I’ll use three Yoruba proverbs to describe the situation in which Nigeria has found itself:
First, a person must be behind the Oro, before it starts making frightening sounds. Second, if a dog has a person behind it, it will kill a monkey. Third, if Dada can’t fight, he’s got a sharper brother.
We’ve had three cases of people having issues with airlines recently. While the first two cases were that of privileged people – a senator and a musician-friend of the president – the last one is of an “unknown” woman.
While the senator argued his way out of the issue, the musician got what could be regarded as a slap on the wrist-at least so far. The lady was bundled into jail and later arraigned in court on a five-count charge.
I don’t believe Nigeria is practising a democracy. I would rather think the country is in a chumocracy.
A chumocracy is a system of government or social structure where powerful individuals favour their close friends and associates for positions of power and influence, often bypassing merit or qualifications.
Elements of chumocracy are: cronyism and nepotism, informal networks, and negative connotations.
There will be an absence of the rule of law in a country where chumocracy is the order of the day. In Nigeria’s case, the country is more or less being crucified by the very people who are ruling it. And, we, the people are no better because most of us just stand aloof when injustice is being committed.
There are a few people who fight against injustice, though, but they are just like a drop of water in an ocean of corruption.
To make things worse, most of us seem to be on a four-year contract with politicians. During election seasons, the people are “empowered” by politicians. Once the politicians win, most of them disappear till the next elections.
It’s like most of the people have a case of transferred aggression. They are against a system where nothing is working. Yet, the country has the potential to be great.
When that potential will turn into a life-changing reality for the masses is a major problem.
