There exit, sometime in the life of a
person, particularly, someone obsessed with pursuit of excellence,
when he/she will encounter a literature or article or even a mere
statement that will instantly transform his/her thought and almost
in a single move change his total perception of issues or an event.
This is one of it. Of course, this is not the first time. Recently,
I came in contact with a jewel authored by Rev Mathew Hassan Kukah.
The lecture he delivered at the occasion of the 80th
birthday celebration of Prof. Wole Soyinka. The lecture titled “Wole
Soyinka: 80 Years of Genius and Prophetic Outrage”. Even though I
was not opportune to there in person, it was no less the
authenticity of the rendition as contain therein and the powerful
message conveyed. It was to the delight of the attendees and at the
same time to their bewilderment when Rev. Kukah raised powerful and
thought-provoking questions to the celebrant, the attendees and to
any person who will come in contact with the lecture. He said “Our
celebrant has committed most of his adult life exhibiting genius and
making trouble by banging on the doors of African leaders. But at
best, he might have been blowing a muted trumpet. Of course at
another level, we could ask why, beyond the entertainment and
artistic value, what is the value of writing? Who exactly are we
writing for and for what purpose? Why has writing not effected any
change in our societies? What is the scope in our narratives? We
blame our politicians but in reality are they not doing better than
us? Are there lessons we can learn from the distances they cover to
sell their messages? How is that members of political parties
crisscross the country in a way and manner that writer do not?”
A friend of mine
transferred a recorded audio of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to my phone
she was talking on a general perception of story-telling and the
making of herself and her writings. In the course of listening, I
stumbled on so many jewels which left me wanting, thinking and
meditating. One of the many jewels that got me thinking is “Single
story creates stereotype”. Instinctively, my conscience temporarily
got me thinking whether I have been fed of more than that I can chew
with single story. An instant introspection puts me on a
not-too-distant victim of single story. And my story is not
different with many. Prior to my exposure to some literatures and
writers which is of very recent, the very Kukah was once a victim of
single story in my mind. I remember vividly, when President Obasanjo
constituted his political and constitution reform in 2005 which
Kukah was a prominent member, as at then, he was among the members
of the conference that I detested with passion. And this is the
resultant effect of the polarized environment that got over-charged
as a result of the selection procedures of the members. Until very
recent, I am ashamed to confess, my perception of Kukah is from
single line of thought.
Let’s make a quick glance
on some issues and events that were/are usually premeditated on
single story. Firstly, it is almost a unanimous stand by the authors
of Pro-Biafra and their sympathizers that the civil war was only
fought out of enmity that the non-Igbos harbored to Igbos. In their
narration, what led to the secession was pogrom in the North. On the
other hand, they failed to acquaint their audience of what led to
the pogrom. The single story was/is Hausa-Fulani are anything but
evil. Have they spared some space in their narration by telling the
young ones that, many Easterners celebrate the killing of their
leaders (the Hausa-Fulani), In fact, some conveyed a party for the
killings. Never mind open-mockery that the very Easterners: who
were/are earning their living in the North yet mocked and even
mimicked a goat-bleating-sound depicting how the very leader of
their hosts died or get killed in the hands of their kinsmen.
Of equally important
was/is the story from the side of the anti-secession. The single
story was/is Igbos killed the Northerners and their allies because
they were/are Muslims. So, Igbos to Northerners represents
everything evil. Have the story-tellers spared some space and inform
their audience of the corruption, tribalism and nepotism that
characterized the regime, the story will have been different.
Assuming the actors (Pro-secession and Anti-secession) have provided
a balanced account of the causes and effect of the civil war, at
least the persistent hatred/strife that seems to appear
un-repressible, which defined the aftermath relationship of once a
United entity, would have been much less.
Secondly is of leadership and
followership. It is a common belief that usually occupied the mind
of non-actors in the governing scheme of Nigeria that Nigeria fails
to realize its potentials and lives to its expectation because of
the failure of leadership. Even the celebrated author, Chinua Achebe
shared this notion. At least in his small book, The Trouble With
Nigeria, depicted so. Achebe argues that “the trouble with Nigeria
is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. The unwillingness
and inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility to the
challenge of personal example.” Achebe did not shared this
perception of leadership alone as can be evidently seen in the way
Nigerian discuss their leaders and the often insults and denigration
that are celebrated in social media or any other media outlet.
Nigerians love to criticize their leaders and country perhaps far
more than any nation in the World. Yes, we have all earned the right
to be cynical and even contemptible about the way we have been
governed and about how the resources of our nation have been
frittered away mindlessly. In as much how sweet the argument may
sound it is as well cheap and too romantic to say the least.
The postulation that the
problem of Nigeria is leadership ignores the deep structural
constraints on human action and psychology. It is pre-critical to
ignore the complex ways in which social structures mediate, modify,
condition and constrain human choices. Leadership works within
institutional, historical, cultural and economic contexts which
place limits on what human agents can and cannot do. This notion of
structural determination of leadership means that a leader has
inevitably to work within and exist in a system and a political
logic whose proper system, laws and operation his or her leadership
cannot, by definition, dominate absolutely. The leader despite
having a certain measure of freedom has inevitably to be governed by
the system within which he or she exists. And although men and women
make their own history, they clearly do not make it as an act of
will, or in their own freely-chose circumstances, but under
structural constraints of the accumulated past and inherited
traditions. Nigerian leaders cannot be miraculous changed men or
women of their country but the changed men or women of their
country’s changed circumstance. It is not surprising that today,
Boko Haram wahala enjoys the same unilateral view from both
angle. To many Southerners, particularly those of the lower stratum
and those obsessed with false superiority complex, Boko Haram is a
grand conspiracy of the Northern elites to destabilize Jonathan’s
regime. Never mind the simplicity and hollowness of the postulation
and argument. How will a rational human being destabilizes his
enemy’s regime by first destroying himself and his economy and
environment? Similarly, to many Northerners, at the altar of
sounding juvenile, Boko Haram is a grand conspiracy by GEJ-led
government to downsize, decimate and decapacitate Northern Nigeria.
Never occurred to the proponent of this school of thought the many
years of illiteracy, poverty, poor distribution of wealth and
economic stagnation that characterized the region for so many
years—these in so many ways, may contribute to the proliferation and
domestication of terrorism.
Thirdly, it is on religion
and sectarian affiliation. The common belief, on which perception is
built, with respect to single story, is religion. The usual
disposition of thought toward the non-member of one religion is
total condemnation of his/her belief system. Narrowing the scope of
the writing to intra-religion affiliation, one will quickly seen, as
evidently displayed here at home and globally represented—the total
intolerance of other people interpretation of text. The usual
perception is that, for instance, as in my case, I am Sunni Muslim,
even in my Sunni affiliation, I am a living witness to the
regrettable way of exchanging words and open despisement of the
other fraction of the Sunni as a result of differences in the
interpretation of text. Giving the single story that we used to hear
from our teachers, parent or read from books authored by our sect's
intellectual arm, which is often a portray of the other sect as bad,
evil, and many unprintable names while our sect epitomised
everything good. With this mindset, one will be full of empty boast
of himself and sect that, they are the only good people on earth and
any other person represents devil. Our think-tank will never tell
us, Oh! Those people you are seeing, they are good in this or that.
No, the only thing we will hear about the other sect is evil.
On this note, I want to illustrate one
trend that I found it so disgusting when it comes to unilateral view
of issues and single story of personality, says a writer. For
instance, since the serialization of HAJJ AND THE SAUDIS; IN
DEFENCE OF SHEIKH; IS THE NORTH A LIP by Malam Adamu Adamu,
which revealed to many readers a glimpse romanticism of Malam Adamu
with Iran and their policies. From that on, I have read many
distasteful comments on his personality which was only judged by the
afore-mentioned write-ups, one of the menacing effects of single
story. Unbeknown to many of the so-called commentators, Malam Adamu
epitomized humility and sincerity. He lives a true life without an
iota of pretence. It was reported from impeccable sources that, once
his brother built a befitting house for him to relocate, Malam said
thanks and declined the offer. He was given a slot of deputy
governor in his state, yet he declined. His pen could have secured
him billions assuming he is greedy--hence, many writers who are
unmatchable to his wit and sagacity are today millionaires, until
today, he lives a modest life. It was to his integrity that he was
to write one of the afore-mentioned articles as a result of his
humbleness and humility. He was supposed to be at Sultan Bello
mosque for the marriage solemnization of Namadi's daughters, he
could have been the Walee (the person to give a daughter out
for marriage) assuming he is after this temporal world, yet, he
openly declined and chose to honor the birthday celebration of his
teacher. Funny enough, the very teaching and people that made Malam
Adamu a potential monster before their audience, were the very one
scavenging on the left-over of political loot. What a pity! And what
an incidental hypocrisy! One interesting thing with Malam Adamu that
will left one in astonishment of that paragon of virtues that he
represent is, he is not use to missing the fasting of Monday and
Thursday. He is with his people. He lives among them. He loves them
and they love him. Alas! Single story put a blind eye to all these
virtues and dwell on shortcomings which are not in any way
match-able to the virtues. Mallam Adamu, despite the afore-mentioned
virtues, is equally a victim of single story and unilateral
interpretation of issues and events. Suffice to have a diagnosis of
the referred articles of his. In all the articles, Malam Adamu never
failed to mock, ridicule, denigrate or look-down on people that did
not share his romanticism with Iran. His intolerance, resentment,
despisement and pathalogical hatred for their (those that didn't
share his sect) scholars and followers are usually very glaring. To
him, they represent anything but evil. Indeed, single story creates
stereotype.
Conclusively, life is a journey which
man can never carried it all by his self. We cannot live in
isolation and can never be independent of others. We have to live in
groups and societies. And that society will not necessarily be
homogenous. It is certainly going to be heterogeneous. Single story
creates stereotype. We should imbibe the habit of giving the benefit
of doubt and of course learn how to have a bi-lateral view of issues
and interpretation of events. For a peaceful and successful living
and interaction among the constituent of the entity called earth, we
must learn to live by the ethos that depict our humanity.
Unquestionably and undeniably, we must uphold the principle of live
and let others live.
