By Philip Omenukwa
At the very beginning of this little reflection, I must straight away plead with my audience to hear me out patiently as I struggle to clarify the point the topic in question reflects.
Today, Nigeria bears the description of a Zoo by those who have lost hope in her to the extent that it has become a household expression among many. To this, divergent reactions can easily be recorded; while others frown at such a description, others seem to affirm such and are ready to defend such to the last. But the question remains, why a zoo? Why not a Nation? Or is the Nigerian nation a caricature of what a Nation stands for? Why have Nnamdi Kanu and the IPOB described Nigeria in the first place as a zoo? What informs this seemingly atrocious clothing? Is Nigeria no longer the giant of Africa? Or has she lost her status as an Independent Nation among the comity of Nations and known among her peers as the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Why a Zoo?
The Wilhelmer Zoo Stuttgart is in Germany. I have been privileged to visit this Zoo a number of times because of its outstanding beauty and order. Recently, I visited this zoo once morein the company of some of my colleagues from Nigeria, for the purpose of recreation and relaxation. In this Zoo, one witnesses a compelling presence of order and discipline. The netwok of roads are of the state of the art; beautiful, neat and well managed. The Electric power supply is of utmost importance because the animals need this necessity of life together with the steady supply of water. The Zoo attendants know what it means to give the animals their food as and when due, because they cannot risk the consequential rioting of these creatures. To this, they endeavour to carry out their duties quite diligently, probably because of the beauty and command of order or negatively because of the fear of a possible unrest by the animals when denied these necessities of life. A standard hospital, which takes care of both the animals and their attendants is erected in this vicinity. No half-measures are entertained; ambulances including helicoptersare on standby waiting for signals to swing into action. The arrangement and order are simply awesome. The workers are sharp and prompt to their duties. Hard work is the watchword and the workers elegantly carry out their duties in strict obedience to the norms and laws of engagement.All animals have their natural habitats. No effort is made to coerce any or subjugate one to a habitat strange to its existence. Care is taken to separate those that cannot coexist with others because of the grave consequences its neglect portends. Here, the law of nature has to be given prime consideration, consciously aware that danger lurks around the corner when it is consciously or unconsciously ruptured. Nevertheless, the Zoo has some basic limitations, for instance, the lack of freedom, since the animals are conditioned to stay in their given habitats and may be disposed of as the need arises. This is a little picture of what a Zoo stands for and I doubt if the Nigerian nation fits into this great picture of order and discipline, which the Zoo embodies. No, Nigeria cannot be a Zoo.
I still remember quite vividly the experience I had as a young student some years ago. One of our teachers and formators just came back from Europe on holidays and on setting his feet in Nigeria, he sighed heavily and said; “back to the jungle.” As a young student, I was startled by this apparent offensive expression by a man I held in high esteem. How could he deride his own nation in such terms?How could he describe his fatherland in such demeaning words? I struggled to muster the little courage in me to questionthis seemingly unfortunate attitude of his, but he laughed and said, my child, you will not understand, but with time it will be clear to you; Nigeria our fatherland is a jungle.Quite recently, the entire Nigerian nation was surprised with Shehu Sani’s allegory of the Lion – King, the Jackals and the Hyenas, and the response of Mrs. Aisha Buhari, strongly pointing to the jungle nature of the Nigerian nation, which captures the vivid picture of the Nigerian character and shape much more than a Zoo. Olusegun Adeniyisummarizes this very well in the following words; “There is no better reflection of the state of our nation today than the Facebook exchange between the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari and the Senator of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani. It speaks to several issues: Nigeria is no better than a jungle where transgressing the boundaries of acceptable norms is standard practice for some people; the political actors care more about their personal interests than the welfare of citizens; and in the desperate struggle over spoils—which basically is what their rivalry boils down to—as it is in the animal kingdom, fear and brute force control the environment.”This point is duly corroborated by OkeyBakassi in his “the Other News” of Channels. The problem here is not the usage of animals in the human illustration, for we humans are after all animals of a special kind, but the manner of presentation and the characters these animals exhibit in this unique animal kingdom called Nigeria, and also the characters involved in this allegorical comparison. This reminds me of the picture painted by George Orwell in his book, “the Animal Farm.” These and more strongly indicate to anyone who cares to know that, our supposed leaders know that Nigeria, in concrete terms, isa Jungle different from the Zoo-label NnamdiKanu and the IPOB have given it.
In the Zoo for instance, the presence or absence of the Lion – King does not affect the life of the other animals, for each has its own particular sphere of operation duly regulated and monitored by the Zoo attendants. Everyone operates in its own space and the existing order denies one the possibility of infringing or encroaching into the existing space of the other. But in a jungle, which I believe captures the intention of the users of the above analogy of the Lion – King, the Jackals and the Hyena, the presence or absence of the Lion – King or the Jackals and the Hyena is immediately felt by the weaker animals, who, unfortunately are prey to these beasts of nature; they rejoice when the Lion – King is not there and cannot but be sorrowful when he reappears. In reality, the weaker animals have no singular option than to pray and wish the death of the Lion – King, since its life means disaster and death for them. Unlike in the Zoo, where the freedom of the animals are highly limited and conditioned, there reigns a seeming appearance of freedom. The animals here are free but dangerously so. Since the operating principle is survival of the fittest, the weaker animals become prey to the stronger and dangerous ones like the Lion – King. And because the Jungle enjoys the unfortunate mark of lawlessness, anything can go and anything actually goes.
A literary icon, a great builder and formator, Nathaniel I. Ndiokwere,in his series known as “Only in Nigeria” enumerated the uncountable anomalies prevalent in the Nigerian landscape. I am sure, if he is to make some appendages to this work, greater litanies of evil not included in the already published work will definitely be mentioned,because there appears to be in the Nigerian state a daily geometric rise and breeding of evil. It is only in Nigeria that a wanted criminal in any country of the world will hope to get himself or herself within the shores of the Nigerian state and once it is done he is free, and can politically contest for any position, and thanks to the structure on ground, will definitely win and become “a leader of thought.” It is only in Nigeria that the security agents become security hazards, consciously shooting down and maiming those they are paid to protect. It is only in Nigeria that political office holders will embezzle the public funds and glamorously make private donations from their stolen wealth and will still be greeted with applause and great reception. It is only in Nigeria, that an oil producing country will export her raw produce, to import it for her very consumption.It is only in Nigeria that a governor of state will insensitively and wickedly mandate and force her senior citizens (Pensioners) to forgo their entitlements and proudly move about unharmed. It is only in Nigeria that the ruling class will shamelessly embezzle funds allocated for infrastructural development and move about unquestioned, and stupidly travel outside Nigeria to enjoy the very things they struggled to destroy. It is only in Nigeria that school dropouts take decisions for the intelligentsia and the intelligentsia will pitiably run errands for them. It is only in Nigeria that the past is always better than the present and the future completely unpredictable.The list is uncountable. Do these fit into the picture of a Zoo we described above? No, Nigeria cannot be a Zoo.
Whereas in the Zoo order reigns, in the Jungle, the fundamental principle of operation is the survival of the fittest. It does not seem correct to me for Nnamdi Kanu and the IPOB to describe Nigeria as a Zoo. Here, I have my reservations, for either theydo not understand in its entirety what a Zoo stands for, which is unlikely the case or theyare in fact very prudent in their choice of word, which is very likely the case.Probably, they may be talking of a Nigerian Zoo.However, even in a Nigerian Zoo, there is a certain level of order and discipline,otherwise it collapsesand its disastrous effect can only be imagined.Whatever their reasons might be, I must assert in all sincerity that Nigeria cannot be a Zoo but A JUNGLE.
To therefore call Nigeria a Zoo is to even dress it on a borrowed robe; this is purely deceptive, since it imposes on her a certain level of order and discipline that is grossly lacking in her very constitution. The picture of a jungle better captures the rape, domination, vandalism, dehumanization, lawlessness, indiscipline, hunger, disorientation, abysmal poverty which dots her entire landscape, the hopelessness and recklessness into which her leaders have plunged this beautifully blessed land into. My worry then is; when shall we realise that God has not blessed us to be a jungle, but to take our destiny in our hands and build a Nation that can favourably compete with other nations of the world and possibly overtake them? The nation of the dream of Mbonu Ojike, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and indeed all those who fought and won Independence. When shall we abandon the 1999 Constitution as amended, that has been described by our legal luminaries like Robert Clarke as a rotten egg fit only for the dustbin and humbly go back to the 1963 constitution that has been adjudged by many as a more perfect tool for our corporate existence, and that offers a more formidable standpoint for meaningful development?When shall our present be better than our past and our future anticipated with great indescribable joy and expectation? When shall we live to see our identity not dangling between the pendulum of a Zoo and a Jungle? When shall we be known once more as a nation of great pride and hope, and be treated as such? It is only when the Nigerian citizens realise that their destiny lies in their hands, and that freedom is not given but taken. It is only when the marginalized rise up in unison and pull down the structures of oppression and make life uncomfortable for the corrupt political class and indeed anywhere oppression pitches its tent. It is only then that Nigeria will emancipate herself from the jungle and assume her rightful position once again in the comity of Nations as a Nation or Nations as the case may be.
Omenukwa writes from Germany