Nigeria is a peculiar country. The citizenry are all the more so. You cannot but love how we play politics with everything plus including fire but come out unsinged, always. While the so-called giant of Africa struts on, fumbling and wobbling all the way, many countries which suffer just a tenth of its experience never recover.
What is our national philosophy? What nation-centric strategy has been adopted to inculcate nationalism and discipline in Nigerians? What blueprint has been developed to transform our government, education, economy, tourism, security and sundry drivers of nation building from the subsistence levels that Lord Lugard left us? Or, have we concluded on Nigeria?
Unfortunately -going by the prevailing reality- the true answer to that last question offers no prospects. An alarming majority of Nigerians either care not or believe not that the country is not beyond redemption. That’s the only way to contextualise the many anti-Nigeria mannerisms and activities by Nigerians globally and locally. There’s hardly one Nigerian who had the chance to superintend over the national cake and did not pander to political, religious, ethnic and such other pieces of parochialism.
Only a handful of Nigerians (if they exist at all) put Nigeria ahead of their village, local government area and state. That’s why when Nigerians discuss Nigeria, online, on air, in the streets, in beer parlours, at work and at home, the takeaways -80, 90% of the time- are steeped in negativity, rivalry, accusations and counter-accusations, insults and threats. To be sure, some of these are real. For example, who’s not appalled by the monumental injustice and tiny vestiges of honour evinced by those in our high places of power?
Even more troubling, the nation and the nationals seem permanently cursed or lost -or both. Every other week, there’s a matter or two to further widen the national chasm. Never have the people and the government shared some commonality. Not on democracy, not on calamity, not in/on death.
Without meaning to rub it in, let’s critique the foregoing three subheads. One, democracy that is a blessing everywhere else on the surface of the earth is an anathema back here: deadly elections tenure in, tenure out; untold corruption, the political way of life. Two, calamity unifies a people -except they’re Nigerians and in Nigeria: COVID-19 has instead weaponised us; against government, against ourselves, against our fatherland. And, three: death-wise, we rejoice at the death of a fellow citizen purportedly because such a one was an enemy.
Enter Mallam Abba Kyari, a compatriot who spent the last five years of his life serving friendship publicly. Hyperbusy at his post and as a confidant focused on helping his principal deliver on a national mandate, this friend extraordinaire (not mine; never met him) was vilified by enemies most of whom he never made, never met, and probably never meant any harm. They hated him in life as well as -please don’t repeat it- in death. No national tragedy can be worse than an unfeeling populace!
Alas, that is the Nigerian reality: a country perpetually in search of a butt of hate. With Mallam Kyari out of the way forever, one wonders who’d be our next whipping boy. Chronic haters that we are, we desperately readied to pounce on Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, Writer Segun Adeniyi and other front-line Nigerians who were the earliest in releasing a eulogy. Imagine, someone joked online he didn’t want friends like Mallam Abba Kyari’s who only rose to his defence after his death!
If we remember that as funny, its author should never forget it was also sickeningly sadistic. Messrs. Onyeama, Adeniyi et al should take solace in the fact that they did the excellent thing. They should know that no one wins with haters. If they had poured the encomia while the former chief of staff was alive, these same critics would have called them bootlickers, sycophants, favour seekers.
Which brings me to some lifelong lessons that President Muhammadu Buhari’s former right-hand man wordlessly taught all of us, via his life and style. First, the thing about friendship: in spite of and despite the organised vitriolic attacks on him, the then chief of staff never once fired back. I believe he believed that being answerable only to the President he didn’t owe anyone any explanation. Furthermore, at the height of all that power, as we have come to hear: he kept it close with his friends. How many of those making a noise have friends from a decade ago let alone from five years; how many remember those friends when fortune smiles; how many defend their friend to death?
Dear God, a few say he was a bad man but just as their hate made many of us love him, I pray you give me my own Abba Kyari: a lifelong fiercely loyal stoic who’d take punches meant for me, without as much as a whimper. Lord, force me to trust that person totally as President Buhari did, and never to yield to any gossip. Jehovah, open the eyes of our leaders to acknowledge their own Abba Kyari while alive. Above all, dear Father, teach our people to hold those they gave the mandate accountable; rather than scapegoating aides.
Finally, I also gleaned discipline, sense and self-control from the departed Borno Arab. By maintaining such deafening silence in the face of all that uncharitable media, Mallam Kyari showed the blame was in error -his death will presently reveal our perennial folly. He taught us that, since only God rewards, it’s useless trying to prove to man; after all, how have even their people blessed the memory or descendants of Obong Nyong Essien, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa said to have been good people? Rest in peace, Mallam Abba Kyari: friend of trust, friend of loyalty and friend of friendship.
God bless Nigeria!
Next week: Preparing for COVID-19 aftermath