IfeanyiChukwu Afuba
In Nigeria’s street parliaments, there are two groups of players in the analyses of the Nigerian condition. The broad classification of citizen – actors on the Nigerian stage are the rich and powerful as contrasted with the poor and disadvantaged. The first category includes holders of big offices in government, barons of industry and commerce, very successful professionals, media moguls, high ranking military and para military officers, outstanding sportsmen and women, entertainment celebrities and so on. You could say that the common denominator here is political or opulent lifestyle exposure. In the second group are the poor, wage earners in government and private sectors, artisans, petty traders and farmers, students, people who have not served in prominent government positions, small – time pastors and others perceived as small players. The bottom line here is being rated as struggling or living within modest means.
Does it sound like Marxist stuff? I guess somewhat. But that should not be altogether surprising. Ideas don’t really die. They may go out of fashion at some seasons but sooner or later are recalled into use. I remember a priest telling us in childhood Catechism class that there are no new sins, only evolving ways of manifesting them. Have we not seen a resurgence of left-wing politics in Europe and America recently? What else drives the current anti Israel rage in constituencies that ought to appreciate the substance of the Middle East conflict? Left-wing rhetoric in a handshake with Western populism has reframed the crisis from threat to Israel’s existence to culpable aggression by the Jewish State. Pray, how does a small nation surrounded by hostile States with a history of subversion against her – how does such a State defend herself without hurting anyone? Perhaps, it’s the case that political ideology or not, perception counts a lot in the world we live.
In Nigeria’s street parliaments, perception finds a way of mixing with prejudice to set the tone of discussions. Who you are, your placement on the economic ladder and your attitude to the Nigerian system largely determine your fate in the court of people’s assembly. Yes, the lines have been drawn and there are no apologies for the street consciousness. Nigeria has told them woeful tales and pushed them to the limit of endurance. Their pain is not merely in the brutality of the system, nor in the caging of their aspirations, the shattering of their dreams. The ordeal is felt more in the draining of the commonwealth before their very eyes followed by the relentless assault with pontifications justifying the wasteland. And so in this competing social order, Nigeria’s political, business and civil society elite are regarded as the looters and oppressors. They’re the corrupt, selfish, nepotistic, lawless, sadistic, scandal – drenched Nigerians. Simply, they’re the trouble with Nigeria. By contradistinction, the poor and lowly, the struggling Nigerians are the innocents, the virtuous, the saints of a country. Their intolerance of ill gotten wealth and greed draws them in solidarity like birds of identical feathers. By this judgmental narrative, the exclusion of these producers of the national wealth from power is the reason for Nigeria’s calamities. Aside the streets, the transmission of proceedings of people’s parliament is on social media.
We find that there are a few exceptions to the tagging. Those in the first category who have successfully projected themselves as radicals, reformists, revolutionaries, humanitarian aid providers, philanthropists etc are often regarded as associate members of the second divide. To this extent, they are spared the verbal abuses reserved for the oppressors. As comrades of sorts – again, a Marxist element creeps in – the concerned elite are not only shielded from the daily vitriol against their class, they soon have their praises sung. That is the nature of the social media dominated by self righteous, angry citizens. More often than not, there’s hardly patience or prudence to consider issues on their own merit. As an anonymous commentator put it: “People don’t defend what is right; they defend who they like and will benefit from.” It’s an ugly, dangerous game of association and predisposition.
By this selective, blindly partisan mode of engagement, an activist with tendency to overindulge need not bother about the propriety of his or her actions. He or she is certain of mass backing for their whimsical outings. If they make allegations, damaging accusations for that matter, against those labelled as the enemies of Nigeria, the activists need not bother to substantiate their claims. In the one track road of street parliaments, the burden is on a member of the ruling class to prove his innocence of all allegations levelled against him. If he does not, or even while he rallies to address such accusations, he must bear the continuing condemnation hung on him by the very fact of social status. And not just individuals, institutions too have been victims of unguarded activism. As corrupt as Nigeria’s Judiciary may be, this does not give anyone the license to make generalised indictment of judicial officers. It’s regrettable to see even legal practitioners deliberately make statements tarnishing people’s hard – earned reputation, all in the name of legal activism.
When the aggrieved population exempt some politicians from the infamy of a hopeless generation, they also tend to take it to the other extreme. They literally worship such politicians. This is not about being restrained, appreciative or showing goodwill. It’s about suspending reason, surrendering common sense and public good to convenience. Society thrives on the garden of constructive criticism. Cross fertilisation of ideas is necessary to inject insights into issues and enhance leadership value. But the gleeful praise – singing of scheming, political leaders is a disservice to societal reconstruction. Such more or less posturing leaders are held up as infallible who can do no wrong. Whatever they say or do is right and must be loudly applauded on the internet. What could be more self dispossessing?
Exploiting the weak links of the internet, the proprietor of a rock in roll church launched a malicious attack on the Catholic Church few days to the end of 2024. With fanfare, the pastor regurgitated the tiresome criticisms of the Catholic Church’s doctrines and rites as unscriptural. Despite the long time demolition of these misrepresentations as products of ignorance or mischief, a not so small size of netizens supported the detractor. Sensationalism thrives in the internet. The Catholic Church being mainstream and conservative, does not pander to modernist fashions. Accordingly, those who resent her pre – eminent authority and strict adherence to apostolic traditions, will welcome any stunt that rails at the institution. And for those who find the Church’s teaching suffocating, strident attacks on her can only be welcome. The pastor’s bravado in dismissing a divinely instituted Church would pass for clerical activism, hence, there should be little surprise at the excitement it generated in social media.
Freedom goes with responsibility. Crusaders for social justice in whatever form must learn to exercise caution both for their own good and wellbeing of society. The tendency for activists to get carried away and cross the lines should not be overlooked. During the military rule of Ibrahim Babangida, a certain activist was put to task on his claim of presidential corruption published by an international magazine. It turned out there was no such publication. In those days, the internet had not yet come onboard yet, the rumour had spread like wildlife. Imagine how such salacious tale would trend today. Social reform crusaders too are human and could be acting from ulterior motives. Scrutiny of stories before sharing and posting cannot be the watchword. Reputations once damaged are hard to repair. And no one, neither rich nor poor of any society is immune from malice. Jide Obi, the lawyer musician, captured the sense of our human vulnerability in the lyrics of his album, Front Page News. “Even if you got no money, there’s someone who hates you.” While it is important to caution frenzied protesters of Nigeria’s sorry state on the dangers of reverse discrimination and mob rule, the authorities should also draw the needful lesson. When the mindset of “they’re all guilty” takes hold in the streets, it signals the huge work waiting to be done to pacify the population.
