Uche's Dystopia


My father's generation may have already infected my generation with the National Irredentism Virus, leading to full-blown Acquired Ethnic Jingoist disease. If that is the case, then it is too late.
Monday, November 24, 2003


Chukwuemeka Uche Onuora

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WHO IS A NIGERIAN?



My Father's Generation and Questions about Identity in a Contrived Amalgamation

s it possible to be born a non-Nigerian and then to become a Nigerian, and is it possible for such forcefully "converted" Nigerians to beget true Nigerians? Where does Nigeria's timeline commence, in 1960 or in 1885 (or before) or the interregnum? What is the qualification (or combination of qualifications) that grants one the inalienable right to be called a Nigerian? Not in the legal sense, but perhaps in the ethical sense. Since the ethics of a situation often go further than the limits of the law; what are the ethical experiences that confer on one the ambience of a Nigerian consciousness and the right to be regarded and recognized as a true Nigerian? Even before we get to the qualifications that make one a patriotic or selfless Nigerian; what shared ideals grant the advocates the honor (even dignity) of Nigerianness?

A theoretical analysis of a cross-section of the elitist parasites that have smothered Nigeria's socio-economic and socio-political space for years on end, presents a startling academic contradiction. Starting with imposed indirect rule in the aftermath of the Berlin Conference and the forced amalgamation of disparate nationalities and peoples into a "homogenous" nation-state, right up to the limited self-rule in the run-up to our political "independence" from Mama Charles, it is insightful to make what some may term a seemingly pedestrian observation. A great percentage of our elite (if not all of them) were born in an era when the term "Nigeria" became a convenient metaphor for economic exploitation of an indigenous people by a part-time elite. And unfortunately, that psyche has persisted to this day. The ex-Thises and ex-Thats have continued their cannibalistic 10-course meal at the expense of our society. Egged on by collaborators without and within, they have revoked the ideal of a true Nigeria, and signed over its C of O to the highest bidder.

These Lords Temporal and Spiritual were born (or came of age) in a pre-independent m�l�e-suffused epoch in our checkered history. The circumstances of their birth and nurturing were forged well before the notion of Nigeria was a gleam in Lugard's eye. The idea of an equitable and just Nigeria was as alien a consciousness to them as the foundations of western hegemony were to the sensibilities of the aboriginal African, and the concept just never stood a chance of becoming reality. This notion of a just and equitable Nigeria is not that espoused in the deceit of the convoluted machinations of our new and improved colonial masters, but rather finds expression as an ideal held dear by its patriotic indigenes and aspired to by its progressive-thinking inhabitants. Perhaps, that might inform their (my father's generation's) seeming hostility and two-faced posture towards the idea of selfless service in the interests of that which they cannot understand and were never disposed to believing. To them, perhaps Nigeria smacks too much of exploitative circumvention. Perhaps their intrinsic ethnic irredentism prevents them from wholeheartedly embracing the concept of Nigeria beyond officially-sanctioned political correctness and ballyhooed lip-service.

Questions about who is truly a Nigerian ring true in light of the sorry state of affairs that we have come to call home. There is a need to draw a dividing line between the real Nigerians and the part-time Nigerians, the patriots and the opportunists, and in doing so to separate the true believers from the iconoclasts. Of course it doesn't automatically mean that one who is born a "Nigerian" is more patriotic than one who is "made" or "becomes" a Nigerian. But rather, this is an attempt to explain or proffer insights into the mindsets of the original set of Nigerian leaders (and the followers who egged them on), who have bequeathed nothing but mediocrity and ignominy to us, and which (judging from our current state) we are poised to hand down to our own children. That the failed generation of our parents has suffocated any foreseeable hopes of renaissance within our society is now a Generally Accepted Principle of Historical Accounting (my apologies to the Accountants). My goal at this late juncture is to try to reach the real Nigerian, if there is still such a thing, in order to foster a desperate sense of collaborative actions in the interests of a home for our children and their children.

Of course some will argue that America's founding fathers were not born Americans. But that is a case of comparing apples and oranges. The "Americans" of those early heady years in the aftermath of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War were united by their belief in a far-reaching radical concept, rather than just the evanescent convenience of a transfer of political power in the name of self-rule and democratic elections. The right to self-determination and prerogative to shape a nation's destiny in the context of a democratic culture was sacrosanct, not merely a recitation of academic principles, but rather a way of life. The issues that came to the fore in America's struggle for independence were missing from our independence struggle. No doubt there existed a handful of idealists and nationalists in the ranks of Nigeria's foremost "patriots", but the fact remains that their dreams and aspirations were sacrificed on the altar of self-preservation for what was essentially the Status Quo. The British, in light of their direct disengagement from active political control of their prized colony, were bent on granting control of this new nation to their de facto surrogates. Thus power was ceded on the basis of an elite group of "gentlemen" in agreement, rather than being seized in the interests of the greater good of the "nation".

A few questions will suffice at this point. Who is truly a Nigerian? What constitutes one's Nigerianness? What affords one the rights and privileges (if any) of a Nigerian consciousness? How many of us, especially in the political, business, and academic elite would still remain "Nigerians" in the true sense of the word, if we were locked out of the power equation in Nigeria? If we had no access to a minimal or "manageable" standard of living, the trappings of power, and the ears of those in power, would we still remain stoic in our national patriotism? How many of our founding fathers were Nigerian? What criteria deem one a Nigerian? Can one learn how to be a Nigerian? If a significant proportion of our society was born or came of age in an era remarkable for its anti-Nigerianness, then how do we intend to bequeath an ideal that represents Nigeria to succeeding generations of Nigerians?

A sample of our leadership, in various sectors of our society reveals that most of them were born before there was even a political conglomeration called Nigeria. Most of them were born in the commercial colonies of a Superpower Empire that decreed an artificial nation to effectively supervise and manage the flood of economic exploitation that was streaming out of the geographical area. As such the idea of Nigeria, was first mooted as the colonial arrogation of a fiduciary responsibility on behalf of a multitude of peoples, and then gained traction as a means of control, by dividing and conquering the "amalgamated" entity using local champions and ethnic competitors for national power. The encapsulation of the ideals of colonial convenience found expression in the geographical approximation of a "new" nation. For that is it what Nigerian became, a geographical approximation, with boundaries and borders, manipulated to fit colonial agreements that were reached starting in 1885 in Berlin.

Thus the Colonial Master encouraged what essentially was a clash of nationalities; ethnic jingoists and feudal irredentists in hot pursuit of political power. And this tussle desecrated whatever hallowed belief that existed in the minds of the emerging Nigerian consciousness at the time. But historians often forget that a nation is not decreed by colonial fiat, but rather by an engaged belief and participation in a collective endeavor to forge a national consciousness in the furnace of ethnic and/or racial synergies. And so it is that the structural deficiencies that were present at the genesis of the approximation of the Nigerian space remain with us. We are even cursed further because we have "elected" the errand boys of our colonial masters as the leadership tasked with managing the thorny issues of societal development and socio-economic emancipation. The fringe element in Nigerian societal decorum and comportment has become the progressive-thinker and selfless patriot who has given their all in the name of national service. We have rewarded the rogue element of our society with the plums of political and economic power, mesmerized perhaps by their macabre dance with history on the broken back of our timid aspirations. As such our sordid reality has become a survivor's island of ethnic parochialism and the elitist preserve of a parasitical cabal.

My father's generation was born before Nigeria became a "nation" so to speak. And even in the post-1960 era, hordes of gluttonous rapists and philanderers still hold sway in the highest echelons of our society. Perhaps, my father is an exception, but who am I to judge? His actions and words clearly speak to me as testaments to his belief in Nigeria; but is it possible to know what he thinks in his heart of hearts about Nigeria's prospects? Despite his optimistic entreaties to the contrary, is it possible that like most in his generation (as abysmal a failure if ever there was one) he disbelieves or even disdains the notion of Nigeria as a standard bearer of African renaissance and an encapsulation of the aspirations of her patriots? Words and actions often belie thoughts, but in addressing issues that relate to the fates of human societies, shall I paint his entire generation with one single brush of mediocrity and selfishness? And how has the ethnic irredentism of that generation (and previous ones) made its way down our bloodline, into my generation and beyond?

My father's generation may have already infected my generation with the National Irredentism Virus, leading to full-blown Acquired Ethnic Jingoist disease. If that is the case, then it is too late. For the simple fact that though vaccines to "manage" the disease have been discovered, the price-mechanism and cost-matrix mirror that of the AIDS cocktails that the big Pharmaceutical companies have spent millions developing. We will be reduced to begging the custodians of western capitalism for access to the "drugs" that can treat our condition and wean us off the addictions that threaten to hasten our demise from NIV. In satisfying its urge to immolate our society as a token offering to an alien hegemony, my father's generation has embarked upon what can only be deemed as a gross display of societal masturbation, for the benefit of the few "connected" power-brokers and their hangers-on, in the hopes that the rest of us will be hoodwinked by their sophisticated manipulations. And true to type, we have been distracted and manipulated. I can only hope that we can unite long enough to break the cycle out of this contrived reality that has left us with a bitter aftertaste following years of conspiratorial conniving with our "brothers and sisters" in government. We have remained harsh critics of the elite in so far as they belong to different nationalities than ours, but keep mum when our own "brethren" desecrate the public space and abuse the public trust.

Some indicators illustrate a catastrophe of pandemic proportions. A friend of mine told me a story not too long ago of his little nephew (aged about 5) in Nigeria, who after being caught by his teacher peeing outside in full-public glare, begged her not to discipline him or report to his parents because in his words; "this is Nigeria". Another friend of mine (in a fit of dejected anger) insisted that the only thing that will save Nigerian society as an enlightened ideal, is if everyone above the age of 4 in Nigeria is deported and killed, to afford the kids (4 and below) the unpolluted atmosphere within which to grow and learn. Despite such damning instances of a corrupted society even at the level of kids and toddlers, and without going to the extremes espoused by my friend in regards to a solution, it is possible to reverse our downward spiral. But that is for another day and time; today's article is a soul-searching discourse on the ills of my father's generation, and its possible effects on mine.

As I strive to grapple with the enormity of my father's generation's failures and the contradictions inherent in its origins, I can only ask seemingly irresponsible and inconsequential questions. In the final analysis, my questions might spark no interest and serve no useful purpose. But, in a bid to intellectualize Nigeria's dalliance with the depths of inhuman perfidy and the condescending aloofness of her leadership, I have come face to face with the ills of my father's generation. Perhaps sentiments will come into play; perhaps I will overlook its shortcomings for my father's sake. But I think not; I am willing to embrace my father, but I'm sorry that I must denounce his generation. If that isn't a contradiction, then I wonder what is.