Rebrand Death First!
Written by Pius Adesanmi
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Pius Adesanmi


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It is impossible for any modern computer software or calculator to keep track of the dizzying number of Nigerians who die like goats every day. I am not talking about the normal finality of every human life that we capture with the phrase “natural causes”. I am talking about deaths so ridiculous and preventable you gnash your teeth daily, wishing the internet does not exist so that non-Nigerians would have considerably reduced possibilities of knowing how a good number of our compatriots still die in the 21st century. Some of the ways of dying in Nigeria would embarrass the people of Darfur, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. I have argued elsewhere that any Nigerian who ventures daily into e-Nigeria for news is either a necrophiliac or s/he has completely lost the capacity to be shocked by the contemplation of some of the most undignified poses of death that one state allows to happen to its own people.

In Nigerian newspapers, there is no avoiding narratives of needless deaths illustrated by gory and sobering photos that make very loud statements about the worth of human life in that country. Thanks to cell phone cameras, Nigeria’s contribution to pre-medieval ways of dying now exists in video clips that circulate widely online. The latest is a video recording of a “necklacing” in Lagos. The video shows a suspected thief being roasted to death in broad daylight. The badly burnt Nigerian is writhing in the last throes of life. One of the executioners pours more petrol on him even as we hear someone in the audience scream excitedly in Yoruba: “E je ko je rora” (Don’t kill him quickly, let him suffer). I had the misfortune of being sent this barbaric video clip by one of my Canadian colleagues with the predictable email query: “Pius, someone sent me this clip of an execution in Nigeria and I thought you might want to see it. Is this true?” I’ve been dodging him since last week. Whenever I eventually bump into him in the Department, I am just going to have to “bone face” and claim unconvincingly that these things happen everywhere. I foresee myself in one of those encounters where one gets very aggressively defensive about Nigeria in the presence of the outsider, even when you know the bitter truth.

I have tried to keep tab of Nigeria’s tableau of needless deaths since the beginning of this year. From Jos to Bauchi and back to Bauchi; from the Niger Delta to Abuja; from Lagos to Calabar, the task has been daunting. Hundreds died in religious/political riots, an entire football team perished on the criminal contraptions we call roads, armed robbers never missed the normal quota of deaths they contribute to daily statistics in Lagos and other parts of the country, rival football supporters slaughtered twelve Nigerians in Bayelsa, compatriots continued to die by inhaling poisonous fumes from their generators, and the wind of political murders and assassinations continued to blow in Ekiti. Writing this piece, I decided to check Nigeriaworld.com. Perhaps it’s possible to have a single day without news of goat-like deaths? Two headlines came up in quick succession: “Robbers Kill Three, Injure five in Lagos” (Vanguard), “Lagos: Beggar Stabs Beggar to Death over N20 Gift” (Punch). I navigated quickly away from the site.

The least one would expect from one of the most advanced countries in terms of the production of needless and undignifying deaths are advanced and humane structures of disposal that could ensure that fallen compatriots go in dignity. Sadly, it is precisely in this area that Nigeria defies logic. In most parts of the world I’ve been to, dead dogs and cats are guaranteed a much more dignifying passage to the great beyond than some dead Nigerians in terms of the handling and treatment of corpses. Even pet parrots, pythons, and rats die and are disposed of in dignity. I remember visiting a good friend of mine I call Deopka in Washington shortly after the untimely death of his kids’ pet rat. Deopka announced that the children were “mourning”. We all laughed and evoked the fate that would have befallen that rodent in Nigeria had it belonged in the edible family we call okete! Too many dead Nigerians are simply left to rot, especially those faceless compatriots in the lower rungs of society. If you are unlucky to be felled by the “accidental discharge” of a police man, you’ll most likely end up in a mass grave, dumped with those armed robbers they parade routinely before they are quietly shot “while attempting to escape”. Your family will certainly not be notified.

Those looking for rational ways of explaining the failures of the Nigerian state should look into its management of death. It seems to me that we have so far failed to find answers because we look in the direction of life to explain Nigeria. That is the wrong way to go. The things we complain endlessly about – corruption, security, electricity, water, infrastructural collapse, comatose educational and health systems, dysfunctional democracy, etc – all belong in the province of life. Those things are all about the management of life and man’s endless quest to improve the quality of life. For instance, only the living need security, electricity, water, and infrastructure. Why then do we expect things associated with life from a state that cannot even manage death?

In essence, it is only normal for a state that is too incompetent to manage even death to be completely clueless about the management of life. Dora Akunyili is going to spend her time in the Information Ministry rebranding life. She is wasting her time and our money because the state she is serving is not equipped to handle life. She stands a better chance of making some headway if she starts by rebranding death. Let her tell her boss that a state that is able to ensure that her dead do not go like goats would also be able to ensure that her living do not live like goats.

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/pius-adesanmi/rebrand-death-first.html

kaygee1234:

Rebrand Death First!
I am talking about deaths so ridiculous and preventable you gnash your teeth daily, wishing the internet does not exist so that non-Nigerians would have considerably reduced possibilities of knowing how a good number of our compatriots still die in the 21st century. Some of the ways of dying in Nigeria would embarrass the people of Darfur, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. I have argued elsewhere that any Nigerian who ventures daily into e-Nigeria for news is either a necrophiliac or s/he has completely lost the capacity to be shocked by the contemplation of some of the most undignified poses of death that one state allows to happen to its own people.

Hmmm . . .

kaygee1234:

In Nigerian newspapers, there is no avoiding narratives of needless deaths illustrated by gory and sobering photos that make very loud statements about the worth of human life in that country. Thanks to cell phone cameras, Nigeria’s contribution to pre-medieval ways of dying now exists in video clips that circulate widely online. The latest is a video recording of a “necklacing” in Lagos. The video shows a suspected thief being roasted to death in broad daylight. The badly burnt Nigerian is writhing in the last throes of life. One of the executioners pours more petrol on him even as we hear someone in the audience scream excitedly in Yoruba: “E je ko je rora” (Don’t kill him quickly, let him suffer).

This is one of the main reasons why I keep saying I am more afraid of the average Nigerian than I am of those we have in government!

kaygee1234:

I had the misfortune of being sent this barbaric video clip by one of my Canadian colleagues with the predictable email query: “Pius, someone sent me this clip of an execution in Nigeria and I thought you might want to see it. Is this true?” I’ve been dodging him since last week. Whenever I eventually bump into him in the Department, I am just going to have to “bone face” and claim unconvincingly that these things happen everywhere. I foresee myself in one of those encounters where one gets very aggressively defensive about Nigeria in the presence of the outsider, even when you know the bitter truth.

The age old excuse we have used to allow the rot we have in that country today. People feign concern in one second and in the next offer up this infamous excuse in defense of the filth!!! And then we wonder why things never seem to change. Most even pass it off as God taking his time on making Nigeria great when the same God said to denounce evil every opportunity we get!!

kaygee1234:

The least one would expect from one of the most advanced countries in terms of the production of needless and undignifying deaths are advanced and humane structures of disposal that could ensure that fallen compatriots go in dignity. Sadly, it is precisely in this area that Nigeria defies logic. In most parts of the world I’ve been to, dead dogs and cats are guaranteed a much more dignifying passage to the great beyond than some dead Nigerians in terms of the handling and treatment of corpses. Even pet parrots, pythons, and rats die and are disposed of in dignity. I remember visiting a good friend of mine I call Deopka in Washington shortly after the untimely death of his kids’ pet rat. Deopka announced that the children were “mourning”. We all laughed and evoked the fate that would have befallen that rodent in Nigeria had it belonged in the edible family we call okete! Too many dead Nigerians are simply left to rot, especially those faceless compatriots in the lower rungs of society. If you are unlucky to be felled by the “accidental discharge” of a police man, you’ll most likely end up in a mass grave, dumped with those armed robbers they parade routinely before they are quietly shot “while attempting to escape”. Your family will certainly not be notified.

God have mercy on us all!!

kaygee1234:

Those looking for rational ways of explaining the failures of the Nigerian state should look into its management of death. It seems to me that we have so far failed to find answers because we look in the direction of life to explain Nigeria. That is the wrong way to go. The things we complain endlessly about – corruption, security, electricity, water, infrastructural collapse, comatose educational and health systems, dysfunctional democracy, etc – all belong in the province of life. Those things are all about the management of life and man’s endless quest to improve the quality of life. For instance, only the living need security, electricity, water, and infrastructure. Why then do we expect things associated with life from a state that cannot even manage death?

Interesting!

the best thing i can do for my kids is to give them a european passport.

pres-elect:

the best thing i can do for my kids is to give them a european passport.

I second that

Well, we will eventually have to face our reality at some point.

pres-elect:

the best thing i can do for my kids is to give them a european passport.

What's wrong with an American passport?

What's wrong with a Nigerian passport?

i am not concerned about the pdp led decieving phrases. my worries are more on the much respected Dora who nigerians had enough respect for in the past. it is very unfortunate that she got involved the thugs in power.
is making tony annenih the npa chairman a part of the rebranding? is backwardness in our power supply part of the rebranding? won't they rebrand our roads before rebranding nig? what abut our security?
dora shld look back to more pressing issues that have to do with the lives of a common nigerian. she shld be talking about how to make nigeria a conducive place to live before messing herself up at the international scene in her pusuit of rebranding nigeria on the pages of the newspapers.

To effect rebranding we just have to begin with our leaders in changing their thinking towards what is just and ensure that corruption is addressed to the later

In my opinion, I think Nigerians are just generally frustrated. You wake up in the morning and you have to strugle to get water to have your bath. Then there is the issue of power to iron your clothes. Most times you have to go to work/school with no food in your belly simply because you have to get there on time and traffic on the road expects you to leave home 2 hours earlier for you to get to a place that should normally take 30miinutes. Now add that to the chaotic driving and lawlessness on the road plus the boss who screams at you and treats you like shyte and when its time to go back home, you spend hours on the road and eventually get back home sometime close to midnight only to meet the whole house in darkness. Only God can save that petty thief that mistakenly steals your 5naira or tries to snatch your bag. You will vent all your frustrations on him!

Now the above is not my way of covering up for the madness called jungle justice in Nigeria. Not at all. I only wish, like Ribadu said, we will attach more affinity to the National cake like we attach to the 20naira in our pockets. That way, we will maybe march to Govt house and deal with any Governor that tries to cheat us by stealing OUR money rather than building infrastructure.

What is the way out? Make life easier for the people. Let us have less things to worry about. Provide us with proper roads, constant power, cheaper and accessible food. In short, treat us like humans. Unfortunately, the keepers of the law are also in this mess. The police who are supposed to make sure that accused persons are not instantly judged are also guilty of this offense. Like the original poster said, criminals are killed and we are told they were trying to escape. Innocent people are killed and the police say they were invoved in accidents. Young children are shot and they blame accidental discharge. The list is endless.

God save Nigeria

Kobojunkie:

Well, we will eventually have to face our reality at some point.

Yes facing reality is the best option, because looking for a Europeen passport mean running away from responsability.

looking for a Europeen passport mean running away from responsability

as we have been doing since indepenece. run run till we can run no more.

Do nigerians really care about nigeria?If we do then we collectively are cowards.

asha 80:

Do nigerians really care about nigeria? If we do then we collectively are cowards.

ECHO!!!! lol

asha 80:

Do nigerians really care about nigeria?If we do then we collectively are cowards.

I concur

Bob marley said: he who fights and run lives to fight another day.
brave soldiers are those who come back from the war front and not those who died trying to kill everybody.
bola ige, dele giwa, saro wiwa, funsho williams and a very long lists of those who did not want to be called cowards and they are later till date without trace.
ojukwu of biafra represent a coward in the nigerian setting but the truth today remains that those who fight and run away are back to fight for another day.
many of us calling for action are very far away from nigeria asking ppl at home to go die to make nigeria good for them to come back home. leadership by example shld be the name of the game. somebody, somewhere and somehow must lead this move and who is ready.
those who shout cowards! cowards!! are the real coward. the people of odi and one other community in benue and killed in thousands and nothing happened till date. those who live abroad shld be calling on UN to visit the odi massacre rather they are bussy calling ppl at home who want to run away cowards.
those of u who are not cowards shld come home and show us how to lead the way.
my candid advise is that if anyone finds a way out, he must use that. devil is at work here and as long as this is their time, there is nothing anyone can do other than continious prayers. every problem has expiry date hence God's intervention is all we need from the strong grip s of the die hard criminals who are too desperate in the inordinate ambitions to have everything to themselves.
imagine obj on bbc hard talk, he was going to fight the guy interviewing him. bring such scene to nigeria and imagine what such venom will result to. the mind set of these so called leaders of ours are so dark that any move against them will lead u to death without notice hence a fowl killed on an easter day will have more values than u.
the first step for this rebranding will be God rebranding aso rock and its occupants.

@poster
Is this all you have to contribute to Nigeria's greatness, you could have used the same energy to paint the positive side of your country. apart from the digusted video clip, am sure there are other good things about Nigeria, good things that your creativity and ingenuity could paint to the outside world. Again, am sure you know the world is reading your post too.

Every country has its beautiful and ugly sides, I will rather use my energy to promote Nigeria's image than contributes to its battered image, most especially on an open forum like this.

This poster should muster the courage to face his friend and tell him that that video clip is not all that it is about Nigeria, definitely your friend should be able tp believe your story about Nigeria, he shouldn't have any reason to doubt you, atleast if you had been a good ambassador of Nigeria.