Nigerian elite and the lack of self-awareness, By Cheta Nwanze

…I favor to take a look at the broad issues she is speaking about. Sadly, the response of Nigeria’s elite to it reveals the routine lack of self-awareness that has possessed us as a individuals.

“Nigeria is a mere geographical expression. There aren’t any ‘Nigerians’ in the identical sense as there are ‘English’ or ‘Welsh’ or ‘French’. The phrase ‘Nigeria’ is merely a particular appellation to differentiate those that dwell inside the boundaries of Nigeria from those that don’t.”  —  Obafemi Awolowo, Path to Nigerian Freedom, 1947.

First issues first, Kemi is clearly shitting on her dad and mom’ nation of origin so as to make political acquire. A foolish technique as a result of there isn’t a manner she will out-Farage Nigel Farage himself. The iron regulation of right-wing politics is that the additional proper a mainstream politician goes, he would all the time discover that the nutters who occupied the erstwhile far proper have gone even additional. Ergo, there may be nothing Kemi can do or say; she is going to by no means win over Farage’s disciples.

Having stated that, I favor to take a look at the broad issues she is speaking about. Sadly, the response of Nigeria’s elite to it reveals the routine lack of self-awareness that has possessed us as a individuals.

Is Nigeria a “united” nation? Not by any stretch of the creativeness and the identical divisiveness we’re accusing Kemi of, Nigerian politicians routinely deploy. I’m of Igbo ethnicity, and within the final decade I bear in mind, off the highest of my head, individuals promising that my individuals could be drowned within the Lagos Lagoon if they didn’t vote in a selected method; I bear in mind a public official being attacked by safety guards from his a part of the nation, and turning round accountable ‘Biafra boys’ for the assault; I bear in mind Yoruba individuals being attacked on election day, only for ‘wanting Igbo’. So, it’s fascinating that we draw the road when a overseas politician (with roots in our nation) performs divisive politics. She learnt it from someplace.

On the police. Can anybody studying this say with a straight face that the Nigerian police is a paragon of decency? Please say so and be shamed as an inveterate liar.

Like Kemi’s brother, I’ve been robbed by the Nigerian Police. In contrast to Kemi’s brother, greater than as soon as. I used to be as soon as informed, simply earlier than they emptied my wallets, that “should you no carry that pockets, I’m going shoot you and nothing go occur.” That assertion was delivered within the calm and measured tones of somebody who had truly executed it earlier than. Given the place I grew up and the form of work I ended up doing as an grownup, I’ve greater than sufficient tales concerning the Nigerian Police, so let’s not faux about that felony organisation.

On nationwide unity, Kemi is solely echoing considered one of our ‘founding fathers’ in letting us know (once more) that Nigeria isn’t a nation. We have now spent the 77 years since he made that assertion doing all the things however constructing a cohesive nationwide identification. It’s true that the British introduced numerous, typically warring teams, collectively, and never for altruistic functions, however what have we executed with it since they nominally left our shores 64 years in the past?

Kemi stated that Nigeria is a poor nation the place these in energy steal from the nation. The Vice President, whose feathers have been ruffled by that assertion, spent billions of naira in constructing a brand new official residence. To what goal? Inflation figures launched lately place the monster at greater than 30 per cent. This has been the case for greater than a yr, but it was an official residence that was most necessary to him.

Final week, our nationwide grid collapsed for the twelfth time this yr. Just a few days again, there was a serious accident on Kubwa Street. Vehicles ran right into a stationary trailer as a result of there have been no functioning road lights. In 2024, we can’t assure electrical energy for our individuals, electrical energy that folks nonetheless have in Damascus and Beirut, regardless of each cities being below heavy bombardment. Please, we must always take a number of again seats.

Anyway, there isn’t a lot else to do however to attend for the inevitable OpEd in both the FT or the Economist, ghostwritten within the title of the President or Vice President, lambasting her. It’s the form of lack of self-awareness that defines Nigeria’s elite.

Cheta Nwanze is a accomplice at SBM Intelligence.