Denial, Acquiescence or Indifference, we are all Causalities

By

Dr. David Ogula

ogul1@optonline.net

 

The issues at stake affect all of us. They require reflection and introspection that is more intense than encountering the familiar  . . . We may choose to condone, accommodate and enable the behaviors that unfairly cast us in the worst light, behave in ways that degrade us; embrace self-affirming stereotypes, or we could choose to ACT.

 

Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab’s aborted terrorist plot on December 25th 2009 clearly thrust Nigeria into the turbulent domain of international terrorism. This unfortunate incident also called attention to a national psyche characterized by denial, acquiescence and indifference that needs to be addressed in discussions about national transformation and the state of the Nigerian State.

 

There has been considerable outpouring of condemnation, expression of shock, anger, confusion, anxiety, and of course, a bit of the absurd. Many have written and commented on Umar Farouk‘s act and its implications for Nigerians at home and abroad. Major Umar spoke candidly and courageously about a dysfunctional family structure among the northern elite, citing instances where heinous crimes had been covered up. The portrait of dysfunction painted by Major Umar, goes beyond the northern elite; it is characteristic of Nigerians who perceive themselves to be privileged – influenced by a misguided “Aje butter syndrome,” credulous replication or by the post-modern maladies of ambiguity and emptiness.

 

As expected, a segment of the population with an infinite proclivity for the absurd, view this heinous act merely as the machination of a spoiled brat. Others attempt to cop-out under the fallacious belief that “Nigerians are hated for the sake of it.” Underlying these views is an escapist mindset and a shallow, perverted ambition to slake their desire to become rich following the same decrepit, corrupt and irresponsible template used by their role models. Responses by public officials, who ought to show deeper thoughtful insights, are even more disconcerting. 

 

Thisday reported that “the Senate issued a seven-day ultimatum to Washington to withdraw the measure that will compel full body search of Nigerians at airports.” An ultimatum? Expressing disapproval for mistreatment is one thing but issuing an ultimatum to the United States of America, raises questions if the stakes in this matter are well understood; lest we forget, what is at stake is the national security of the US, the most powerful nation on the planet. An ultimatum in a dispute elevates the stakes and invokes a response to enforce compliance. I wonder whether our senators considered this possibility prior to issuing their ultimatum.

 

The same report quoted Maduekwe as saying "putting Nigeria on that list is counterproductive. It will seriously undermine our re-branding challenge. . . But we will come out of this stronger. There is nothing happening now that can deter Nigeria from its manifest destiny.” “Manifest destiny!” Does this imply that some mysterious force, by this act, was trying to derail Nigeria from its “manifest destiny? By the way, what is Nigeria’s manifest destiny? Is it Nigeria’s “manifest destiny” that after 50 years of independence the country is best known for corruption and 419ers? Is it Nigeria’s manifest destiny that the constitution is being ignored when the President is incapacitated? Is there a roadmap to reach this manifest destiny? And, is there a timeframe for the realization of this manifest destiny? Not to digress widely from the focus of this discussion, I will close my thoughts on these vexing questions by saying such mystical babble should be left to voodoo priests and psychics. It is imperative that public officials govern, serve and attempt to shape the course of the nation based on the concrete and the manifest, not a numinous “manifest destiny” that seem to have no form, definition or roadmap.

 

On a more somber level, using denial as a temporal coping mechanism is understandable. But public officials and some individuals use denial not as a copping mechanism; rather they use denial to mask a deep seated or perverse psyche. Denial in perpetuity discounts experience and reality, and in many respects, appears to be part of an ingrained assumption that it is always someone else’s problem or fault. Thus, the terrorist plot is the problem of a rich spoiled brat and Muslims in the north; the killing of Christians by Muslim extremists in the north is the problem or fault of the Igbos and southern Christians. The economic malaise that is plaguing the nation is the problem of politicians. The Niger Delta crisis is the problem or fault of the Ijos or the Niger Delta people. The constitutional crisis created by an incapacitated President is Goodluck Jonathan’s problem or the problem of the Niger Delta people, 419 is the fault or stupidity of the victims and so goes the cataleptic Kabuki dance.

 

For those with access to international news, when the story about the aborted bombing plot broke, it was not just about Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab; it was about “a Nigerian.” Prior to this incident, reports about those who perpetrate advance fee fraud or 419 was focused not on the perpetrators, but on Nigeria. Fair or not, it is what it is. It is the preponderance of Nigerians perpetrating crimes that have overshadowed remarkable accomplishments by other Nigerians. Certainly, Nigerians must defend themselves against unfair treatment and stereotyping, but they must also learn to take responsibility for their actions, and face the consequences of their behavior. Just as Nigerians basked in the glory of Nigerian soccer players and teams, the accomplishments of Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and others, Nigerians would be blemished by transnational crimes committed by Nigerians. If the latter is unacceptable, we must change course.

 

The issues at stake affect all of us. They require reflection and introspection that is more intense than encountering the familiar. Some may justify their apathy or indifference saying, “I have not committed the crimes for which Nigerians are being smeared.” Some of us live abroad insulated from the rot that has become Nigeria. It should be noted that our inaction and acquiescence is decisive action in itself.

 

The compounding of iniquities over the past fifty years raises questions that require every one of us to reflect. Does the implications of Umar Farouk’s act make you feel our dysfunctional behaviors have reached critical mass? Do you feel pained, or has the level of social, economic and political dysfunction aroused your passion to say enough and commit to action? The choice is ours; the so called ‘destiny’ is ours to shape. We may choose to rein in the terrorists in our midst, work toward joining the comity of respected nations, learn the language of reasoned diplomacy, take concrete steps toward sustainable development, or dig our heads in the sand. We may choose to condone, accommodate and enable the behaviors that unfairly cast us in the worst light, behave in ways that degrade us; embrace self-affirming stereotypes or we could choose to ACT, and as individuals, behave in ways that shine a positive light on us.