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Forgiveness and the Culture of Cynicism By Jideofor Adibe
When Hannah Arendt, the late influential German political theorist, coined the phrase the ‘banality of evil’, you might think she was being prophetic about 21st century Nigeria. The staple of uncomfortable news from our dear country could sometimes border on the horrendous. This apparent ubiquity of evil has helped to spawn a culture of cynicism, even for deeds that are ordinarily extolled as virtuous.
Take for instance, ‘forgiveness’. A virtue highly extolled by the major religions and even by medical science, once it is embraced by public figures, the citizens become very cynical, even suspicious, and perhaps rightly so.
On January 19, 2009, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the former vice president, reportedly met his former boss and nemesis, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo’s perceived persecution of Atiku while in office included unconstitutionally sacking him as the VP, virtually preventing him from running for the office of president of Nigeria in the 2007 elections, marginalizing and humiliating him at the Federal Executive Council meetings, and framing corruption charges against him. Atiku’s associates explained that the former VP’s visit was a demonstration of his forgiving spirit. Many Nigerians shook their heads in disbelief.
In early June 2009, it was reported that former military president General Ibrahim Babangida, had ‘forgiven’ Professor Saliba Mukoro, one of the eggheads of the April 22, 1990 bloody coup that attempted to topple him. The ‘reconciliation’, which was reportedly brokered by Governor Olagunsonye Oyinlola of Osun State, marked the first time Babangida and Mukoro would see each other in 19 years. Both Governor Oyinlola and Saliba Mukoro were Babangida’s students. Once the news broke out, Nigerians quickly remembered that Babangida’s nickname is ‘Maradona’ and began wondering what he was up to. If it is Babangida, goes the consensus, then any foot he puts forward is likely to be ‘Maradonic’, a decoy.
The above two instances of high-profile acts of ‘forgiveness’ and ‘reconciliation’ raise a number of questions, especially among the growing community of cynics.
One, bearing a grudge means retaining the memory of an offence against you, which, in extreme cases, could lead to the wronged party seeking revenge. This may in turn lead to both the aggrieved and the perceived aggressor living in fear. Could it be that the balance of fear created by the enmity between powerful public figures, and the need to feel safer, is a major reason why feuding public figures often want to make up after a period of bearing grudges?
Two, while true forgiveness is a noble act, usually carried out only by the very strong and confident, and to be encouraged, is there a condition where enmity between powerful officials will be deemed beneficial to the public interest? If we accept the theory that one of the reasons the elites get away with much impunity is because they are cohesive, conscious and conspiratorial, can we consider a division in their ranks as progressive? In particular, could such a division be deemed beneficial to the national treasury, especially if it encourages the adversaries and their associates in government to be conscious of powerful forces monitoring their moves?
Three, what are the implications of the reconciliation between feuding powerful public figures for their associates and foot soldiers? It was for instance reported that Atiku’s protracted quarrels with Obasanjo led to many of the former VP’s associates being victimised by the Ota farmer and his associates. In the attempted rapprochement between the two, were all the associates and foot soldiers part of the reconciliation moves or were they just dispensed with as if their opinions didn’t matter and as if the quarrel between the two titans were not principally a proxy war fought by their associates and foot soldiers? Similarly, how many of Mukoro’s associates and family members were adversely affected by his involvement in the coup? How many were taken into confidence in the ‘reconciliation’ with Babangida? Did the ‘reconciliation’ create any scheme for rehabilitating people who were probably victimised by Babangida for being relatives or family members of the coup plotters? Does any such act of ‘forgiveness’ by a powerful public figure necessarily create fall guys who may be more adversely affected by the ‘reconciliation’ between the former adversaries than the status quo?
Four, given the pervasive belief that powerful public figures and business people see ‘forgiveness’ more as a business tool than a moral and medical injunction, are we justified in being cynical of any attempt by quarrelling public figures to reconcile? If yes, are we turning into sadists, not just cynics, by a certain wish that political adversaries never reconcile – even when we know that a grudge is like a baggage and that there will surely come a time when the burden becomes too heavy for the carrier? If we are turning into cynics and even sadists, are the politicians helping matters? Consider this story: Fani-Kayode, who allegedly led the public humiliation of Alhaji Atiku at the Federal Executive Council meetings, was reported to have also reconciled with the former VP (This Day, June 6 2009). Fani-Kayode said the quarrel between Obasanjo and Atiku was unfortunate but that he was like a soldier who necessarily had to take orders from ‘my General’. It is instructive to note that Fani-Kayode has signified an interest in running for the governorship of Osun state while Atiku remains interested in the presidency. Are we justified in being cynical about this purported reconciliation?
Five, does forgiveness, as practised by our public officials, nullify or undermine justice? Take the case of Babangida’s reported forgiveness of Mukoro. Could their kissing and making up deny Nigerians an opportunity of knowing what truly happened in the 1990 coup and in other coups? Have the moves to ‘reconcile’ Atiku and Obasanjo affected the investigation of the numerous allegations they levelled against each other in the wake of their troubles?
Six, if talks of reconciliation between powerful public figures echo the dictum that in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies, but only permanent interests, what happens to the need for human communities to take a hard look at the truth of the past and courageously acknowledge the evils in it in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past?
Perhaps we have become a nation of cynics, where nothing is believed, not even a well-intentioned ‘good morning’ felicitation at 9.AM by a newscaster. May be being cynical has become an escapism, a way we try to cope with the increasing chaos in our land.
Jideofor Adibe is editor of the multidisciplinary journal, African Renaissance and publisher of the London-based Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd (www.adonis-abbey.com). |