Ernest Osogbue.
Nigeria indeed is no country for a gentleman. This has been manifested in many aspects of our national life, where aggression and belligerence have become the order of the day. Without a certain level of aggression, you may never achieve your desires or get what you deserve. Back in secondary school, in Bendel (Delta) State, decades ago, during a debating session between my Enebeli Edigbue (Green) House, and James Izah (Yellow) House, with the subject being “who is a gentleman?” I remember a statement from that debate, despite the passing of years; a gentleman is not a fool. This phrase has simply refused to be erased from my subconscious. Anytime the Nigerian society tries to induce me to act in a manner unbecoming of a gentleman, that phrase promptly pops up in my head, and gently guides my reaction, reminding me of my gentlemanly upbringing.
Over the years, and as I have grown older, I have come to realize that being a gentleman in Nigeria, is akin to being stupid, because Nigeria abhors the gentleman. Take for example the incident that took place in my presence at a taxi stand in Abuja a few weeks ago. There was this gentleman, standing by me as we waited for a taxi. When he finally flagged down a vehicle, another man from out of nowhere, quickly jumped into the taxi, and when the man protested, the taxi driver promptly replied; “na my money I dey find o.” Which means that; he didn’t care who stopped the taxi or who boarded, as long as he got paid. Everywhere in our country this scenario manifests in various forms.
Being aggressive, has taken root and has become accepted as the norm. Back in the day when we were growing up, we had been told that it was a crime to claim what was not ours. We were taught to always conduct ourselves with decorum, especially in public. We were told not to shout, or do anything that would attract undue attention to ourselves. We were taught to carry ourselves with dignity, at all times. We were instructed to always follow the proper procedures, and to never rush, but to wait our turn, especially when seeking for the same thing with others. We were admonished to stay far away from the scene of a public brawl, to avoid unforseen dangers. In the world of today, however, all these admonitions, which are the hallmarks of a gentleman, have been turned on their heads. People now claim what is not theirs, without remorse; we shout and do things to attract attention to ourselves, and call it trending; we rush to wherever there is trouble, and shoot videos to post on our timeliness, to garner followership. Conversely, however, if you are not aggressive, what is rightfully yours, could be taken from you.
Which means that if you’re slack, as some people like to call it, you may be surprised that another man could snatch your wife from you in broad daylight, and your neighbors will support him. Yes, it could be as brazen as that. There is no more decorum in our society. Order and procedures have been thrown to the dogs and we are operating in a jungle where the rule is simply; the survival of the fittest. If you book a flight and fail to arrive at the airport in good time, I’m sorry, the airline could conveniently sell your seat to the highest bidder, and say your flight has been canceled. If you go to a party, where you’re not familiar with the caterer, and you are not directly related to the organizer, and carry yourself with decorum like a gentleman, I’m sorry, you’ll get nothing to eat and go home hungry. In Nigeria, internationally accepted norms, such as; the customer is always right; first come first served; are sneered at as “grammar!” A cashier in a bank, or a waiter at a restaurant, could engage a customer in a fight, and box his ears, without fear of repercussions. That is the Nigeria of today. Many years ago, rushing and fighting for space, especially when boarding public transportation, was associated with living in Lagos. Over the years however, this attitude of bulldozing your way through anything, grabbing the opportunity, without consideration for others, has spread across all our cities, and permeated every aspect of our national life, so much so that to act otherwise is to be seen as an idiot.
There’s a popular street saying in Nigeria; there’s no gentleman in the jungle. Indeed, this has become the standard mantra in our country. Nigeria is now akin to a jungle, and we are all wild animals fighting over space with each other, and even devouring one another for food. Decorum is now seen as foolishness, consideration for others is now stupidity, waiting for your turn now makes you a mugul. If you act too gently, you’ll be trampled upon, and everyone will blame you for not being sharp enough. This is the society we have created, and this is the clear and present reality of everyday existence in Nigeria.
The other day, I stumbled onto the Facebook page of a lady who claimed to be a Peter Obi supporter. She was very angry at the man, and used all kinds of language to admonish Obi, for swimming like he was on a picnic, in a political river infested with man eating sharks. She challenged Obi to become rugged, aggressive, and uncouth, like his opponents. According to her, if Obi doesn’t sharpen up, and play the Nigerian political game as it should be played, his opponents may even snatch the shirt on his back. I couldn’t help but laugh and shake my head in wonder. That is our country, people hate you for acting properly, because anything goes, as long as we achieve our desires. I remember being sternly warned, as a young man, never to make a promise I don’t intend to keep. Today, however, people make promises to others, and ask them to go to hell, when reminded to keep their words. This is the Nigerian reality.
As I was ruminating on how we got here, it occurred to me that long years of military rule, ethnic bigotry, and religious intolerance, are finally taking their toll on our nation. The quick fix attitude of the military rulers; their brazen lack of patience; the command structure, that brooks no alternative position; and the long standing war waged against the knowledge industry, by successive military governments; have finally digested into the fabric of our society. Propagating our religion and ethnic group to the exclusion of others, have finally brought us to this crossroads. When IBB was the Head of State, his penchant for banning, unbanning, and then banning again, a group of politicians, has finally come to haunt our nation; the chickens have finally come home to roost. As Head of State, Babangida once said; “we do not know those who will succeed us, but we know those who will not succeed us.” This is a classic case of Machiavellan manipulation. It becomes obvious, therefore, that the set of politicians marauding across our nation today, turning our values upside down, are the people IBB wished to succeed him. We must thank General IBB, General Sani Abacha, and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, for the kind of politics, and politicians they have bequeathed to our nation; because Professors now happily apply as Personal Assistants to agberos.
In their exuberant holier than thou attitude, IBB and Co., hounded intellectuals, men of knowledge, professors, and others, out of the political space, and in their stead, enthroned agberos, and never do wells. Recently, the list of officials to represent Iran, in negotiations with the US, was released. It was populated by intellectuals, PhD holders, authors, and sundry knowledgeable people, it was impressive. No wonder Iran could hold its own against Israeli and US aggression, because qualified and knowledgeable persons are in leadership. When you contrast that with Nigeria, then you’ll understand why we are where we are. Motor park touts and area boys have been given power, while professors and intellectuals have been hounded into silence. Nigeria is now a classic case of a land where princes go on foot, while beggars ride on horses. If you’re not an agbero, then you must learn to behave like one, or get ready to be crushed. Is this the Nigeria we wish our children to inherit? A Nigeria where might is right, and right is wrong? A Nigeria where a member of the National Youth Service Corps could be appointed as a cabinet minister; a Nigeria where the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, could claim to have been simultaneously enrolled at the Nigerian law school while also undergoing the NYSC program; a Nigeria where the Senate President could be flirting with another man’s wife, and a serving cabinet minister is chasing other people’s wives.
Whenever I look around and see these happenings in our society, I’m forced to conclude that the message in my head is wrong; a gentleman is actually a fool; at least in Nigeria. This is a country that abhors gentility, and proper procedures. You must be an animal if you wish to succeed here. When I see the crop of leaders, grandstanding and bulldozing their way through leadership, I wonder when that Nigerian society of my dreams would manifest. When I equally see the opposition politicians, lining up and proposing to be the saviors, I stand and tremble in fear, because there’s no redemption here: all these people are cut from the same cloth. This has made me to finally conclude that in Nigeria, a gentleman is actually a fool, because Nigeria is no country for a gentleman!
