By Bt Ganiu Bamgbose, PhD
It is not news that every segment of the Nigerian state is in a shambles– from politics, to economy, to education, and even morality. Even religion is not a rescue. The axiomatic definition of politics in Nigeria is that which considers it a dirty game. You therefore have no business going into politics if you are not dirty already or open to dirt. Economy has become the survival of the fittest. If you cannot get it, snatch it. If there is no other means, steal it then go and pay tithe or Zakat in a church or a mosque. You will get earthly blessing. And to purify your stolen wealth, give the community a borehole and share noodles and tinned tomatoes: “na who don eat dey reject enemy food”. What shall we say about education in Nigeria? We have moved from the era of unemployment to the era of churning out unemployable graduates. The get-rich-quick syndrome and other manifestations of moral decadence have even popularised the notion that school amounts to a waste of time; school na scam. In the face of these numerous challenges facing the country, it is sadly not in the habit of Nigeria and Nigerians to look inward for solution. “If it will work, it has to be foreign or external”. That is unfortunately the belief. I pondered recently on the knowledge, mystery and efficacy of how the Ilaje and some other parts of Nigeria get to throw babies in rivers to test paternity. This had been with us in Nigeria but we would talk about DNA like we never had or have anything like it. One of such values we possess in Nigeria which is long neglected but capable of causing the desired change is the communal existence.
As a form of government or political movement, communalism means, among other things, a system or theory of government in which the state is seen as a loose federation of self-governing communities, an electoral system in which ethnic groups vote separately for their own representatives, or loyalty to the interests of one’s own ethnic group rather than to society as a whole. All of these perspectives to communalism are, however, not the form of communalism practised in Nigeria. The communalism practised in Nigeria was the advocacy of communal/collective/joint living or ownership. The type where one adult’s child was every adult’s child; where a person’s fortune was the community fortune and someone’s business was everyone else’s business.
The Nigerian communalism was the one which enabled retailers to leave their goods with price tags and returned to either money or their goods intact. It was the lifestyle that made families share food among themselves during celebrations despite that all families had something to eat. It was the collectiveness that would make your neighbour spank you as a child and you would not dare to mention it at home because you would be beaten more. It was the time children in the neighbourhood knew themselves and played together. It was the time houses had no tall fences and neighbours could wave at one another. It was the era we were bound by love, empathy, compassion and support for one another.
Yes! The dynamics of times will not make it possible to return to life as it was but these good features of communal existence can still be upheld. Today, we now raise children who do not know members of their extended families, not to speak of other children in the neighbourhood. With more houses on the island, people now live like an island. We are detached from others and this has caused us peace and security.
Together, we can foster togetherness and build a happy and safe country to live in. The Ubuntu spirit described as reminding us that ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’ is what the Nigerian communal lifestyle preaches and it is only in the spirit of such humanity to others that a country can have true peace. God bless Nigeria!
(c) 2024 Ganiu Bamgbose writes from the Department of English, Lagos State University.
