction in the small village Church on Sunday, he decided to take a leisurely walk towards the marketplace. Along the way, he saw an old wine-taper on an old rickety bicycle, heading to the market to sell his palm-wine. As the man got close, he discovered, to his utmost shock, that the man was wearing that same cloth he was hoping to flaunt on Sunday; but the difference was that the wine-taper’s own was now well-worn and terribly stained, meaning that he has been wearing it for months, ever before our Lagos man thought of purchasing his own. Indeed, he was thoroughly disappointed and pained. His flag of pride automatically dropped. The cloth instantly lost all its value and glamour, for the simple reason that a wine-taper had won it before him. And, so, he refused to wear it again. That is the Nigerian!  

I don’t know whether it was the British that planted this insidious seed in Nigerians or merely helped to water and tend it, for their own self-serving reasons. The British had created the Government Reserved Areas (GRAs) and several other segregating and divisive facilities, and took some special “natives”, the educated and privileged few, away from their own people, put them in those secluded areas and planted in them a mindset that made them regard themselves as “special” and “different” from the rest. This may have helped them to perfect their divide-and-rule policy, but also succeeded in engraving in the minds of those lucky natives that they were indeed better than the others. And so, when the British unwillingly granted what they called Independence to Nigeria, they ensured that this iniquitous status quo remained. Through this privileged class which they had created and successfully alienated from their own people, the British still ruled Nigeria. That is why our rulers live in fortresses, far removed from the people they claim to be serving.

In Nigeria today, a successful man is one who has “left the others” to join the privileged, eating class. In several cases, this may not be as result of hard work, but merely because the “lucky” fellow has some acquaintance with some other fellow in the corridors of power. The truth we all know is that one may suddenly start swimming in boundless opulence tomorrow just because he had got the “right connections”, which may merely be that he is a distant to cousin to the hairdresser of  the girlfriend of the ADC of one of our rulers. When that happens, the person quickly leaves his fellows behind to “join them” to enjoy. And what gives him the real pleasure is each time he looks back, and sees the people he once suffered with  still writhing with crushing poverty, not just the new opulence he is swimming in.

This situation exists in degrees and categories, as I mentioned earlier, and it has created a craving in everyone to strive, not just to better his lot, but to show how he is  “better” than he his neighbour. And that is why, at the slightest opportunity, anyone with access to the common wealth will seek to use it to corner all the juicy advantages to himself, and create another world of limitless comfort for himself, and perhaps, his relatives and cronies,  which would automatically place them far above the rest of the people, instead of providing essential amenities for the benefit of all. This is the situation that produced the “big-man” syndrome. 

Recently, one of my ardent readers sent me an email to say that in Warri where he grew up, what they call these toy generators from China is: I-Better-Pass-My-Neighbour. So, when NEPA/PHCN envelopes everyone with impenetrable darkness, and those who have these toy generators put them on, they mean to demonstrate to their neighbours choking with thick, oppressive darkness that they are better than them. Yes, I better pass my neighbour!

This mentality appears to be what guides the conducts of public officers in Nigeria. And when you look at the situation closely, you then begin to understand why Nigerians are suffering in the midst of plenty. For those in authority, it is a complete insult to suggest that the rest of the people should enjoy basic amenities like electricity, good roads, potable water and security. No, that would make everybody equal. The GSM was a huge mistake that must never be repeated. Initially, they collected so much money from telecom operators and unleashed them on Nigerians to cut their necks with prohibitive prices, so that only the rich can afford GSM phones. But, the era of exploitation did not last. Globacom, just came into the market, overthrew the heartless, inhuman cartel, (though, merely in attempt to create market for itself and put its competitors to disadvantage) and today, the poor man in Lagos can call his poor mother in the village. Now, the rich can only emphasize their wealth by the number and type of expensive handsets they carry at the same time.  

I-better-Pass-My-Neighbour. That’s the mindset that rules the Nigerian ruler’s mind. The Nigerian ruler was once asked why he banned tokunbo vehicles during a phone-in radio/television programme some years ago. He did not know when he let out his grouse, which was that there were too many cars competing for space with his convoy on the streets of Abuja! “Everywhere in Abuja, what is you see is Golf, Golf!” he fumed. Now “Golf” is that Volkswagen vehicle they call “pure water”, which the poor man, at his  own level, too, flaunts, to show that he is better than his waka-waka neighbour. Now the Oga up there is not happy that cars were becoming too common, that it was no longer the exclusive preserve of rulers and the rich, their children and cronies. And so, a ban had to be placed to put the poor back in his place, in the spirit of  I-better-Pass-My-Neighbour.

If the intentions were genuine, we would have seen plans  to build local plants, and create enabling environments for them to flourish, so tokunbo could go, and many Nigerians  could have brand new cars? Who no like better thing?   

Today, the roads are so horrible that each time you ply some of them, you may have to visit your mechanic. But in order to rub in his marked difference from the rest of us,  President Olusegun Obasanjo does not use the roads to get to his home. Once he arrives at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, a helicopter will pick him up and drop him gently on his farm in Ota. How else can his neighbours be made to know that the “big-man” was returning if not with the flourish that the helicopter noise ushers in? I-better-Pass-My-Neighbour!  

So, in Nigeria today, instead of a ruler to provide social amenities to benefit for everyone, he uses public funds to create limitless advantages, privileges and comfort for himself, so that everyone looking at him, his wives and children would really realize how unlucky he was to not have been born into such a family. That is why a state governor can have the heart to steal N126 billion from state coffers. While public schools here are left to decay, children of rulers are flown out of Nigeria to attend quality schools in Europe, America, South Africa and even Ghana; they hop across to see “their” doctors in far away Canberra to treat common cold, and could boast of how  they just went to Kuala Lumpur to see “their” dentist. Nigerian public officers steal so much money to buy themselves houses in France, UK and the United States. Yet they have not asked themselves how many Americans have homes in London or France, or even how many people born in Boston have ever visited New York, let alone own a home there. People steal and accumulate even more than they would ever need, just to ensure that forever they can always say: I-better-Pass-My-Neighbour.

Like I said, this mindset is at play anywhere. Go to any embassy and see how Nigerian Security men employed there will treat you. One day, while conducting an investigation for a story on the thriving visa racket at the British High commission (http://www.kwenu.com/publications/ejinkeonye/rotten_chambers.htm),

I was reading a notice board outside the High Commission’s gate when a Nigerian Security man, with haughty, crude arrogance, came and told me that I had stayed too long at the notice board and should  leave. In fact, I had been there for less than five minutes. As I looked at him, flaunting his badge of slavery (uniforms), I knew exactly what was at play. He was working at the place where Nigerians scrambled to get visas to Mars or Jupiter, and I wasn’t! I-better-Pass-My-Neighbour.

Until we kill this spirit, looting will never stop in Nigeria. The rulers would always ensure that mass poverty continue in the land because that is  the only situation that emphasizes how “lucky” they and their families and cronies are.

That would also ensure that during elections, the poor can easily be manipulated with little gifts to sell-off their votes. In many countries there is nothing like “inferior” or “superior” hospitals. Everybody, whether President, Governor, Senator, the jobless or school boy, is entitled to quality healthcare. But here, the craving is to show our advantage over others.

Some even ensure they prepare their executive graves before they die, so that even in death, they would still be able to make the statement: I-better-Pass-My-Neighbour.

Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye is on the Editorial Board of Independent Newspapers (www.independentng.com ), Lagos. He writes a column (SCRUPLES) on the back page of the paper every Wednesday. Email: scruples2006@yahoo.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 The Nigerian state thrives on a very a solid foundation and enduring, pervasive culture of very c...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 16.07.2006 01:31

unregister

# 2 The conduct of Public Officers in Nigeria is a disaster! It really becomes more worrisome that some of them claim to be or to have been Christians. We certainly have not reached el dorado because this democracy thing does not seem to be working. There is need to systematically guide public thoughts and attitudes to reject the deification of filthy lucre. As a people we tried in the past but that is now an abandoned project. Examples of previous efforts: Obasanjo's "AUSTERITY MEASURES" 1976-79, Shehu Shagari's Ministry of National Guidance, Jerry Gana's MAMSER etc To say that it is impracticable to LEAD BY EXAMPLE in Nigeria is untrue. Our leaders just say nice things to get the office and then do something else in office. Examples of leaders who led by example: Lateef Jakande - He advocated in his education policy that no child should go to school more than one mile from his residence. He flooded Lagos with "Jakande Schools" and had his own kids attend same. He operated as Gov from his private residence and rode the same car throughout his term of office. (The very car he used to campaign for office) And, of course, kept the same wife! Olu Bajowa, was a distinguished Military Gov. of the Murtala Era. So, the current flamboyance is inexcusable. THE EXCESSES OF PUBLIC OFFICERS NEED TO BE CURBED URGENTLY. Since Govt has given up on the needed effort to change the "I better pass my neighbour" attitude, the clergy can still continue to try. My own take on this is legal approach. Nigerians should help themselves by EXPOSING graft by public officers. The kind of thing Daboh did in the seventies. EFCC should step up pursuit of "dirty money" in and out of govt. It is clear that without strict law enforcement the necessary attitudinal change will not come. The excellent observations of this author is touching and are, at least, a starting point. Posted by unregister| 16.07.2006 08:39

Abakieda Wanderer

# 3 UGOCHUKWU, Hear, hear my brother. Thanks for this article, you seem to have read my mind. I am waiting for George W Bush and Bill Clinton to talk about the mighty homes they bought in swankiest area of West London next to Harrodds and For Tony Blair to talk about his beautiful New York Apartment near the famous New York Central Park. We Nigerians are raised with such inferiority complex combined with religious ignorance and wrong system of respect that you can't even begin to analyze how deep the problem is. We make kings and heroes out of thieves and Vagabonds. I can bet you that you cannot find a single Nigerian Ex-Presidents, current President, Ministers, Governors, Special Adviser to this and that, Senators Commissioners, Permanent Scretaries, Members of state Assemblies Local Goverment Chairmen that do not have a house or kids in London, and US........How then do we expect these people to fix the problems at home. You might think this is a little harsh, but I do not believe that common sense reasoning can ever change anything in Nigeria. I believe we should do thesame thing that the Romanians did to Nikolai Saccescu and his immediate and extended family members in 1989 when they were tired of living like dogs........ A very strong, tactful and precise message needs to be sent to these people or else we can continue to speak with the eloquence of the wise and the emotions of the angels, nothing will come out of it unless we take very bold steps to fix the actual problems. What has been happening in this country for that past 46 years is Nigerians enslaving Nigerians........What a shame. Regards, Abamieda Wanderer. Posted by Abakieda Wanderer| 16.07.2006 22:14

cdimkpa  Villager

# 4 Dear Mr Abamieda wanderer, You wrote: You might think this is a little harsh, but I do not believe that common sense reasoning can ever change anything in Nigeria. I believe we should do thesame thing that the Romanians did to Nikolai Saccescu and his immediate and extended family members in 1989 when they were tired of living like dogs........ A very strong, tactful and precise message needs to be sent to these people or else we can continue to speak with the eloquence of the wise and the emotions of the angels, nothing will come out of it unless we take very bold steps to fix the actual problems. My take on this: Isnt what you are advocating for above, as happened in Romania, similar to what the first nigerian coup plotters planned and somewhat achieved? What was the outcome of that achievement, except that deeply entrenched tribalism began playing out. Who will dispense with who in Nigeria? Can an Igbo revolutionarist deal with an Hausa theiving leader and vice versa? Good as it seems, these are some of the problems inherent with your advocacy. CDimkpa Posted by cdimkpa| 17.07.2006 08:25

busanga  Villager

# 5 excellent write up..and I see the commentary goes silent. did you speak to the offenders so much that they could not hold back their conscience? or for the first time since we are all collectively indicted not just OBJ or our leaders alone, we all cannot muster a line or two? Or may be because you didn't indict one religion or one ethnic group..umn..I bet that works. In any case, you have said the truth and yes, me too I better pass all of you! :lol: Posted by busanga| 17.07.2006 16:16

Nnodi

# 6 In any system which is apparently in equilibrum, whatever is happening on one side of the equation, NO MATTER HOW EXTREMELY STRANGE, bears a relation to what is happening in the other side of the equation. What I'm getting at is that the pervasiveness of the swaggering attitudes of Nigerian leaders is fed by the value systems and level of enlightenment of the society. I firmly believe that a society which is more aware of the roles of citizenship, the contractual nature of the relationship between leader and the people, and which is educated enough to stop seeing politicians as "rulers" will definitely demand more of their government and engage less in personality worship of their leaders. While Nigerians cannot be described as an unintelligent people, I believe that we are generally not a very well informed people regarding the world we live in, so we do not have a sense of urgency and about the need for the development of our society, and certainly don't seem to worry about the Future. The Education of the People simply has to continue. Posted by Nnodi| 17.07.2006 17:17

VOR  Villager

# 7 Very good article Until we kill this spirit, looting will never stop in Nigeria. The rulers would always ensure that mass poverty continue in the land because that is the only situation that emphasizes how “lucky� they and their families and cronies are. How true!! That is why you see our government officials (civil servants) lording it over us because they are not the servants but the masters.........they have put the masses in the category of "I better pass you" and the masses too behave like they better pass them. When I think of the way George Bush Bill Clinton and American leaders interacted with the American people during 9/11 and how UK leaders reacted during 7/7 and compare it to our very own baba's reaction at the Ikeja bomb blast "I dont have to be here you know" I shudder... when will these leaders learn that they are there to serve the Nigerian people not vice versa? I feel ALL Nigerians should read this piece it may give us an idea that our problems lie not with what ethnic or religious group is in power but in our leaders who believe they have to maintain the status quo in other to "better pass us" Until we fight these people 'collectively' it will be the same 'ole same 'ole stuff our children will talk about in 20 years.:frown: Posted by VOR| 18.07.2006 11:14