By Martin- Hassan Eze
Now that the dust have settled, now that the dogs have stopped barking and returned to the cage to continue fighting ajenu over bones, now that Donald Trump and Borris Johnson have heard that ‘black lives matter’, now that the last content of the keg of palmwine have been drained by the Umunna, it is time, to pay Mazi Diochi. Now is the moment of truth. The much awaited judgement day. It is now a categorical imperative that we look into our eyes and ask ourselves this salutary poser that calls for introspection: Are we not manufiquns; bunch of Pharisees.
The word hypocrisy comes to mind when we put into perspective the recent ballistic reactions of Nigerians over the heartless and needless killing of an unarmed black man, the late George Floyd in Minneapolis by a brutal white police officer. I froze in rude shock when I watched the over eight minutes video clip. ” I can’t breath” have since become a symbol of martyrdom and revolution all over the globe. It were the last words of a dying man. A helpless and hapless husband and father begging for his humanity to be recognized and respected. But in a farm where some animals are more equal than the other,( Apologies to Ecric Blair- George Orwell- Animal Farm) white police officer watched as Late George was murdered like illiya ram.
In Nigeria, there was volcanic eruption. That Nigerians roared, rumbled and thundered like the clash of Sango and Tango, deafening the social space in defence of our collective humanity is a welcomed development. I, for one, was shocked that those who asked the sun to stop rising from the East and setting in the North over the death of an American, refused to even compose a dirge for the litanies of innocent and law abiding souls wasted in Nigeria by state and non state actors on daily bases. And , I permit myself to ask: Is it that Nigerian Lives don’t matter?
Walahi! It beggars imagination that most of us turned last minute activists, raving and railing, roaring and rumbling over an American palaver- Racism. From the mountains of Nsukka, the sand dumes of Damaturu, the plateaus of Mambila, the gloves of Bomadi, Nigerians joined to ruffle the dusty pages of history. Indeed, we were heard. “Black lives matter”. What of Nigerian lives? Hypocrisy. Scandalous hypocrisy. Isn’t it?
Before you ask for my head on a platter, I hasten to declare that I recognize the fact that the world is a global village. Consequently, we are global citizens. No doubt whatever about this. In Nsukka country, my people say that when the eyes cry, the nose equally weeps. Put succinctly, we inter- depend on one another.
It is my concerned opinion that humanity is a constituency. Yours sincerely is of the view that it is not only inhuman but equally cave age to use tribe and tongue, race and religion, gender and social status as a locus standi to debase, assault, mock and infringe on the inelienable fundamenat rights of any human person under the sun. As far as universally guaranteed fundamental human rights are concerned, there should be no Jew or gentile.
No human being, coloured or non coloured is inferior or superior. Race superiority is an imbecilic ideology. No man should be a second class citizen( Apologies to Buchi Emecheta) because of his skin colour. So, act or speak in any manner that suggest that a race is a horse rider and another the horse is not only inhumane, despicable, irritating to sane minds but equally disgusting. No man born by a woman deserve to be treated like Fulani cow dung.
Sadly, in Nigeria,we are very good at putting the cart before the horse as far as our priorities are concerned. Even Aso Rock is not immuned from this virus. It is only an Efulefu that gifts a golden robe to a stranger when he is naked. Charity begins at home. Shikena!
It is unimaginable hypocrisy for kettle to call pot black. The man that sleeps with his neighbour’s wife cannot claim a better morality than the fellow who sees that thight of an Ashewo. Evil is evil. And, any shred of evil, stands condemned no matter whose Ox is gored or elephant lost. How can citizens of a country where life is short, brutish and nasty- a Hobbesian jungle, no thanks to the perilous clueless brigade in Abuja and their conclave of perfidious and leecherious lieutenants dare to point accusing fingers at racist idiots in the USA when the monsters in our backyard are dancing Azonto?
Racism my foot! What evil did racism do tothe country of Trump that that tribalism have not done to Nigeria? Our Pharasaic grandstanding and posturing will not fetchnus any kobo. It is futile; an exercise in stupidity and futility.
When an Ibo man still treats his brother like a pit latrine because the unfortunate fellow is an Osu or Ume and himself a Diala ,what should we call that?
When Protestants mock, ridicule , discriminate against and even deny Catholics and Anglicans job, accommodation and means of livelihood in the name of been born again Christians while Catholics are worshippers of images and Mary, what is that?
When we refuse our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters from marrying from a particular state, local government town, tribe, clan and family out of generational prejudice and hatred, what name should we give this evil?
When Christians are treated like pigs by Muslims in the North. Kafiris, Arnes and denied jobs, education, career advancement, political appointment, marriage and freedoms of expression and worship, what is that?
When we indoctrinate our sons and daughters in Churches and koranic schools to hate, despise, disregard, disrespect, maim and kill people who don’t look like them, speak the same language with them , worship in the same way with them, what is that?
Why do we loose our voices when Shia Muslims are targeted, discriminated against, called names and killed by agents of majority Sunni government in the North? Are members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, OPC and IPOB not citizens or human being? So their lives don’t matter abi?
Why don’t Muslims allow their daughters to marry Christians? Why don’t Christians allow their sons to marry Muslim ladies? Why is it as difficult as finding a palm tree in Maiduguri for an Hausa Fulani to Mary an Ibo or an Ibo to freely marry a Yoruba lady? Why do Nupawa refuse to marry Hausas or Fulanis even when they are of the same religion? Why don’t Igede ladies marry Tiv men?
Why do we call ourselves derogatory names even though some of these names may not be derogatory in essence: Aboki, Inyamiri, Ofemanu, Maumau, Omo Ibo?
If we can channel the wasted energy over racism in the USA into confronting the monster of tribalism, enthicism, religious fanaticism or extremism, generational hatred and prejudices at our backyards, then Nigeria will be great again.
Martin- Hassan Eze wrote in from Warri, Delta State.
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