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Reflections on: “No Country for Weak Hearts” By Kevin Etta Jr.
Uche Nworah’s article “No Country for Weak Hearts” published in The Guardian of Sunday, August 09, 2009 is not only a very interesting read, but presents a very instructive perspective from the standpoint of one in the diaspora who is a very credible source.
But might there be a need to view the theme and questions thrown up by Mr. Nworah’s article through the diaspora lens from a different perspective? Essentially, to create a balanced appraisal of what is really a much broader discussion of the Nigerian social and cultural context.
It is true that Nigeria is not a country for weak hearts, and Mr. Nworah gives a telling narrative of his experiences since his return to Nigeria that lend credence to this fact. Endemic crime in particular coupled with decrepit infrastructure and failing or absent public services paint a grim picture for even the most avid of would-be believers.
It is equally sad that Onitsha, as noted by Mr. Nworah, has degenerated into the social abyss that makes it a literal nightmare in which to live: this once-great and historic commercial hub of Nigeria’s southeast. Echoes of the Wild West as invoked by Mr. Nworah are very instructive metaphors that serve to illustrate the level of crime that many sections of the south in particular and Nigeria in general have degenerated to. And, naturally, as Mr Nworah noted, it is an open question as to whether he made the right decision to relocate to Nigeria at this time – or to encourage others, friends of his, to do the same.
It is also the fact, as Mr. Nworah pointed out, that not all areas within Nigeria labor under the same levels of crime, insecurity, and infrastructural collapse. Asaba, as a case in point (in Mr. Nworah’s opinion), is as different from Onitsha in these respects as the day is from the night.
Calabar, where I have a home and visit every other year as I am able, also suffers from crime, but not on the scale attributed to Onitsha or other areas of the southeast or southwest. Nevertheless, we have found that when we visit Calabar we tend to do as others by sleeping with the proverbial “one eye open.” However, it is instructive that a few weeks ago during conversation at our home in Texas, my wife and I finally admitted to, particularly of recent, feeling compelled to sleep with “one eye open” during the night due to spiraling violent crime across the U.S., particularly in Texas – and we live in a sedate part of Dallas-North East and have a security alarm monitoring system installed in our home. Break-ins are becoming notoriously rampant; criminals apparently have found a way to neutralize security alarm systems prior to breaking and entering.
Typically, crime within the Dallas/Forth Worth area had been concentrated in areas like South Dallas and Forth Worth. But in the twilight of the Bush administration (and into the new Obama administration) it seems that this country of 300 million people (that view guns and their possession in a manner akin to accessories like the family X-box gaming console or the Wii; the home PC, or the iPod) has simply gone berserk - perhaps due to the effects of the global economic meltdown. The acceleration in gun and other firearm purchases since President Obama’s election in particular – especially in the Bible belt states -- is astounding. Reasons advanced for this range from alleged fears of Obama wanting to curtail gun rights -- to conspiracy theories involving white supremacists. But regardless of the reasons, the result is an American society that is even more dangerous to live in than ever before and that is in some ways no safer or even more dangerous than Nigeria – give or take a little luck and divine intervention.
Information available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states very categorically that: “the United States experiences epidemic levels of gun violence, claiming over 30,000 lives annually.” The U.S. Legal Community against Violence also tells us that: “Every year, more than 100,000 Americans are victims of gun violence. In addition to those who are killed or injured, there are countless others whose lives are forever changed by the deaths of and injuries to their loved ones.”
Other data on gun related fatalities from the U.S. Legal Community against Violence and which can be validated independently is as follows:
Homicides
Basically, America is far more dangerous and the lives of its citizens (soldiers included) much more imperiled in peacetime than in war. But despite all of the foregoing, state congresses across the U.S. have been debating all year the passage of legislation that would:
None of this legislation has yet been passed but heated debates are ongoing in state congresses.
America is a very dangerous place to live and becoming more dangerous every day. Associates of mine have had bullets fired from outside pierce through the wall of their homes and cause damage inside (many American houses are built from wood with brick slab on the outside). There are frequent TV reports of fatalities and injuries caused by drive-by shootings such as the one described.
In Nigeria road rage incidents are for the most part limited to verbal curses and hand gestures through car windows, but rarely do they result in physical contact or death. In the U.S., road rage frequently leads to physical contact and/or death. More specifically, if you have a real or perceived altercation with a driver in another vehicle you are strongly advised by driver safety regulations to be mindful of hand gestures, verbal abuse, or confrontational behavior – because you could easily get shot. This happens day after day after day like a movie in America.
I’m taking time to paint this picture of not just crime but gun schizophrenia in the U.S., because many times this side of the story is not presented. Granted, America has a population of 300 million versus Nigeria’s 140 million. Notwithstanding, Nigeria is nowhere near producing the standard daily running tally of crime and gun-related fatalities and hazards that are a fact of life in the U.S.
Another fact to consider is that we Nigerians are our own worst enemy. There are many Nigerians that do not volunteer information about their origins unless it is absolutely necessary for the mere fact that the word “Nigerian” has achieved an unprecedented level of notoriety due to our premier involvement in all shades of financial fraud affecting the public and the private sector and running into billions of dollars. The reports on TV and other media are just too numerous and constant to recount. Nigerians have damaged the image of our country by their activities in foreign lands. And the sad (and funny) thing is, if you had accosted any of these erring Nigerians prior to their being apprehended and asked them why they are in the U.S., for instance, they will tell you the same thing: life is too hard in Nigeria; crime is too rampant in Nigeria; insecurity is too widespread in Nigeria, etc. Yet when given the chance to justify the opportunity they have to be in a foreign country, rather than discharge themselves creditably they instead export the criminal tendencies that they accuse their countrymen back home of perpetrating to the country to which they have emigrated. Therefore, they have shown that the problem is not with Nigeria as a country – and this is the lens or perspective that I believe augments Mr. Nworah’s presentation. The problem is with Nigeria as a people, wherever they are in the world. If we change our attitudes as a people, the country will follow suit. And for as long as we use what is happening within the country as an excuse to remain outside the country we will effectively be running from our own shadows.
Kevin Etta Jr.
Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
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