Last week, I read Reuben Abati’s opinion published in The Will Internet Newspaper. In his write-up, he chronicled how the Nigerian people are “special people”, how resilient and unshockable people they have turned to be in the face of mounting political, economic and social earthquakes and their after effect shocks; and all these have continually beset them as a people and nation. That was a good one! But he is not the first to write how “special” Nigerians are. For instance, the gruesomely murdered journalism icon: late Dele Giwa (of the blessed memory), while writing in his seminal column: Parallax Snap, in the 1980s, wrote in disgust, dejection and desperation, that Nigerians are “unshockable” sort of people. He could not just understand why Nigerians accept vicissitudes of hard life imposed on them by mis-governance.
Indeed, other concerned Nigerians have called Nigerians a gullible and un-courageous set of people, who swallow hook, line and sinker, the much nonsense that their governments dish-out to them as policies and “bad actions-in-governance”. They see the Nigerian lot as weak-set of people when it comes to truly challenging bad governance and asserting their rights: politically, economically and socially. In addition, many others have gone further, to out-rightly tag the generality of Nigerians as a total make-up (or mass) of cowards. Indeed they say, that a whole lot of Nigerians are myopic, always self-centred: self-interested, self-preservative and many a time do not work for public good (and it has been asserted by Prof. Ozodi T. osuji that “a person is sane to the extent that he (or she) works for his good and for the good of all people in the world”).
However, this writer, would rather prefer to call them (many Nigerians and not all), especially in this kind of auspicious times, as a “stoic-populace—a heady and hardy people”. But, let be known that this same writer is also mindful of the meaning and negative consequences of stoicism, and he especially noted what Bandelaire philosophically posited about stoicism. He (Bandelaire) lamented that the endpoint (hallmark) of stoicism is self-suicide. Also, this writer believes that many Nigerians could be rightly said to be “heady and hardy”. What do we mean? What is stoicism and who is a stoic? Why should Nigerians be regarded as a stoic-populace?
Furthermore, many eggheads on the other hand have vehemently asserted that many Nigerians (in counter to the posited fact above that many Nigerians are stoics); can rather be rightly regarded as epicureans, gullible and foolish set of people. Indeed, they have reiterated and vociferously posited too, that a great many a Nigerian, are “foolish and hardy”, but methinks still and honestly too—that is in counter to this thought-position herein, that the case with many Nigerians is that they are “stoic, heady and hardy”! Indeed, Nigerians are not foolish but many of them can at best be truly regarded as heady and hardy (which is synonymous with stoicism).
First, a stoic is one who is indifferent to pleasure or pain. Stoicism therefore means a philosophy or way of life which professes or encapsulates and showcases indifference to pleasure or pain; it embodies limitation of wants and austere living style. Stoicism also means ability to bear hardship and adversity with fortitude, or manifesting this ability.
The opposite understanding of the word: stoicism is Epicureanism. An epicurean is one who is giving to pleasure and luxury. Therefore, Epicureanism is the doctrine which professes, encapsulates and showcases in a lifestyle, the pursuit of pleasure and fastidiousness in luxury-living-style.
Further, a combination of two Dictionary definitions (The Concise Oxford Dictionary and Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English), defines heady as: impetuous; violent; intoxicate; pleasantly strong and seems to affect you strongly; very exciting in a way that makes you feel as if you can do anything you want to. Hardy is defined as: bold; audacious; robust; capable of endurance; strong and healthy and able to bear difficult living conditions; able to live through the harsh weather (tough situations). Gullible means: easily cheated or duped; too ready to believe what other people tell you, so that you are easily tricked. Foolish means: lacking good sense of judgment; indicative of folly; ridiculous; stupid and shows that someone is not thinking sensibly; a foolish person behaves in a silly way or looks silly.
These definitions in mind, let’s guess (hazard) on only three reasons (even though there are many others) why (many) Nigerians, in this kind of auspicious times, could at best be called a “stoic- people or populace” (coupled with its attendant headiness—which also culminates or is equivalent with hardiness); rather than be regarded epicureans (which is coupled with gullibility and therefore equivalent to foolishness).
One: Survival-mentality. Whether one likes it or not, life is tough and rough in Nigeria’s socio-economic and political terrain. Some people have transited from poverty-to-middle-to upper class: through their heretofore generations (after slavery, colonialism and militarism), and by their own efforts (either through dint of hard work or what some people call mother luck). And bearing all these in mind makes many Nigerians not to want to fall-back to where they are coming-from: Poverty and little or no education; and remembering for instance, their past acute poverty or debilitating poverty do not want to go back to it and therefore condone whatever kind of evil that comes their way. Indeed, they “compromise their conscience” and consequently fail to avoid asserting their rights and privileges when abused or ruptured in anyway by others or society (i.e. those in power—especially through mis-governance). Their (many Nigerians) transition into the “comfortability-zone” is not skin-deep and therefore still stands on shaky grounds. In essence, wanting to survive on daily basis, they do not care for the sustainability and stabilization of societal norms that will benefit all and the next generation of citizens. Indeed, fear (propelled by acute uncertainty of what will happen next) grips many a Nigerian soul; and this makes them falsely stoic and hardy. But that does not necessarily confirm them as gullible and foolish. They know all the operative-scenario that puts them in the position of life they found themselves-in; and consequently resign their fate to false stoicism and hardiness.
In addition, many a citizen of the country (Nigeria), convert their un-explained fears to confront challenging issues of life to false Epicureanism—becoming avid pleasure-seekers: drinking excessively, womanizing, socializing and partying-away their sorrows through ceremonially celebrating every notable occasion in their life: birthdays, marriages, deaths, house-warming, etc. in the loudest and most obscene ways—therein also, flaunting their “so-called earthly acquisitions” with friends, relations and vice-versa.
Two: Lack of proper education, exposure and enlightenment. Indeed, ignorance is bliss! This fact has been emphasized greatly by philosophers and other egg-heads while brainstorming on societal dialectics and dynamics. Surely, ignorance in any shape, way or form is given rise-to by lack of proper education, enlightenment and exposure. Yes, one can be educated but is not enlightened! Yes, one can be enlightened and not exposed!! Education is surely the key to freedom—indeed it is very relevant in breaking all kinds of bondages and shackles; but without enlightenment and exposure added to it, it remains a half-baked education!!! A half-baked education breeds headiness and hardiness which could be properly or un-properly likened to stoicism, gullibility or foolishness. A well educated, enlightened and exposed person may elect to be stoic, but his/her stoicism cannot zoom-up-to the level of gullibility and foolishness. But a person who is not educated, enlightened nor exposed, must surely be gullible and foolish in other to save his/her skin in times of any frontal-confronting life challenges (personal and otherwise). Also, some people who are aware of the lack of these three essential “Es” in others do surely exploit the denied. The lack of even one, to say of two or three of them, worsens the chances of the person or persons who are lacking them. And this is the case of many Nigerians who are neither properly (repeat: properly) educated, nor enlightened, to say of being exposed. This is surely one of the reasons why many Nigerians are heady, hardy, and gullible; and could be considered foolish when it comes to pursing and attaining things pertaining to the general good and welfare of all Nigerians.
Indeed, many are scared from venturing-into the hot zones: in the fight to attain and sustain positive societal impacting goals. Selfishly, many Nigerians, due to ignorance, drift to false-Epicureanism: sustaining their pleasures in the midst of pain dished-out to them by mis-governance. Many, in a bid to portray false stoicism, die many times over like the so-called cowards they are regarded as. But do you blame them? The cause of their malaise may simply have arisen because of their lack of proper education, enlightenment and exposure.
Three: Nepotism, bribery and corruption. To say the least, or the most obvious, or over emphasizing it, nepotism, bribery and corruption numbs a whole lot of Nigerians: making them in the process, false stoics, false epicureans, heady, hardy, gullible and somewhat foolish in the socio-economic and political dialectics and dynamics of Nigeria. Check the definitions of nepotism, bribery and corruption; also check-out their realities in Nigeria and you will be pretty convinced and sure, they have induced monumental havocs on the Nigerian society. They have indeed made many Nigerians false stoics and epicureans. Indeed, they have made a whole lot of Nigerians heady, hardy, gullible and foolish in the quest for the sustainability of societal goals and goods for all. Due to their pervasive, corrosive and destructive nature, they have numbed the veins of many a Nigeria. They have also made many Nigerians selfish, myopic, pre-bendal, nepotic and vain. They are indeed numbing societal vices that have had a prolonged grip on the societal-health of Nigeria and Nigerians; and now urgently needs bitter societal-medicines-and-practitioners to cure their debilitating effects.
In conclusion, whether it is the erudite Reuben Abati or the wordsmith and journalism icon of the blessed memory: Dele Giwa, saying or writing for posterity, that Nigerians are “special” and unshockable” kind of people (especially in the face of vicissitudes confronting them and as imposed on them by mis-governance), one fact to note is that there are factors inducing them to be “special” and “unshockable: to the point of them been seen and felt as false stoics, epicureans, heady, hardy, gullible, foolish, cowards, selfish and myopic, etc. And this essay has tried to guess and hazard some of the likely causes of this numbing state of affairs: especially as they have be-fallen on Nigerians in their socio-economic and political dialectics and dynamics. We (all Nigerians) can only work hard to identify all the causal-factors and their effects, and thereafter quickly eliminate them from the internal and external body of Nigeria. Please do your own best in this regard, and surely, your own best when joined with others’ best, will also surely establish a lasting and sustainable cure; and a good socio-economic, political, psychological and philosophical health for the generality of the Nigerian people. It has been said that many Nigerians want to go to heaven but do not want to die firs; but the whole truth is that one must die first before getting into heaven. Nigerians must shed their fears to confront mis-governance in any form before they will get-into the bliss of enjoying total freedoms associated with a totally progressive society (which is equivalent to earthly-haven or heaven).
Written by Ejike Kingsley Osuji.
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