A tale of pipers and flutes, why Nigerians miss the mark: Nigeria stands at a morally dangerous crossroads. And the choice is clear. As a people, we can either cling to the present lie, propaganda and inglorious pride while the flute of greed, broken promise, corruption and decay continues to obliterate the nation, or, we can stand up and confront the painful truth of the present ‘disgrace’ we have become and push for change. Those who shout against outside intervention should ask themselves — what has past or present administrations done to stop the killing of innocent citizens (plainly speaking), stop the terror within? While our leaders have looted, traded, and mismanaged our vast resources, the very people now invoking patriotism and sovereignty stand silent on a mandate – serenaded by empty promises of good governance. If our governments fail to govern as they have done and we keep silent, but shout when foreign powers threaten to intervene and rescue us, then, something is wrong with us as a people! Yes, their motive may not be straight up benevolence, but, at least, it acknowledges our dignity as humans! … Sovereignty means little if it is not anchored in justice, sufficiency, provision of basic needs, protection and defense of lives, rights and property. The choice before us is clear, either we get it right or we continue to miss the mark!
A tale of pipers and flutes: Why Nigerians miss the ‘mark’
By Elsie-Bernadette Onubogu
As the words ‘disgrace and guns-a-blazing’ revved up the internet and in particular Nigeria’s social media, television stations with all manner of claims, threats, lies, anger and more propaganda, sitting back in the comfort of my abode, I thought about Robert Browning, Gwen Guthrie and two other characters – Pipers 1 & 2. With these characters, this writer has chosen not to sacrifice details.
As the reader navigates through the discourse, you will find four to five characters each with the flute both as a symbol and an allegory. As a symbol, the flute conveys full human emotions (sorrow and melody), yet, an allegory of sorts – it captures the actions of making, keeping and breaking of a promise – it will serve as a ‘double entendre’.
From the categories, the characterization as a ‘disgrace,’ will expose how ‘flutes’ of greed, broken promise, betrayal, is clear indication that many Nigerians ‘miss the mark.’ It will also validate the expectation of reward from the ‘threat piper,’ after all, nothing goes for nothing.
As the narrative progresses, the reader will find that Nigeria’s flutes dips from ‘Nigeria Go Survive,’ to ‘Nigeria Jaga Jaga.’ As Nigerians, we all sang the song in agreement! So, I ask, isn’t ‘jaga jaga’ same or worse than the word – disgrace?
To explain what many have classified as ‘insult,’ I urge readers to review today’s Nigeria with a ‘reality’ lens. Unequivocally, one sees abject poverty, greed, corruption, inefficiency, broken promises, betrayal, which must be called exactly what it is – a disgrace.
By dictionary meaning, disgrace refers to, ‘a bad situation, unacceptable – that makes people lose respect.’ The truth is, if the Aso Rock Piper had kept his promises, there would be no need for either a national or international Piper at the gate. For me, this is where Nigerians miss the mark.
The British slang “pied” — meaning to be deceived, ignored, or treated badly — fits perfectly here. The Nigerian people have been ‘pied’ repeatedly by home-grown Pipers who have consistently failed in the job they were hired to do.
For example, former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai, on Channels television informed the world that the government had a national policy of empowering bandits and terrorists to kill through negotiated monthly stipend. In addition, Senator Adams Oshiomhole on the Senate floor, informed the Chief of Defense Staff that retired army generals were behind the terrorists and bandits who were mining and killing innocent Nigerians while the government did nothing. If this is not a ‘disgrace’ – am not sure what is.
So, let me be clear, I vehemently disagree with anyone who says the characterization of the country as a ‘disgrace’ is an insult. To drum it home, “Na who make himself/herself banana, naim say – make Monkey chop am.’ It is the bad situation – bad governance (the flutes) that has triggered a new Piper at Nigerian gates.
There is fear that the Piper at the ‘threat gate’ will come with costly flutes. For me, this fear is a ‘Day late, a dollar short.’ And, as the Americans say, there is no free lunch!
In the spirit of respect for human dignity, our focus should not be on whether Piper 2 is acting out of charity or being transactional?
READ ALSO: Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern: Who is afraid and why?
Indeed, to focus on that, is having a transaction mindset rather than thinking first of human lives and dignity – and it misses the mark!
In addition, to do so, is to be guilty of a ‘transaction mindset.’
Really, can anyone blame this Piper for stepping in when Nigerian leaders denied, ignored and abandoned its people? When the government charged with protecting its people have spent more time on foreign trips in pursuit of the ‘elusive’ direct investment. When the present government chooses instead, to specialize in defending its failures than defending its citizens?
If the present state of Nigeria, the continued story of a ‘giant’ overrun by a small rag-tag terrorist gang with state-sponsored ‘guns-ablazing’ snuffing innocent lives is not a bad situation, unacceptable, thus, denying the country respect, then, you truly miss the mark.
If you (a Nigerian) have not lost respect for the country in its present state, you miss the mark.
Has the ‘Green Passport’ not lost respect almost in every country of the world? Suddenly, there are cries of ‘sovereignty.’
I am bemused when those who have tolerated the greed, broken promises, betrayals, corruption, and unending foreign borrowing/AID speak of ‘sovereignty.’
Does ‘Sovereignty’ have meaning where citizens are unsafe – live in fear, live in abject poverty, and profiled like sub-humans for bearing the nation’s passport? These are present day ‘flutes’ of Nigeria. Still, you choose to shout sovereignty whilst losing your dignity.
If the level of poverty, life span, lack of basic amenities, hunger, illiteracy, broken health system, unbounded vulgarity of the so-called elites/leaders, corruption within the judiciary, legislature, the private sector – particularly the banks, disintegration of opposition, marginalization, insecurity, etc., is not a disgrace, then, you miss the mark.
So, for anyone complaining about the word – disgrace, you are either a benefactor of the bad ‘fluting’ or you simply do not understand citizen’s rights and privileges. In which case, you not only miss the mark, you are a complete and utter dingbat!
The truth though is, for many crying foul, sovereignty and non-intervention, they represent the three Cs – the compromised, the complicit and converted of the Piper who broke promises.
We expect respect from the international community though we tolerate corruption, broken promises and utter betrayal from those we hired to do a job to lead, protect and serve us. They convert national resources to private enterprise, and siphon the remainder abroad. Then, they turn around and have us queue up for foreign ‘AID,’ borrowing with such impunity that ought to leave successive generations worried.
How we conveniently forget sovereignty then!
I will say it again, if Aso Rock Pipers (past and most importantly the present) had kept or keep promises of good governance, there would be no need for either a national or international Piper at the gate. For me, that’s how we got to where we are today with a Piper at Nigeria’s gate. The characters with their flutes will portray the situation in Nigeria.
The Piper – Robert Browning
Written by Robert, the Pied Piper of Hamelin was a story of a mysterious Piper hired by the Town of Hamelin to get rid of “RATS” ravaging the city for a “fee.” The Piper did his job, but the town refused to pay agreed fee. So, in revenge, the Piper with his flute lured the city kids away! The story exposes promise, greed and betrayal, ‘the consequences of dishonesty, and the moral responsibility of leaders to uphold their promises’. In a nutshell, it is a tale of ‘Promise made, Promise kept, and Promise broken,’ which birthed a hero forced to become a villain.
It can be likened to Nigeria’s Aso Rock from past to present, some of whom are named below. The one difference is, Nigeria has more villains than heroes. This is because, they are hired for a job, given exorbitant salary and benefits. They go for the jugular decimating the nation’s resources, turning it into family and sycophant’s enterprise, and, still fail to do the job. In reality, the present Aso Rock Piper has exceeded every bound of decency.
The Piper – Gwen Guthrie (circa 1986)
A US musical Piper stormed the airwaves with that famous (seemed realistic) song, ‘No romance without finance.’ The lyrics:
No romance without finance, no romance without finance
Boy, nothin’ in life is free. That′s why I’m asking you, what can you do for me? I’ve got responsibilities. So, I′m looking for a man
who’s got some money in his hand. You got to have something if you want to be with me…A fly girl like me needs security…You got to have a J.O.B. if you want to be with me. No romance without finance.
Though Gwen sang about romance, in reality, she reminded us that nothing in life is free. From a diplomatic and foreign policy perspective, former French President Charles de Gaulle noted, ‘Nations have interests and not friends.’ This was his approach to ‘foreign policy.’
Can anyone tell us what the present Aso Rock Piper’s foreign policy is?
Past pipes – flutes of service, trust and hope?
Decades ago, Nigerian citizens didn’t have everything they wanted, but, had most of what they needed. At least in the towns, state governments provided the basic amenities of potable clean water, affordable public transport, public hospitals that provided affordable healthcare, public schools that taught with purpose and churned out some of the world’s best in all subject areas.
The times weren’t perfect, but, it was a time, the people were well aware of the social contract between the State and the people.
No, it wasn’t a digital age, but, it was age enough when tunes from musical “Pipers” included: ‘Lift Up Nigeria’ (Sunny Ade); Which Way Nigeria (Sonny Okosun); One Love (Onyeka Onwenu), and Nigeria Go Survive (Veno Marioghae). These tunes did not win the Grammies, yet, they were tunes Nigeria/ns could verify and used to hold the nation to account.
Yes, earlier times were imperfect, but, somehow, Nigeria still had a few Pipers who had heroic like attributes before the villains took over. Leaders whose flutes laced with conscience belted sounds of sensitivity, trust, and service. Here, I think of the melodies of Governor Samuel Mbakwe who boosted business and economy for the people with a much-needed airport. Melodies from Lateef Jakande and Samuel Ogbemudia, who provided adequate shelter for citizens, not forgetting Abubakar Rimi, who opened the gates of education for women and girls.
Slowly, the melody of service and public trust began to wear off and falter, soon replaced by melodies of self, greed, lies, neglect and corruption. The downward spiral has taken a new low, that disgrace is an understatement – for a country with unbelievable human and natural resources.
As the melodies dipped, we moved from ‘Nigeria Go Survive,’ to ‘Nigeria Jaga Jaga – Eedris Abdulkareem to the last recent – ‘Seyi Tinubu Tell Your Papa’ – a wailing of the unbearable hardship and disappointment. What did Piper 1 do? What he does best – intimidate, ban and silence the voice of truth – Eedris Abdulkareem’s music was termed a lie!
Piper 1 – Aso Rock with corrupted mandate and flute?
There is no doubt, today’s Nigeria’s flutes, is a Piper’s music of hardship, poverty, and targeted massacre of Christians, which has played for far too long, worse under the present Piper, yet, remains a tale of broken promises. Even the simple promise to provide electricity within two years in office remains unfulfilled. Unfortunately, Nigerians have watched each government promise broken, and innocent citizens pay the price including the ultimate price of death.
Insecurity has not only taken a terrifying dimension, it has become institutionalized and state sponsored with a frightening genocidal component. The nation’s power supply or grid is an embarrassing joke! Still, every four years, the same promise breakers flute in again with rhetoric. Sadly, the people, with unrealistic hope or gullibility choose to believe without reviewing or computing the cost and the price they have paid or asked to pay. Yet, the same people are now questioning the cost of an external Piper.
Either way, my take is, this Piper has consistently misappropriated Nigeria’s resources. Thus, to continue on the same trajectory is nothing but utter foolishness.
At the risk of sounding unpatriotic and insensitive, I wonder what difference it will make to the people crying foul if Piper 2 appropriates.
After all, Piper 1 has never used these resources for the people’s benefits. Instead, Piper 1 is engaged in transactions that benefit himself and his mandate standers. So, why would Piper 2 provide free services? Haven’t Nigerians been ‘pied’ enough?
A boardroom?
To be clear, there is no charity in the boardroom of geopolitics. That is why Nations field representatives as Ambassadors to protect their interests and not from benevolence. The Pied Piper of Hamelin was not a saviour — he was a tradesman who performed a duty and demanded his due. Likewise, the new Piper at our gates will expect something in return. After all, reports have shown him as transactional.
As I queried earlier, can we really blame Piper 2 for stepping in to an abandoned stage? A stage with a high cost, unbearable hardship where people are internally displaced? It feels like an intra-state war, but, the lying government says it is in control. Yet, evidence shows Nigeria’s boardroom is a killing field with ‘floods of blood’ as the ‘silent shepherd’ once noted, bringing a ‘Piper’ at her gate.
Piper 2 – A piper with a messianic or business flute?
On October 31, the world awoke to a new Piper from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue who issued a warning to the Nigerian government: stop the Christian genocide. This is because, for over fifteen years, Northern Nigeria has been drenched in the blood of innocents — victims of terrorism, a persecution that wore a Christian face.
The statement from Washington triggered outrage and confusion. While some cried foul, accusing America of meddling in Nigeria’s sovereignty, others whispered “Hallelujah,” relieved that at last, someone had noticed the suffering and killing of innocent citizens. By the way, the ‘Halleluyah Challenge’ had just ended!
The debate is no longer whether there is Christian genocide or not, but, whether Piper 2 is coming as a hero or a villain? For this writer, in so far as it took a foreign ‘flute’ to draw attention to the tragedy of extermination of Nigerians, it is a disgraceful indication of how low we have fallen – and how – many still miss the mark.
As long as we focus on ‘cost of reward,’ to the Piper, it diminishes human dignity and lives of Nigerians. As stated earlier, it places us on the same ‘transaction mindset’ we complain about that Piper.
Whether his tune will bring deliverance or merely a change of tempo dipped in gold, or purified into lithium hydroxide remains anyone’s guess. While the outcome may be discomforting, we must be guided by De Gaulle’s warning, ‘nations have interests not friends’, and the fact that our leaders’ neglect put us in harm’s way.
By their greed, broken promise and subsequent betrayals, Nigerian leaders have mortgaged our ‘sovereignty.’ Thus, the people must begin to look for a fitting Piper.
A piper for the people?
Nigeria stands at a morally dangerous crossroads. And the choice is clear. As a people, we can either cling to the present lie, propaganda and inglorious pride while the flute of greed, broken promise, corruption and decay continues to obliterate the nation, or, we can stand up and confront the painful truth of the present ‘disgrace’ we have become and push for change.
Those who shout against outside intervention should ask themselves — what has past or present administrations done to stop the killing of innocent citizens (plainly speaking), stop the terror within?
While our leaders have looted, traded, and mismanaged our vast resources, the very people now invoking patriotism and sovereignty stand silent on a mandate – serenaded by empty promises of good governance.
If our governments fail to govern as they have done and we keep silent, but shout when foreign powers threaten to intervene and rescue us, then, something is wrong with us as a people! Yes, their motive may not be straight up benevolence, but, at least, it acknowledges our dignity as humans!
Can we honestly defend sovereignty while surrendering human dignity? We demand respect abroad yet tolerate greed and betrayal at home. When we queue up to ask for ‘AID’, we conveniently forget sovereignty, and we are continuously ‘pied’ at home. I ask again, will being ‘pied’ by an external Piper make any difference?
The truth is, if the Aso Rock Piper had kept his promises, there would be no need for a national or international Piper at the gate. It is the echo of decades long broken promises, neglect and inability to protect and govern that is fueling Piper 2.
At this point I ask, should we reject the foreign Piper outright? Or should we at least listen — cautiously, as this writer recommended in the piece on who is afraid of CPC?
In the final analysis, the choice is ours. It is crucial to remember that, every time we allow promises to be broken without consequence, we invite another Piper with a flute. And when that Piper begins to play, no one can predict whether the flute will come with carnage or charity.
What I know for sure is, Nigeria’s sovereignty is in tatters not because of America’s words, but, by our own indifference, complicity, duplicity, hypocrisy, neglect, sheer greed and corruption. If we continue to follow blindly, hoping for rescue from new flutes — foreign or domestic — we run the risk of yet another unpredictable Piper.
It is time for Nigerians to choose the right Piper. To do so, we (Nigerians) must vote leaders and hold them to account; reject neglect and falsehood through impeachment and voting out non-performing officers.
Sovereignty means little if it is not anchored in justice, sufficiency, provision of basic needs, protection and defense of lives, rights and property. The choice before us is clear, either we get it right or we continue to miss the mark!
