By Anselm Eleonu
Dream is real and dreaming is part of life. The capacity to dream is relative and in most cases it is situational. Some dreams are flashbacks on previous experiences while others are premonition on the future. When personified, it can metamorphose into an audacity of hope, crystallizing as it were into shades of character trait, remotely acting as catalyst in both private and collective activity. Dream is the pivot behind every human action or inaction. In the ambitious person, it is over vaulting but for the dullard it is a mere flicker. Thus we talk of personal and national dreams as marked goals or achievable targets. In this light, one can talk of American, Brazilian and Jamaican dreams. Nigeria too has its own dream.
Those enamored by dreams hardly grope in darkness. They always have a model or idol to emulate and look up to. In Jamaica, for instance, the youths happily turn to Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, etc, as they willingly join local reggae groups, hoping to be stars like these heroes. It is the same in Brazil. In Brazil, kids early in life are seen committed to playing street games and neighbourhood football competitions, motivated by the accolades like Pele, their legend and hero. The reverse ironically is the case in most African countries, especially in Nigeria. Nigerian youths are the most confused youth group. The reason is simple. The youths grow up not mentored after any known hero, as their purported men of timber and caliber are just innocuous personalities, tainted persons with various skeletons in their cupboards.
In the absence of any notable and credible leader, these youths scurry in to join their tainted leaders; political and religious, who saddle themselves in the bigotry and clannishness. This bane of our leaders has regrettably crystallized in our youths into a generation of ‘’well adjusted slaves”. It is trite that a well adjusted slave is a myth. However, in the peculiar case of Nigeria, one sadly notices what Barbra Taylor Bradford in his “Hold the Dream”, called “Compulsive Repetition”. “Compulsive Repetition” is an aberration. It is a phenomenon by which according to the author, some people adopt a pattern of behavior- an offspring actually reliving the life of a parent or grandparent, “repeating that life’s mistake and all as if he or she is guided by some terrible inner compulsion”. Analogously, our political leaders, as if they are hypnotized by some unseen forces, have continuously made the same mistakes exactly as their predecessors. It is this compulsive repetition of mistakes that has made Africa and indeed Nigeria both a laughing stock and seen as failed nations.
Although, Nigeria is blessed with so much abundant natural resources, yet the people are plagued with abject poverty. There is poverty of food, poverty of fuel, but worst of all, there is poverty of the mind. The daily existence of the people is a saturation of woes. The roads are deplorable; hospitals are hardly operating at full capacity while schools (including universities) are mere shadows of themselves. Ironically, with the high cost of education, it is now impossible for the children of the poor to go to school. Suffice it to say that in the face of heightened frustration, an average Nigerian youth suffers from poverty of the mind. His anomie is confounded by the realty of thousands of unemployed graduates roaming the streets. To these “flowers on the gutter”, pride and respect have become the philosophy of an idiot. The existential reality for this group is that of if you cannot beat them join them, evidencing regrettably, the phenomenon of compulsive repetition. This is the genesis of corruption as a way of life for an average Nigerian.
Youths are the future hope of their nation. Most countries of the world take strategic steps to ensure that their young ones are well equipped for the challenges of the future. Thus, their well being is hardly left to chance as serious efforts are made by countries to ensure that their youths are exposed to the best available opportunities. These systematic efforts arise from the implicit believe by national planners, that true happiness comes from fidelity to a worthy purpose. People are encouraged to be busy for the right cause. It is therefore consistent in societies, where the people are striving to reduce crises, that there is equality before the law as equity frowns on double portion. Besides, in these societies, their security men are purveyors of truth. They are mostly, avowed gentlemen. With such convinced officers, Ceaser’s wife must be above suspicion.
This is not so in Nigeria, as the reverse is the case. According to Donald Mark C. Ude (CSSP), “any evil that is not yet practiced in Nigeria has not crossed the mind of mortals”. Put it another way, our society is petrified with a high level of uncertainty caused by our slave masters. The slave masters are opportunists who climb on the shoulders of trusting citizens to achieve their selfish end. Prominent among this group in our society today are the political leaders. The next group is members of the police force. The synergy between these two groups results in the comatose of the Nigerian society. While the political entities, by their bad policy actions and in-actions inundate the mind of our youths with doubts and anxieties, the brazen extortion by members of the police on our roads has put a final nail on the coffin of any hope. Members of the Nigerian police by their actions have turned virtue upside down. The regular and forceful demand of “roggers” by the members of NPF is no longer a secret. It calls for serious reprobation and can no more be condoned on the simple reason of poor remuneration of the members. Action they say, speaks louder than words. Besides, nothing can be as corruptive as what the eye sees. It is very contagious. The infectious effect of these obscene behaviors by members of this Force, on most Nigerian youths is that they have internalized and come to believe that “corruption is the real way to affluence.” Thus, cheating in exams, drug trafficking, 419, ritualism and armed robbery have become daily occurrences. The idea of collecting money and doling out change to the motorist without a wink is an indication of how rotten the society has become and it calls for honest lamentation. This is corruption carried too far. The critical question at his stage is what could be done. There is no doubt that by today’s experiences that it is not enough to merely be alive. The cry of most of our young men and women is most painful. They are mortified by their existential realities. The time therefore has come for a positive change of behavior. It calls for deep soul searching. Nigerians must rise in unison to condemn and resist these unbridled and brazen behaviors in the society. To allow or accept corruption as a way of life is to say the least, to sign the death warrant of our dear nation. A stitch in time, they say saves nine and the time to act positively for a change is now.
• Eleonu, Esq. writes from Owerri, Imo State