One thing devastating occurred to the psyche of Nigerians within the mid-Eighties from which they haven’t recovered. A tradition change occurred. That interval coincided with the entry of Normal Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) in August 1985 as the pinnacle of state of Nigeria.
Ideas like advance-fee fraud and drug trafficking turned extensively recognized. Drug trafficking had come into the consciousness of Nigerians in 1984 when the regime of Main Normal Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) enacted the loss of life penalty because the punishment for drug trafficking and used that legislation retroactively to execute three Nigerians. Till then, most Nigerians had not heard of cocaine and heroin.
Past the difficulty of permissibility that crept into Nigeria within the mid-Eighties, the change within the financial system was additionally a robust contributor. Inside a few years, the Peugeot 504 saloon automobile that used to promote for between N5,000 and N7,000 from the mid-Nineteen Seventies to early 80s out of the blue shot up in value to about N16,000 within the mid-Eighties.
However the largest blow was the notion of proper and flawed amongst Nigerians. A number of examples will suffice. Rising up in Nnewi, Anambra State within the 70s and early 80s, one factor folks hated to be related to was crime. Regardless that many households weren’t wealthy, they have been cautious to not be related to any type of wealth whose supply was not clear or clear.
Many youngsters acquired punished for one thing as little as a pen or pencil that was discovered of their schoolbag. Dad and mom believed that it was from little issues like taking somebody’s pen or pencil {that a} little one would progress to taking different folks’s cash after which graduating to armed theft correct.
A pal narrated how his dad and mom reacted when he purchased his first automobile. He was working in a metropolis in northern Nigeria. Some weeks after shopping for the automobile, he travelled to his hometown within the South-East to see his dad and mom and present them the automobile. He gave his father a bottle of Schnapps for the same old prayers carried out for a brand new automobile, however his father instructed him to maintain the drink, that he would try this later. They mentioned many issues earlier than bedtime, however he noticed that his father and mom weren’t enthusiastic about his new automobile and homecoming.
Whereas he was having fun with his sleep, his father got here to his room, woke him up and invited him to the sitting room. He knew there was hassle. Then his father gave a number of proverbs earlier than asking him instantly how he acquired the automobile. He excused himself, went into his room and returned with a folder, opened it and introduced out paperwork which confirmed that his firm gave him a automobile mortgage. He added some cash from his financial savings to purchase the automobile.
His father’s countenance modified. He shook the son’s hand, congratulated him and instructed him that within the morning he would name his kinsmen to hitch him in “washing” the automobile: a time period meaning utilizing a sizzling drink to wish and sprinkle some on a brand new automobile. At the moment, if a toddler within the college buys a brand new automobile or is constructing a home, the dad and mom are excited. No one asks any query. Anyone who asks questions is blackmailed as jealous and evil-hearted.
One thing else occurred once I was little. We had an ukwa tree (generally known as African breadfruit) behind our compound. In contrast to the breadfruit, the ukwa has seeds, that are eaten. These seeds are exhausting to carry out from the ball of ukwa which could be as large as a medium-sized watermelon.
I used to be behind our home sooner or later when an ukwa fell with a loud noise from our tree. Certainly one of our neighbours went into the farm, picked up the ukwa tree and went away with it. I watched in shock as this lady I revered stole what belonged to us in broad daylight. However given the kind of coaching we got about elders, I couldn’t confront her from the place I stood.
I ran residence and excitedly reported to my mom that the mom of XYZ stole our ukwa. I believed my mom would exclaim and rush to her home to confront her. However she calmly instructed me that she would carry it again. I used to be questioning how she would carry it again when she didn’t even inform my mom that she was taking the ukwa within the first place.
However three days later, the identical lady got here to our home with a bowl full of ukwa seeds and introduced it to my mom. My mom gave her some from it and she or he left after some minutes of chit-chat. Later my mom lectured me on what occurred. The flesh of the ukwa fruit is used as goat feed. As a result of it’s exhausting to carry out the seeds, homeowners of ukwa wouldn’t thoughts if somebody took the ukwa fruit and did the arduous work of peeling the flesh off and bringing out the seeds.
Now the curious half was how everyone believed that whoever took somebody’s ukwa residence could be trustworthy to peel the flesh off with out pinching the ukwa seeds. What if the particular person took the ukwa ball away however didn’t trouble to return the ukwa seeds? However that was how trustworthy and trusting these individuals who weren’t even wealthy have been. It’s mentioned that integrity is what you do when no one is watching.
However from the mid-80s, all that started to vary. A brand new philosophy got here out with the precept that has its roots within the Ovid saying that the top justifies the means. It has turn out to be acceptable for somebody to get up one morning and turn out to be extraordinarily wealthy. Even when whether it is suspected that the particular person made the cash by way of unlawful means, it pales into insignificance if he spends among the cash on the group by giving scholarships to indigent youngsters, giving cash to widows, donating cash to the church and even constructing a brand new church, establishing roads, colleges or clinics.
At the moment, even politicians recognized to have embezzled public funds are defended by their folks. Persons are revered primarily based on the amount of cash they’ve and share, the kind of automobile they journey or the home they’ve. Pastors are seen as blessed relying on the place they’re posted and the way a lot cash they’ve. A pal instructed me he was known as by some pals to advise his brother who returned from Europe to cease strolling alongside the street as a result of it portrays him as unsuccessful. He makes use of that as his each day train routine. Even Nigerians who reside overseas nonetheless measurement each other up primarily based on the place they reside and the kind of vehicles they convey to church. As of late, when most feminine celebrities discuss, together with very profitable ones, the emphasis is on how a lot they are going to obtain from a person earlier than they’ll see the particular person as critical.
Some folks might say that Nigeria reworked into what it’s due to modernity. No. Nigeria was corrupted within the mid-Eighties. For those who cross the Nigerian border into the Republic of Benin, you’ll drive for a lot of kilometres by way of lonely roads with none concern. Whenever you get into Cotonou, the business metropolis, you’ll nonetheless see the identical life-style of belief, honesty and contentment. Japan is likely one of the richest and most trendy nations on this planet. It’s a capitalist nation. However the Japanese tradition is so excessive on integrity that if somebody is accused of dishonesty, the particular person would commit suicide. If a minister is proven on TV or social media sleeping at a public occasion, the minister resigns. That’s the reason Japan can have three prime ministers in a yr. They like their identify to not be stained than to be in energy.
Nigeria can nonetheless return to the best way it was earlier than the mid-80s. However it’s going to require a tradition change. Be aware that tradition doesn’t imply residing in mud homes, and singing and dancing. Tradition is the set of values, beliefs, practices, and objects that folks have which additionally outline them as a gaggle. Whenever you consider tradition, consider “values.” The Nigerian worth system has been bastardised. To get the previous Nigeria again, there’s a want for a complete overhaul in orientation and values.