Morality is not a buffet: A genuine activist does not speak when hungry and go silent when fed. That is not activism, it is opportunism. It is ‘stomach infrastructure.’ In good conscience, I cannot accuse this person of corruption, bribery or stealing. Barring a ‘Road Safety’ sensation, I am not aware of scandals that trail him. Perhaps, as my colleague Charlie, noted, “Some betrayals don’t come in bank accounts, briefcases or buildings. Some arrive so softly and subtly, that, they are adorned in intellect, wrapped in silence and sealed with a government award – in a name.” History we know records, never forgets, neither does it erase. So, let today’s Nigerian history record and never forget that, once a brilliant, bold and brave man lived with comfort, conviction, and courage. But, somewhere in a moment, it seems comfort overtook conviction and courage, and the man died! Sadly, that moment in history was when Nigeria/ns needed him most.
By Elsie-Bernadette Onubogu
For me, besides death, there is nothing as tragic as watching someone (especially those you admire) lose themselves, i.e., lose their humanity – to put it simply, compromise! Before now, I have resisted the urge to write about this person – not for lack of words, courage or out of fear. But, simply from the pedestal of disappointment and the bitter taste of betrayal that his recent utterances, actions and writings has left in my mouth – indeed, in many Nigerian minds.
A man whose morality buffet once comprised of speaking against any and all forms of discrimination, injustice, violence, fighting against poverty, speaking truth to power on issues of mal-administration, impunity and the like, suddenly – picks and chooses what constitutes ‘morality’ in the same buffet – this time served on a platter of impunity.
For full disclosure, Pope Leo XIV’s recent utterance captured by US-MSNBC Symone Sanders as “Morality is not a buffet,” finally gave me the audacity to write about this person.
For the last few years, I have watched in awe, utter dismay and even disgust, as this human being once revered for his courage and moral boldness is crumbling before our eyes. A person once defiant in the face of injustice and impunity – once a courage badass, is now compliant and blindfolds himself to impunity.
A person who once stood like a hulk — fearless, unbending, and resolute in defense of the common good — has now morphed into a mere shadow. This person once lived. But now, I can say without hesitation: the man died!
For the sake of truth, I would like to say, he was not always like this. There was a time when his voice could be said to be part of the conscience that the nation lacked but needed. At that time, he stood on a moral high ground not for spectacle but as a place where truth, justice and equity thrived.
Today, like Humpty Dumpty that person seems to have fallen off that ground. And, neither excuse nor logic, neither grammar nor grit, neither King nor Queen, neither President nor Governor, neither kith nor kin, neither legacy nor history can piece him back together again.
Gifted by nature with kindness, I refuse to believe these words even as I write. Still bewildered with this inglorious fall, I set out to ask why? What happened? Several questions reverberate through my thought. In probe I ask: What went wrong, what drove this 360 degrees change out of him; was he ever who we believed him to be – a defender of morality; or, was his morality always conditional or seasonal; did he hoodwink a whole nation and its people; did we miss his price? Is the price suddenly right?
When injustice befell other ethnic groups such as during 2023 election violation, he chose silence. Whilst the poor are trampled upon, lives and livelihoods of ‘others’ are blatantly destroyed, the rights of the poor to live are violated, he either justifies it, or he chooses a nauseating indifference. Once principled, now pliant. Once defiant, now deferential.
His silence more than (others) speaks volume. His silence is louder than any words he chooses now to speak. To many of us, he has picked the ‘choice dishes’ from his morality set buffet. We get it, the man died!
This is wrong. Morality cannot be a ‘pick and choose in a buffet.’ This is because, within its orbit, the moral compass is inexorably connected and it must endure the test of time.
At this point, the reader can likely predict the protagonist. But, if you are still guessing, let me wish your imagination a sleepy drive from the traffic jam of Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi – Lagos, onto a speedy road drive through Third Mainland Bridge to the sleepy town of Abeokuta where you will experience nature at its best – with lush deep forest, and a flowing river that gives you the peace and quiet that eludes you in big cities.
But before you confirm your guess, come with me down memory lane —a journey ironically made easier by the man himself.
This same person chastised a president’s wife (not for policy as she was not involved – at least so we thought) for what he felt was her nuanced interference and involvement in Rivers State in 2013.
But, in 2025, he slept through a near catastrophic crisis in the same Rivers State. A crisis that even a ‘mumu’ knew the ‘mumulity’ charlatan behind it. A crisis that beyond its illegality, undermined the very tenets of democracy, and made a mockery of the entire judicial system in Nigeria.
Yes, he lives and walks amongst us. He writes and still lectures around the world. But, it seems like Saul, the truth-telling and spirit of courage has departed from him.
All that is left, is a shadow of the man who stood tall against tyranny, and denounced injustice, now draped in the praise robes of kith and kin. Perhaps, I can safely ask: ‘is his voice still amongst the ‘conscience’ of the land?’
I will say it again, he used to be different or so we thought. And, I recall with nostalgia one moment that validates this.
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Exactly fifteen years ago, Nigeria was preparing to hop on the ‘fifth floor.’ As is typical of the ‘vagabonds in power’ who cared little about the ‘pulse of the nation,’ they prepared to roll out drums with pomp and pageantry to jubilate with a ‘golden’ spoon even though the faces of Nigerians conveyed a different story and the streets seemed to align with the people’s feelings.
That pulse revealed an economy experiencing an unhealthy free fall, the Naira sliding to ₦180 against the dollar, while hunger roamed the land. Additionally, infrastructure was continuing to crumble while insecurity had temporarily seized the lives of 210 girls from their school in Chibok.
The ‘man’ stood tall and said, No. “There is nothing to celebrate” he declared as PM News reported, and that declaration echoed across the hearts of Nigerians. Many cheered him for the courage and using his platform to demand accountability.
At that time, we vowed that he saw the rot and rightly spoke about the rot without embellishment. As he lived then, he refused to be compromised nor join the chorus of empty praises. He spoke truth to power and was reported to have said that the then president was worse than Nebuchadnezzar!
But what a difference 15 years makes.
Fast forward to 2025, Nigeria is in far worse shape. The Naira now trades at ₦1,500 to the dollar. Hunger, banditry, and impunity run rampant. Poverty is etched onto the faces of everyday Nigerians. The decay is undeniable that even the blind Bartimaeus of the Bible can see through it. If anything, it feels like Nigeria is under King Ahab, or a Pharoah like Ramesses, and a Jezebel!
Sadly, that man cannot see it.
The same man who once denounced false celebration now sings its praises. He recently accepted a government award and offered glowing praise to the very system he once condemned.
What changed? Was it ethnicity? Self-preservation? Age?
None of these will suffice as he still shows a depth of mental aptitude – even for his age. As I examined all the factors, I came to the conclusion that the change was either moral or perhaps, we were all hoodwinked. It would appear the high moral ground on which he hitherto stood is now sinking sand – he is slipping away.
The slip appears to put him in close proximity to power. Or, perhaps, a slip towards gratitude for those who gave him food – even cooking utensils and a roof over his head in his difficult moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNGv6vhmAbY
This seems to be the cause of his retreat into silence, duplicity and hypocrisy. So, I ask again, was he truly the man we thought he was, or did we ascribe more to him than he was?
From his present alliance, the man has chosen his side – he has picked the ‘choice dishes’ from the set buffet. By his actions and inaction, he is telling us morality is seasonal and conditional.
But, no, morality, like truth, is not situational. You do not get to speak for justice only when it aligns with your comfort or tribe. What I know for sure now is, it is clear that the man who lived knew this. And, the man who died has chosen to forget this fact. And that’s why, as the poor are crying now, he has neither outrage nor chastisement to offer.
For him, morality is a choice buffet. Clearly, he has chosen what twinkles his taste buds, and discarded the food that no longer serves his palate and interests.
That person who was once defiant is now indifferent, and we will never forget this betrayal. It is betrayal and hypocrisy of the highest order. It is truth bent over at the ‘Bourdillon Bend Down Market’ – waiting to be hired. It is integrity and morality negotiated and manipulated. It is reward of investments in ‘Assorted-Rock’ minerals.
But morality cannot be a convenient dish – where you pick and choose. Even as a dish, its values and tenets must remain consistent. As Pope Leo XIV in re-echoing Pope Francis’ viewpoint (an analogy here), “You cannot be pro-life only part of the time. Someone who is against abortion but supports the death penalty or mistreatment of immigrants is not truly pro-life.”
In the same spirit, you cannot condemn oppression only when it affects your people; you cannot condemn bad governance when it is not your ‘kin,’ and condone it when it’s your kin, your condemnation of impunity cannot be seasonal. That is not courage, it is duplicity. Your speaking truth to power must not be conditional or in season only. Otherwise, it becomes hypocrisy.
A genuine activist does not speak when hungry and go silent when fed. That is not activism, it is opportunism. It is ‘stomach infrastructure.’
In good conscience, I cannot accuse this person of corruption, bribery or stealing. Barring a ‘Road Safety’ sensation, I am not aware of scandals that trail him.
Perhaps, as my colleague Charlie, noted, “Some betrayals don’t come in bank accounts, briefcases or buildings. Some arrive so softly and subtly, that, they are adorned in intellect, wrapped in silence and sealed with a government award – in a name.”
History we know records, never forgets, neither does it erase. So, let today’s Nigerian history record and never forget that, once a brilliant, bold and brave man lived with comfort, conviction, and courage.
But, somewhere in a moment, it seems comfort overtook conviction and courage, and the man died! Sadly, that moment in history was when Nigeria/ns needed him most.
