While Ndibe spent the whole time dwelling on our woes, he failed as an academic to proffer any solution to the malaise.
The Nigerian Media space is becoming saturated with the defence of Okey Ndibe’s thesis against Nigeria. His advocates are up in arms demanding an apology from Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah whom they believe railed against the professor at a public lecture he delivered on the 80th birthday of Professor Wole Soyinka. To this, many articles (mostly from online news portals) had made the rounds with screaming headlines. Untypical of columnists, in what appears as being a judge in his own case, Ndibe also rose to the occasion in another article, ‘‘Bishop Kukah’s Grave Misreading.’’
One of the beauties of the media space is that it is a market place of ideas. Freedom of expression places before our palms a sea of opportunities to sell our views. However, whether the reading public (which is well informed) patronise our views on these issues of national importance or not, posterity is there to judge us as either being true to the ideals of nationhood or not.
Drawing from the self-styled leadership of the government of the day, issues of insecurity with special reference to incessant killings in the northeast, and the mystery of the missing girls, Okey Ndibe wrote ‘‘Something Really, Really Dangerous.’’ Therein, he says about Nigeria: ‘‘Nigeria has become a Federal Republic of Ants ruled (note the word “ruled”—not governed or led) by a greedy, grasping bunch of politicians with insatiable appetites. In this misshapen republic, everything, every value and every human presence, is subordinated to the rulers’ relentless pursuit of lucre.
‘‘The rulers are too busy, too focused on looting, to notice the ants they trample underfoot. The ants are too riveted by the ardor of scrambling for the crumbs that they pay no heed to those of their number ground to death both by the rulers and those who presume a divine mandate to kill.’’
It was a stinging remark that drew the attention of Bishop Kukah. On the 80th birthday of the Noble laureate, with the theme, ‘‘Wole Soyinka: 80 Years Of Genius & Prophetic Outrage’’ Bishop Kukah called the attention of Nigerians to Ndibe’s essay in these words: ‘‘In a recent piece, Okey Ndibe literally overreaches himself and engages in what is at best a verbal overkill in his Naija pessimism. He says he regrets writing and calling Nigerians chickens. Now, he realizes that chickens are better off than Nigerians. Rather, he says, Nigeria has become the federal republic of ants. Does Ndibe now imagine that he has ceased to be an ant because he resides in the comfort of the United States, a country that was constructed on the back of the same ants hundreds of years ago? This is most pathetic, despicable and grotesque to say the least.’’
Characteristic of the biblical prophets, the cleric went ahead to ask: ‘‘Can anyone in all honesty call a nation of 170 million people, doing their best despite the difficulties, a nation which has produced and parades some of the most brilliant and gifted people in the world, a nation with perhaps the most vibrant and informed media outlets in the developing world a nation of ants? If Ndibe were a Ugandan, Rwandan, Zimbabwean or indeed, from most African countries, would he write this and still come back to his country?
‘‘Indeed, the answer is that there is hardly any other African that can write this rubbish about their own country, even if they had no family in the country. How much further can you overstretch logic and common sense? Do ants win Nobel Prizes or has Mr. Ndibe lost his own anthood by sojourning in America? This is my dilemma, how to recreate our new narrative.’’
On many fronts, I share Ndibe’s sentiments about let-downs in our polity. From insecurity, unknown facts about the Chibok girls to high-level of corruption, we are still far below the mark. However, I feel the Professor overstretched the facts. Some writers have the tendency to confuse fictional characterization with what obtains in the real world. I am sure he is conversant with the dictum: ‘‘Virtue lies in the middle.’’ Even in the principles of logic, which is mothered by philosophy, sagacity lies somewhere between idealism and pragmatism. To build a utopian world bereft of the exigencies of existentialism is an unpopular pontification.
While neo-colonialism may be our current migraine, are there post-colonial hangovers in Africa? Which continents stole from Africa to create their heaven? The Prof. is much in the know of western thinking about Africa. What of the case of brain drain? When Nigerian writers in the diaspora only contribute to their country through condescending commentaries about their nation, it leaves much to be desired. A writer beautifully captures it thus: ‘‘It is not surprising that once these writers are adopted by the American establishment, they would stop being philosophers but instead become ideological weapons in the hands of neoconservatives and other supporters of a global empire, and by extension become advocates for the colonial offshoot…’’ More often than not, it is a question of ‘‘I know on which side the bread is buttered and I want to keep my writing and public speeches career which is possible only if you are adopted by the mainstream establishment in America’’ as the author puts it.
Interestingly, one reader had this to say about the piece in question: ‘‘Okey's is preconditioned to perpetual enslavement of the western elite agenda.’’ Sure, the current crop of gladiators in our political theatre are not getting it right. But to give the impression that Nigeria is a colossal failure is graver. If we take the saying ‘‘Rome was not built in a day’’ literary, it might drive home a lesson about the Americas and Europe. To compare in content and style, a democracy that is 54 years old with others around the world that are over hundred years old is an unfair thing to do, even as issues of security and the whereabouts of the schoolgirls must not be treated with kid gloves.
While Ndibe spent the whole time dwelling on our woes, he failed as an academic to proffer any solution to the malaise. I am sure he would not pass any of his students who fails to make recommendations in his or her dissertation. If the diaspora-essayist felt that all he could suggest as a way out is, ‘‘the first, most urgent order of business in Nigeria is to recreate its people into dignified humans,’’ he is far from the Promised Land.
It may be why someone made this submission on comment thread: ‘‘What drivel you spew, Okey Ndibe! I have not read a single article from you that gives the tiniest bit of credit to anyone. Your ego is so large and looming that it blinds you to all but your myopic perceptions. Something dark, sinister and creepy lurks in your petty mind. Were God himself to descend to rule over your country, you would take Him to the cleaners. My question: what do you offer except criticize?’’
Conversely, the Bishop in his essay offers a panacea: ‘‘What we require now are new visionaries to set higher standards. What we need now are new dreamers with the necessary imagination to summon our people to a greater tomorrow. Yes, we Set forth at dawn and are still on The Road. Yes, we have beatified many area boys. Yes, we were the running sore of a continent. Yes, we all stood by when the man died. Yes, we have lived through the Penkelemes years. Yes, we have witnessed the Trial of brother Jero, but, where are the Interpreters today?’’
On top of Ndibe’s reference to Nigeria as a Federal Republic of Ants, in his conclusion, the writer said; ‘‘A nation must have citizens to make sense at all. Nigeria has humans scaled down to ants, instead. That’s the dangerous thing happening in Nigeria - Unless this is done—until this task is accomplished—the space called Nigeria doesn’t even begin to make sense.’’ Well, was that for real? Again the fallacy of fictional-imagination! Fictional ideas betray.
Things may not be working in Nigeria but again categorical statements such as ‘‘the space called Nigeria doesn’t even begin to make sense’’ appears not only asinine but calls Ndibe’s audacity into question. Nigeria, as a country, is bigger than any individual who is currently in power. The recklessness of any leader in Nigeria does not qualify the country as ‘A Federal Republic of Ants.’’ There are high profile cases of corruption (and even beggars on the streets in some states) in Europe and the US but no UK or US citizen will speak down on his country in the manner Ndibe did. That, I believe, was Kukah’s take. To read his Soyinka at 80 lecture beyond that, is a question of selective-perception.
Some Nigerians (including those who wrote in defence of Okey Ndibe) believe that a clergyman has no business commenting on national issues (political analysis, inclusive). Well, the Church exists in and within the society. Examples of prophets like Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, Amos and John the Baptist who lost his head because he spoke truth to power comes to mind. Between Ndibe’s ink and Kukah’s breath is the search for truth. Truth does not care if anyone’s ox is gored. As such, rather than cynicism and whipping sentiments, writers have something in common with prophets namely, how to ‘‘recreate and interpret our new narrative.’’ If Ndibe seeks to remain relevant among these narrators and interpreters, he needs wise counsel, which the Church father has offered. As for apologies for stating the obvious, ask the biblical David. Perhaps Prophet Nathan’s response suffices!
Fr. Justine John DYIKUK, a Catholic Priest & Freelancer wrote in from Lagos - Write him at [email protected].