Nigeria: A Dog Eat Dog Country
By:
Ajukura, Fidelis O.
Ajukurafidelisobi@gmail.com
07031523329
16/03/2022


There is a fierce war going on in Nigeria: this war is not the conventional war where hostages and territories are taken. Yet, the entire space is going up in flames; the muzzle of riffles pointing in this and that direction – everybody, including self is an enemy. In this war, there is no tribe or religion, everything serves as a means to whetting the unappeasable appetite. There is no one to trust. Every man is lying in wait to draw the blood of another – conscience has been sold for a nugget of cake. In the desperation to outmatch each other in the field of selfishness, people act in a horrifyingly wicked manner. While those in position of power and authority are unsympathetic to the sufferings of the poor and downtrodden, the poor are wreaking havoc in their own way. No one feels pity for the other – it’s a dog eat dog situation.

Nigeria, like other countries around it, is a product of reckless and depraved union: the Europeans who penetrated the continent of Africa in the 15th Century in search of raw materials for their young industries saw the inhabitants of the new found land as brutes and savages not worthy of anything good. By the time they settled down and stabilized their grip on the continent, they decided to rule over it as an appendage (colony) of their home country. Against the conception that the inhabitants of the continent are heathens and barbarians, they lumped them (the people) together without taking cognizance of their differences or tried to find out whether they can co-exist together or not. In this order, natural boundaries were dismantled and artificial ones erected. These artificial boundaries necessitated the establishment of artificial societies that were prone to the vagaries of strife and infighting. As soon as the Europeans or colonialists relinquished power to the desperate political agitators known as nationalists, many of whom had been trained in Western values and etiquette they quickly stepped into the shoes of the colonial masters by administering the same artificial societies which were founded on oppression and inequality without making any significant adjustment. In utter helplessness, the people watched as their leaders moved into the Government Reserved Areas (GRA’s) and barricaded themselves with a horde of security operatives thereby, alienating themselves from the people who had been their strength. These nationalists who had touted how Africa will become a paradise on earth if the colonialists are overthrown not only became inaccessible to their people, they, out of desperation to hold on to political power, plunged the young States into an incalculable crisis that claimed millions of innocent lives.

In furthering their selfish desires, the early nationalists continued to cajole the people into believing that the newly created States have the solution to all human problems when they actually know that the opposite is the case. For instance; in Nigeria, Abubarkar Tafawa Belewa in 1948 confirmed that “Nigeria’s unity is only a British intention”. Chief Obafemi Awolowo in his famous book, “Path to Nigeria Freedom” opined that “Nigeria is not a nation, it is a mere geographical expression”. Nnamdi Azikiwe in a “Dawn Address” to the nation on the 10th of December, 1964 threatened that, “if the national unity cannot be sustained, it is better to disintegrate in peace and not in pieces”.
Members of the political class in their greed and selfishness jettisoned the ideals of African communalism for European individualism and isolationism. This attitude has precipitated the people into untold hardship.

Amid severe hunger and poverty, members of the political elite, a class created by colonialism have continued to flaunt wealth gotten through corrupt means before the helpless people. Chinua Achebe, aptly captured this situation in his satirical book, “A Man of the People” where he revealed how corrupt politicians at the top of the food chain have continued to exploit and impoverish the ordinary and ignorant people below them. Those who see how the wealth is being displayed, want to get a piece of it. But, how can they accomplish it? Through honest and dishonest means. This unfortunate situation has displaced the hallmark of traditional African society which is ‘unimpeachable rectitude and integrity’. Today, Nigeria has gravitated to a dog eat dog country where the once exalted moral values have been cast into a blazing furnace. In this way, Nigerians tend to prove Western chauvinists like Joseph Conrad right that they are indeed brutes and savages who are bereft of any vestige of cognitive ability except to satisfy their material or vegetative needs. Most often than not, the wealth accumulated are not utilized in a judicious manner; they are used in ways that does not bring glory to their being or existence. For instance, many have ruined their health or lives as a result of excessive eating, drinking and smoking while others have lost their lives on the lap of their mistresses. In Nigeria, no one cares how wealth is acquired. Instead, the possessors of filthy and questionable wealth are celebrated. In religious circles, they are honored and made to seat in the front pews.

In Nigeria, money defines existence; those who do not possess it are regarded as nonentities. For this reason, everybody strives to get money at all cost. Those, whose responsibility it is to make the society peaceful and safe are all entrapped in the mire – they are guilty of corruption and wickedness such that they no longer have the justification to query offenders. Recently, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba acknowledged that over 91,000 of its arms, mainly A-K 47 riffles are missing and directed the officer in-charge of armory to investigate the matter. What this means is that, members of the Service steal arm and ammunition from the armory and, possibly sell same to criminals who may use such to terminate their lives as well as those of their loved ones – what thoughtlessness! The report of security operatives caught in criminal activities is rife. In government or public offices, the atmosphere is saturated with unethical and corrupt practices: civil or public servants are desperate for money – they shortchange colleagues of their benefits and entitlements. Beside this, they cleverly circumvent standard procedures in order to steal money. In their bid to steal, they educate inexperienced politicians how to divert funds meant for developmental projects or infrastructure into private pockets. As a result, lives are lost on a regular basis following non-functioning public amenities as well as institutions. This situation has rendered virtually all the sectors in the country inoperative. A typical example is the deplorable state of roads: roads have become deathtraps in the country. The lives of Nigerians are constantly wasted on the roads because of the greed and wickedness of some public officials who divert monies meant for the repairs or construction of roads into private pockets. This despicable situation cut across the entire fabric of Nigerian society.
In business or commercial circles, unadulterated wickedness reign supreme: people indulge in all manner of unwholesome practices in order to make money. Many Nigerians specialize in the manufacturing, importation and sale of fake or sub-standard products which have sent many to their early graves. Based on the fragile state of the economy, marketers hoard commodities with the intention to release them when prices must have skyrocketed.

Internet fraud popularly known as yahoo-yahoo is one act that has shown how callous and heartless some Nigerians can be in their unbridled quest to make money. In Nigeria, a sprawling army of, mainly young people have dominated the internet space in order to defraud unsuspecting Nigerian and foreigners of their money. Many successful individuals and organizations have been extirpated by the unsavory activities of these pachydermatous youngsters. Another area of great concern is the use of diabolical means to defraud people within and outside the internet space – this practice has earned the name yahoo-plus because it is viewed as the advanced form of yahoo-yahoo. Victims of yahoo-plus, many of whom are young ladies are not only defrauded of their monies, they are sometimes, for the purpose of money ritual inflicted with mysterious and inexplicable ailments such as madness or even killed and their body parts harvested.
Recently, the Federal Government banned videos in Nollywood with ritual contents. This decision, according to the Federal Government became necessary because of the negative impact the videos were exerting on Nigerians. Ritual killing is a devilish and horrible practice where people kill their fellow human being in a most gruesome manner for, mainly the purpose of making money. The report of people suddenly disappearing and found decapitated in major towns and cities of our country is commonplace. Lurking in the shadows of every village and town in the country are kidnappers and ritual killers who want to become rich overnight using the blood and flesh of innocent people who have not offended them in any way. This practice is detestable and ungodly such that the government want to put a stop to it. Unfortunately, ritual killing is not limited to what many conceive as ritual killing – killing people physically or spiritually for the purpose of making money. Stealing and corruption also fall within the scope of money ritual: there’s hardly any Nigerian who is not entangled in one way or another in this web. Many Nigerians have had their lives terminated because of frustration arising from the non-payment of their benefits and entitlements. For instance, many civil servants who have served the country meritoriously do not receive their pensions and sundry benefits the way they should (this situation is experienced mainly within the States and Local Governments). The same applies to those still in service, their benefits and entitlements are sometimes taken by those at the upper echelon with brazen disregard for their feelings. Virtually all Nigerians indulge in one form of ritual killing or the other. The level of cruelty exhibited by Nigerians just to make money is alarming. Whether in the public or private sector, people are bent on making money at all cost even if it takes the life of another. This explains why Nigerians are usually aggressive in their duty post; they begin by presenting an unfriendly mien in order to intimidate and make others amenable to their whims and caprices. Many of the public establishments such as; schools, health centers, security centers, power supply/distribution offices, airports, seaports, etc. are frustration elicitation centers. Nigerians are mean to themselves when it comes to money issues. This behavior, carried outside the shores of the country has produced the concomitant result of labelling all Nigerians as criminals. Many Nigerians abroad are treated with suspicion and mistrust; some have even lost their lives to this prejudiced and uncritical judgement. The xenophobic attack against Nigerians in South Africa is a typical example.

Money ritual of all standard are condemnable. In our society, people with no known source of income are seen driving latest cars and living in gigantic mansions. Civil or public servants own magnificent and imposing properties: some of them even send their children to the most expensive schools overseas and live in indescribable affluence without anybody raising an eyebrow. How could they have made this money? The answer is simple, “sucking the blood of others”. By shortchanging those under them or stealing directly from government coffers, the quality of life of ordinary people is bound to be adversely affected. This frustration, as we have noted in the preceding lines account for some of the untimely death recorded in our society.

What is the way out of this predicament? The solution lie squarely in the hands of members of the political class. By political class, I do not refer to the political elites we have today that are hedonistic or propelled by carnal desires but, those whom Plato described as philosopher king; those who understand that true happiness does not consist of how much material possession one has but on what Aristotle calls eudaimonia, “happiness that flows from a good spirit and personal wellbeing”. This may sound too theoretical but that is the only way out of the mire. All that is needed is to have a philosopher king; a national leader who has the capacity to change the narrative that true happiness does not lie in the accumulation of material wealth or by living a life of debauchery but in, having a good spirit and living a simple lifestyle.