Lucre of mediocrity cult and the psycho-social paralysis of Nigerian essence
By Emma Nzeaka
I recently went to an interview for a managerial post in Abuja. Eight men and two women were on the panel. They appeared outstanding in their business attire. They exuded the atmosphere of a panel that would not cut corners. I wanted to convey how confident I was. They extended an invitation to take a seat after exchanging polite remarks and fake grins. After the introduction, silence filled every inch of space. They kept glancing through my qualifications, diplomas, volumes of prizes, and letters of congratulations, but they never bothered to ask me any questions, which drew my attention.
I was surprised when one of the female panelists was able to pose a query. Sir, do you mean you have acquired all of these, visited all of these countries, and attended all these international conferences? Can we see your passport, please? I handed it over to them. I saw that the panel stopped looking at my resume and began glaring at me as the panel’s chairman read it for a considerable amount of time before passing it around. They never formally questioned me, and after the ridiculous drama, I was kindly informed that they will get in touch with me. It was absurdist theatrical. I heard what they were saying in silence. That position eluded me. It was given to a less qualified person who, after only six months, was fired for incompetence, as I was informed later.
Being the finest in your field is now frowned upon in Nigeria, and this is merely a microcosmic display of the rot in our social order. From the home to the top echelons of our social system in national life, qualification, hard effort, and experience have been rendered ineffective and despised, and in their place is the now celebrated ineptitude and mediocrity disposition. It is a world of average quality. It is now revered by the majority of people and is a well-known cult to which we all pay homage. Merit is no longer a factor. In the distant past of our collective memory, we displayed our best selves in every sphere of life. The less competent individuals were not ignored; however, we always projected the best candidate for leadership positions in our society.
This social malaise that is destroying the fabric of our society can be intricately linked to colonialism, when the colonialists purposefully chose the Africans they could trust and the ones who were least qualified to carry out their dominance through the churches and other institutions. Some received educational scholarships with the condition that they would be compensated to act as colonialism’s agents and commit injustice. They left school as zombies and stooges incapable of opposing the status quo. According to colonial rules, the class of individuals purposefully resisted African culture and a system of positions that depended on excellence and hiring the best candidate for the job.
This was succinctly expressed by Walter Rodney in his ground-breaking book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa: It is pretty evident that the African leaders selected to act as the agents of the foreign colonial government were nothing more than puppets. All of the colonial powers considered it convenient to establish superior or paramount rulers. When the British travelled to Igbo land and invented warrant chiefs.
African political power was essentially eradicated throughout the continent by colonial domination. The warrant chiefs and subsequent administrators were chosen not on the basis of their qualifications but rather on the peculiar politics of lackeys and cronies who would better serve the colonists and further their interests. African philosopher kings, intellectuals, and sharp thinkers who constantly envisioned a better world were discriminated against. The colonials spent their time talking to churchgoers rather than individuals who might challenge them about some irritating church and government practices that denigrated African religion and cultural practices that predates colonialism and European culture.
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As a result, individuals who joined the public service after the flag independence, were not our best prospects; instead, they were compromisers and eminent bribe-takers who had received training from local churches and the British government. We lost because we did not choose our best for that crucial position in our civil service. We are currently on the yoke of the consequences, and we are well conscious of it.
Here, Franz Fanon describes the effects of colonialism in his well-known classic on neo-colonialism, Wretched of the Earth, “Therefore, the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” This statement was put into practice via colonization. Colonialism never goes unnoticed because it affects people and fundamentally changes them. It turns viewers who are weighed down by necessity into fortunate players bathed in the opulent light of history. Due to our “representatives’’ ignorance and inability to look beyond their comfort and appetite, this destructive seed has sprouted today, spread through generations, and transformed into a cult where the best is sacrificed and the worst is full of “passionate intensity.”
As a result, social development has been halted. The severe socioeconomic problems that plague us and have stumped generations of Nigerians beyond their comprehension. From the level of the average household to the highest level of government in the nation, this dilemma is imminent and haunts us. Elders lack conviction, and the previously wise men have been corrupted by the beliefs of clowns, fiddlers, pastors, and village wags, who currently run much of our affairs.
What makes us so blessed? The answer is straightforward: the mediocre are ignorant of the nuances of government and statecraft. The goal of governance now extends beyond catchphrases and the building of roads and bridges to include making it easier to live a life free from poverty. Instead of exciting thinking, we have meagre ideas, which spawn nepotism, sleaze, and the statecraft known as corruption. This corruption has taken on a life of its own, receiving resources every month through the metaphorical ‘’conduit pipe’’. Nobody is held responsible for poor performance or delivery; instead, we observe admiration for mediocrity in the form of doctoral degrees, chieftaincy positions, and phoney titles given to apostles of incompetence and complete failures in life.
It is clear that hard labour is despised and mocked as we continue to reward massive and experienced failure. Femke Van Zeiji, a foreign journalist and expert writer on corruption in Nigeria, eloquently put this issue into words. ‘’The opposite of a meritocracy is Nigeria’’. By succeeding, one does not get wealth. The key to success is having the right connections. Performance and a history of success are frowned upon and discouraged. She continues, describing the current situation, saying that it would be “career suicide” to demonstrate that you are smarter, more talented, or more competent than the “Oga at the top” (who, typically, is not an overachiever either).
- Nzeaka, E.E Ph.D. teaches at Pan-Atlantic University Lagos Nigeria