I rarely discuss individuals. I recall an interaction I once had with Senator Emmanuel Onwe, a literary giant in his own right, also one time Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State, during which I reiterated the position. I remember he asked to know why since from what he knows individuals do push events and make history alongside.
I told him he was correct that individuals are prime movers of history but I have a problem with the Nigerian situation currently. There are hardly persons we can point to and pass them as emerging heroes. I disclosed I have been on a search search throughout the country and all I can see are few young ones working very hard to climb the steps of respect, they are on it and yet to reach the pinnacle.
Time has long past when we had men and women in the class of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Tafawa Balewa, Mbonu Ojike, Akanu Ibiam, Aminu Kano and Madam Margaret Ekpo, all of blessed memory. These were individuals the rest of the citizens looked up to for examples and guidance. This special clan has so diminished, to the point of extinction. They are not there. Our literary icon on the block, Chimamanda, was very correct when at the annual conference of lawyers held few days ago she told us clearly our society today is in need of heroes. She was very correct.
From all indices the centre, as Chinua Achebe once noted, is not holding. One major consequence is that things are falling apart in every sphere of national life. So much misdirection in politics and governance, economy closing instead of expanding and creating opportunities, negative pull on social relations is immense. The country has drifted close to the precipice of state of nature, massive insecurity with human life becoming far cheaper than those of cows and chickens.
It is an atmosphere of gloom. The old who saw the best times of the country, especially after the colonialists handed over, are dazed by what they see the country turning into. A country they saw thriving and doing well with so much expectation. They can’t believe what they see, hear and experience daily. They are at a loss how we got to where we are, where virtually all beautiful legacies we inherited have been destroyed by fellow citizens entrusted with power to usher in a lift. They are devastated and left very disillusioned. They ask if there is no messiah around who would rise and bring a reversal.
For the youthful population the situation is worse, they have no place at all on the table. We taught and told them they are leaders of tomorrow, they heard that, took it very serious and a far majority took their training very seriously. After training they moved from adolescence to adulthood only to discover all doors closed against them. The older generation did not only run down the country, they have refused to retire from the pursuit of power. What this has done is that there seems to be a stifling of ideas, bright ideas can’t find space to grow, the country has had to deal with the same discredited ideas and processes that brought it into a state of perdition. Nobody gets a different result doing the same thing over and over again. It is stupidity. The youths are frustrated. They are looking out for mentors and heroes. The light in the horizon is the resolve of this young population to change the existing status quo by constitutional means, they want their impact to be evident in the next general election.
They have not only spoken, they have embarked on practical actions they believe will aid their vision. Before the electoral umpire put a temporary halt to voter registration, our youths rushed to and register, all in the hope they can effect some changes to governance pattern and in the process make mentors and heroes, people they can look up to for proper direction. Make no mistake about this too they want the emergence of a New Nigeria that will meet the hope of the black race. This is their vision. If I am asked to offer a view I would say it is fantastic. Young ones should see vision. They have the energy. Old but progressive men should dream.
Dream state is level of experience. Those in this stage have encountered the world with all its vicissitudes . They are tested battle commanders, they could still contemplate a far better society than they have achieved but then for everything under the sun there is a time. Experience goes with diminishing vitality. So the elders dream and romance with their past and wish, on the other hand, the young visualize, they are alive, brimming with energy, always wanting immediate action and results. Yet, best and enduring results are achieved when society has good mix of youth and experience.
Thomas Sowell, a scholar, said something some of us find very instructive and which Nigerians talking about change via the democratic route ought to know and take very seriously. It is also a major reason we all must embrace the study of history. Sowell said: “Virtually every idea in vogue today has been tried before and many of them turned out disastrous, time and again.” What is currently happening in our society where youths want to take over leadership of our society is not a new phenomenon. It has, for instance, taken place in nascent America under the umbrella, “Young Americans.”
Young people were so disenchanted they resolved to take over the democratic space process in all ramification. They formed their party, created a vision of new America and recruited candidates. It was to many like a joke but the young ones kept the momentum, sustained a dynamism and deep commitment to their goal. It wasn’t long results started coming. In their first electoral outing, they didn’t win the presidential seat but they won 40 per cent of the seats in parliament. At the second attempt, the party won the presidential election. They couldn’t rule beyond one term because there was no blend of experience, youthful passion and energy.
What is clear, given events around us, is that a political combustion is going in the country, we are passing through a flux of a kind. Few years it wasn’t like the time will come soon when the young ones will rise and earnestly desire to take back their country from low quality rulers. They are doing just that and the momentum is great. It will record impact far beyond our calculations. This is why the American example is very important. Lesson of history is there to teach and instruct, and also to give direction. One of the ways the media and writers can help the point of positive change is to identify personnel for leadership recruitment. Pa Adebanjo and Edward Clark are very aged but they have good perspectives. From the middle age we have Peter Obi, Pat Utomi, Charles Soludo just to mention but a few.
The big one with regard to the issue at hand is this: Ikechukwu Amaechi, who is in the same mood as those mentioned earlier . A journalist who rose to the Editor rank, he is a strong believer in African Renaissance, he holds the opinion that the Black man is not inferior to any race and that he has capacity to excel in contributions to world civilization in the present time. Those should be articles of faith today for every black person anywhere in the world. The Black man is not respected worldwide, that is because he has no evidence of capacity and organization. It is not enough for our citizens to excel elsewhere in atmosphere created by the sweat of others, we must show ability to dream, visualize and bring to practical fruition those visions. The Black man hasn’t done this and that is his albatross.
Ikechukwu Amaechi is among the very few devoted to negative trend reversal, his tools include force of personal conduct and writing articles, yet all these efforts appear like water poured on the shell of a tortoise or on a rock, it rolls off and down without impact. Our leadership class is the “I don’t care type”, condemned to no vision, bad ways and options. Transformation agents have changed strategy from writing to talking; some are of the view we have become paralyzed by too much talk. Good point. Some facts may be in this position but the truth is, we can’t stop talking. Perverts in our midst are still onto their nasty business, they are unrelenting in perpetuating evil. Silence enboldens the very wicked and shortsighted leaders.
Talking erodes their confidence. Talking energizes the oppressed, it shows them the missing links and provokes them to rise, take their place and retrieve their society from the misfits. Talking enlightens, it also provides pathways to freedom. Reason all men of goodwill should support conferences on pathway to New Nigeria. In Lagos, at Agip Recital Hall, Muson Center, on Thursday, September 10, 2022 by 10am, another talkshop, “Nigeria, Way Forward” hosted by Ikechukwu Amaechi to dissect the 2023 election and future of democracy in Nigeria. Guest Speaker is Babatunde Fashola, former Governor of Lagos State and currently Minister for Works and Housing. He is a man some of us would want to meet especially at a time like this.
Good choice, some of us would have been glad to ask him since he lampooned old men in commanding heights in leadership some time in the past, is there still hope for democracy with men over 75 still dominating the scene? Fashola once told us any good government could achieve steady electricity supply in six months. The government he is a part has done seven years, we still don’t have power supply. In fact things are worse for the sector than when this government took over.