Nigeria and our story of the ‘gods’

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. – Marcus Garvey

A Tiv adage, says, a lizard that views a python with disregard will find itself in the belly of the snake. (Whoever disdains obvious danger will suffer dire consequences). Last week was significant in the run up to the 2015 general elections as most political parties sought to prepare the road by picking their candidates via primaries. Well, I am not writing about political parties and their primaries or internal democracy or their candidates, no, not at all.
My admonition this week stems from an encounter with one of the candidates for House of Representatives. In the course of discussing what he had to offer if he gets to the lower chamber, we veered into Nigeria’s history, so I asked his thoughts on Nigerian leadership of the past, from Herbert Macaulay, Ernest Okoli, to Zik, Awo, and Sardauna. I was shocked at his naivety.

It was so sad, as I had just gone through Zik’s book for the umpteenth time-My Odyssey (1971). My take is where Zik says, “There is plenty of room at the top because very few people care to travel beyond the average route. And so most of us seem satisfied to remain within the confines of mediocrity.” It occurred to me that we are still gravitating along the peripherals of mediocrity. A people, like Napoleon Bonaparte puts it, ‘that has refused or not agreed on any version of past events, so we have no history. Today’s Nigeria is a result of lies, half-truths, propaganda, misinformation, disinformation, revelation, grapevines, orange vines, and all sorts of vines, gist, rumours, gossip and whether you like it or not truth.
We are a nation with too many stories of the ‘gods’, too many secrets of nationhood. Stories of the ‘god’, Abiola died, how and why, remain part of serial unknowns in Nigeria. Despite all the revelations, breaking news and news-breaking, we never will know the truth. IBB killed Dele Giwa, my error, ‘allegedly’ killed. However, until IBB dies we will never know what really transpired, who really ‘wacked’ the gulf billions, does the man have properties in Israel, Rome, Paris; did he kill the junior officers in Ejigbo crash, how about Vatsa?

We have been treated to the gist that Obasanjo is originally Igbo, who really cares who he slept with, story of the ‘gods’. In our country, we hear, we gather; according to both informed and reliable sources, yet chances are it may just be one big beer parlor induced contraption.  Years after we are still treated to several versions of the gospels of Bola Ige, Harry Marshal, Dikibo, Funsho Williams, Rewanes, Kudirats. Do you recall the hot story of how the late Abacha killed his first son in a plane crash because X did not follow Y but chose C, or how those Indians gave him apples?
How did Yar’Adua die, who spoke to BBC, those Jeddah information and signatures, how did they come about, is it true his elder brother was injected, by whom, for what purposes? Talking toady of Mr. President, the amiable man without shoes, so much gist about him; that those kids in the family portrait belong to some other woman, that he is being controlled by ‘you all know,’ drinks ogogoro with Alomo Bitters.

Is it true there is an agenda to Islamize Nigeria, and funds are coming from A, B and F…same time Jonathan is Christianizing the power bloc and poverty is on the rampage dealing with Muslims, Christians and pagans alike? In Nigeria, we elevate gossip to national discourse, fight ethnic wars based on unverifiable facts. In our national life, there are very thin lines between fact and truth. Can anyone confirm that Tinubu smokes weed or that Fashola also takes small? And that after all, our generals and top shots also take Benelyn with codeine cough syrup to stay ‘high’. Death threats and brown envelopes won’t allow journalists get the job done, and then ethnic agenda and religious bigotry keep others mute.

Security operatives can’t do much because of officialdom. They beat cats until the cats accept to be leopards. Nothing really is new, only more questions even when the old ones are still begging for answers. We are a nation with no history, very little pride. Nigeria as is the case with the stories of the ‘gods’ remains a tale. Fact is that behind every rumour there is an element of truth, our case as Nigerians defies this statement, because for us, for every truth there is an element of lies.
For issues that are true, we have refused to tackle them, we are threatened by Boko Haram, harassed by the conglomeration of politicians across party lines.  “Nick Joaquín, in Culture and History, says, “The identity of the Filipino today is of a person asking his identity.”  We have a generation that knows nothing of their nation, for how long? Only time will tell.