Follow Us on Google
By Henry Akubuiro
Our Collective Contribution to the Decadence in Nigeria, Christine Umoekereka, 2021
It is easier to blame the government of the day for all the national, as many Nigerians are wont to; but have you asked yourself, “Am I innocent?” You may not be innocent after all, as Christine Umoekereka echoes in her book, Our Collective Contribution to the Decadence in Nigeria. This is a book that moves you to tears on the festering decadence in Nigeria and the role Nigerians play in permeating moral and ethical bankruptcy, as well as the responsibility of each individual in fixing the rot.
The author’s concern stems from being a Nigerian bred in the country and who has lived abroad and seen the proper way things are done. This is an author with a yearning for a better Nigeria, for, though she can turn a blind eye as a person living comfortably abroad, working as a nurse in Canada, her mind won’t be at rest until we collectively turn a new leaf.
The reader is, at once, greeted with disturbing images of the rot in the country —from rampant power outage, limited access to water to scavenging at dump sites, waterlogged and collapsed roads, etcetera. To address the root of the problem, the author refers the reader to the family system in respective communities, because “Parental behaviour has a strong effect on the social, cultural, and psychological aspects of child development when a child is growing up; they rely on their family and significant others for detailed information about society. From all that is learned, the child develops a sense of his identity; this identity will be carried with them into adulthood.”
Unlike before when the rich were flourishing and weren’t feeling the impact of the harsh economy, the author has observed that both the poor and rich are now feeling the pangs. She writes thus: “We all have no food, because we neglected the agriculture industry. We all have to drive on fractured and fragmented roads and endure inadequate healthcare and education, because the government funds have been selfishly spent elsewhere or diverted to personal use. However, we are all going to suffer so much worse as time goes on if we do not start making changes in Nigeria now.”
In the second chapter, the author x-rays citizen’s attitude towards national development, bearing in mind that character, like integrity, may determine the rise and fall of any nation, people, family, or community. Though our government seems to have failed in terms of accountability and failure to provide a level playing field, says the author,” we collectively carry most of the blame in our various positions of trust.” Umoekereka’s book, hence, deconstructs our poor attitude to work and how it affects nation building.
Religion, says the author in the third chapter, is an influential factor. It is one of the most important platforms with the power to change our society and influence our attitudes towards life and worldview, among other things. She uses TB Joshua as an example of a remarkable man of God who touched lives while he lived.
However, she is disenchanted with the exploitation going on in the church, with many Nigerian preachers collecting huge sums of donations whose sources are questionable. She notes that some of our religious leaders are using anointing oil, candles, handkerchief, etc., as a cover for a miracle, for success, prosperity, and security, whereas Bill Gates achieved his wealth through hard work. Neither Aliko Dangote nor Bill Gate wiped their faces with anointing handkerchiefs before making their fortunes, she says. The emphasis here is on hard work. The book also explains the dangers of false religious teachings.
Besides, the author identifies over centralisation of power as a contributing factor to moral and ethical decadence in Nigeria. She examines power relations in pre-colonial nation states of Nigeria, in post-independent Nigeria, and the contemporary over centralisation of power. She notes: “Government rigidity, marginalisation, systemic exploitation, religious intolerance, domination, and oppression of others, injustice, and inequalities are not God-given.”
There are many lessons to take away from the chapters on mismanagement of public funds, political structure and organisation in Nigeria, lack of enabling environment for growth of industry and development, selfish ambitions among politicians and ordinary Nigerians, and political violence. However, the title of this book is too long. It should read better as “Decadence in Nigeria.”
