The Soul of Benue: Bruised by Our Own-Selves

The collapse of seriousness is the greatest loss we have sustained… Tom Nichols

Introduction

After six decades into unnerving leadership, it is evident that the African people across the continent audaciously resist the depredations of political leaders who have never matched their reassuring victory speeches with constructive actions. These are leaders who have bullied and perpetually led us into gulags that can only be explained by those familiar with the Nazi literature.

How can the soul of our nations and the mind of our people be healed after such a horrendous and traumatic experience inflicted on us by our leaders? What has become the usual and new normal has been that at the end of every political dispensation, our societies have had to choose between two paths: the path of reckoning and the path of forgetting.

Interestingly, the arguments in favour of forgetting are always at our fingertips. And since our African political culture is that of forgiving and forgetting; with the famous call to let bygones be bygones, there is no end in sight to political vampirism. Which has not only triggered a debate as regards our mental faculty, but continues to prop our political dinosaurs to be members in good-enough standing of the political elite, demonstrating that political power across the states confers a lasting immunity from prosecution and public reproach. Thus, the feeling of living in an unstable and unrelentingly dark reality has become a familiar nightmare.

As a geographically large, culturally heterogeneous and politically decentralised country, the current situation of Nigeria could plausibly be related to a future dystopia. Instead of enforcing our power of resilience against the power-grab political demagogues, we seem more likely to fall prey to the unwarranted ethno-sectional political force resulting to series of escalating disputes amongst the suffering masses, which has entrenched divisions of all kinds. Pathetically, this is the case of Benue, where we are witnesses to the blossoming seeds of a disintegrative future. To borrow from David Frenchs idea, there is not a single important cultural, religious, political or social force that is pulling us together more than it is pushing us apart.

The Benue Situation

As a people, we are at a defining moment of our history. Apart from the oil producing states, Benue can count itself as one of the richest and most powerful state in the country, but the culture of non-accountability and non-transparency has pushed the state to the borders of hell. Evidently, it is of great concern that we have refused to lay emphasis on reputational cost that might keep culprits out of the corridors of power.  Instead, we have allowed ourselves to be cajoled into thinking that politics is a bastard-child. The worst of it is that we have allowed ourselves to be polarised- the “divide them and rule” tactics of our political leaders, which has not only placed us on a perilous path to disunion, but destroying, if not yet, the virtues of decency and fairness.

As Tom Nichols rightly argues in his book, Our Own Worst Enemy…, “the grievances of ordinary citizens, legitimate or otherwise, are […] exploited by political entrepreneurs who thrive on the creation of rage rather than on the encouragement of civic virtue and democratic cooperation. Is there any way out of this predicament? While it will be difficult […]” Nichols opines that we must revitalise civic culture, which can be done only by resurrecting the virtues of stoicism, compromise and cooperation. Though Nichols argument is solid and fits our context, it is important to note that many will disagree with his answer.

Certainly, the current situation of Benue is complicated and full of thought-provoking angles. Could it be that we have lost our sense of right and wrong? Is partisan identification now a bigger wedge between the Benue people than what makes us one people? From all indications, partisan affiliation reflects more than just a voting preference; it has revealed some deep-seated perspectives concerning our obnoxious nature and character.

Evidently, we have been here before, sort of. Yes, Benue state has endured shattering dark experiences, but never seen a thing like the current happenings. Whichever narrative, one cites will entirely depend on which historian one speaks to. There are myriad reasons for the unrest in our streets and communities as well as the surrounding villages, but there is none that is more striking than the deadly assaults we have collectively unleashed on ourselves.

The feeling mostly is like we are in a jungle because our very way of life seems imperilled by the politics of the times, whichever side one is on. Our current political climate has riven families, destroyed long term friendships, and the most awful of it are the insults and slurs, heaped on our religious leaders, inflamed by the highly partisan media and the users of social media handles, who put-up repulsive write-ups that make people cringe. There is no question that the anomaly stakes are so elevated and the venomous alternatives so stark, leaving us with unimaginable dire consequences.

What is hard or almost impossible to understand is the way that politics has divided seemingly like-minded people of goodwill: friends, relatives, neighbours, colleagues and people of similar backgrounds, and who should align ideologically but sadly do not. We can ask the question as to why people have found themselves profoundly disliking and disrespecting almost everyone around them, but the answer is simply that many have landed themselves into the absurd vanity, just for the purpose of sycophantic adoration for political peanuts. If you wonder why this is so, the answer, I think, is that we have become reprehensibly ignorant of the basic values a reasonable person should have.

What this has taken away from us is our genuine lifelong pride that Benue State is the life-wire of the country, both economically and politically. It feels absolutely terrible as no one would want to live through the current scorched earth assault, which these sociopathic behaviours have unleashed on our people and treasured values.

To share in the thoughts of Martin Luther King, breaking ones silence on such ills that we are witnessing in our society is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak because the darkness looms large. Hence, my agenda here is to call out the obscurity of the Benue situation and the need for a collective solution to the endless tragedies. While individuals or a group of people may have justifiable reasons to act the way they do, history is an eloquent testimony to the fact that conflicts are never resolved without introspection and trustful dialogue amongst those involved.

Unarguably, there is a connection between politics and the current unpleasant events happening across Benue State. It seemed as if there was a genuine promise of hope for the poor when Nigeria celebrated its return to a democratic system of governance in 1999, but year-on-year, all we have witnessed so far is a broken society were some self-seeking political idols have engaged the very people they pledged to serve, in a “vampiral” war; you never remain the same once you are bitten. There is no attempt to invest the necessary funds in addressing the needs of the poor, as the political giants continue to loot money like some destructive suction tube in a surgical room.

Perhaps the more tragic reality created by these political anomalies has been setting-up the poor and vulnerable against each other, as mentioned above, so they can rule forever in oppressive style. We have watched young men and women in brutal solidarity burning their own huts in the villages, and you expect an informed conscience to remain silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor? How can we be silent when we are living the situation daily as we walk among the desperate, rejected, and angry youth in our society? We must begin to realise that the only way to create a safe and progressive society is to embark on a mission of rehabilitating the psychology of our young men and women who have been crippled by our society in diverse ways.

We have no reason to relent our effort in telling these youth that banditry and their allegiance to the residue-rifles from past elections would not solve their problems. We must let them realise that social change comes most meaningfully through nonviolent action. But most importantly, we must, on a serious note, dialogue with the conscience of the political dinosaurs in our society.

We, the people, have the capacity to speak clearly to the greatest political purveyor of corruption and failure in our society today. To save the soul of Benue, we must be convinced that we cannot limit our vision to momentary or instant gratifications offered us by politicians, but instead establish the conviction that Benue will never be free or saved until we completely break-away from the shackles and encumbrances of political slavery. None of us who is concerned about the integrity and life of the Benue people today can ignore the call to the pool of sanity. This is a call that must take us beyond ethnic and sectional allegiances toward liberating the soul of Benue.

Time for Revolution

This is revolution time! Across the globe, people are revolting against systems of exploitation and oppression. We have seen both violent and nonviolent demonstrations against the status quo; from Mali, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Iraq, Chile and the extinction rebellion. Even though it appears difficult for the grieving crowd to break-through the barriers of dictatorial regimes, one can say with certainty that out of the bullet wounds of agitators, new systems of justice and equality are being born across the world.

For us Nigerians, the #EndSARS protest is a light in the dark. The fact is that people are rising up as never seen before. People who once endured the misery in the human created slums are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. So, we must renounce the spirit of complacency and morbid fear of political spears in favour of the demand for justice. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is no such a thing as being too late, so now is the time. This is our best defence against political vampirism.

I must again caution that, violence is not the answer; else we will expose ourselves to total obliteration. We must not engage in an anti-politics campaign either, since for Aristotle, man is by nature a political animal. That, humans cannot flourish on their own as happiness for humans requires that they form partnerships with others. Again, we cannot allow our emotions lead us to hate or bow before the altar of retaliation, for “the oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate which is self-defeating”, says Martin Luther King.  

We must rather, push for healthy democracy, by seizing every opportunity to protect and advance our civil rights and liberties through legislation, the courts, and our communities. We must hold our leaders and institutions accountable to fulfil the promise of democracy- the only thing that facilitates and press forward freedom. We must realise that our greatest defence is unity of purpose for the sake of justice as against division and insecurity, which are the fertile soil on which the seeds of corruption grow and develop.

There is no doubt that our politicians committed themselves to the constitution of our nation, but have shamelessly refused to commit the constitution to their hearts in serving us. This, as evidence show, is risky and we cannot remain silent; a peaceful sedulous revolution is the only alternative for the battered and ravaged miserable masses. Our voices make politics, so, this is the time to engage in a strategic campaign by mobilising the people to defend and celebrate our votes.

A genuine revolution means our loyalties must become one rather than sectional. Every ethnic group must desire and develop an overriding loyalty to humanity as a whole, in order to preserve the best in our society. This therefore calls for a state-wide approach that favours common interest concern beyond ones ethnic or sectional bosh. As earlier alluded to, unity is the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate goal of transforming our society to the path of desirable social change.

The other truth we cannot avoid is that we possess the power and might, and if we do not act, we shall surely be forever dumped down the long, dark, and shameful cave of misery.  Surely, the odds are too great, but let us commit ourselves to the struggle for a better Benue. It is clear that none of our politician will rescue us from the pending disaster. So, this is an advice to adult, and I demand in return that we read and understand like adults. We are capable of confronting the sobering reality.

Consequently, a true and peaceful revolution should cause us to question about fairness and justice of the present policies. The arrogance of feeling that young men and women in our society have nothing to offer is not just. However, there is nothing to prevent us from reordering our priorities so that the pursuit of sanity and benefit for all will take precedence over the egocentric behaviour, which is destroying the one thing that makes us human – conscience.

The failure to make democracy real by following through, on the manifestoes sold at their campaign trail is indeed a powerful reason to cause a political rupture that will create a platform which favours the poor and vulnerable. Only our bold commitment to challenging the unacceptable political culture of the day will speed the process that will create a better Benue, whose soul will be ultimately rescued from the looming cataclysm.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it is obvious that politics and moral behaviour have always had a curious relationship. For most of the egomaniacal politicians, anything goes, and it is why one will find it difficult to argue against the idea that the most two cherished institutions of our society have been destroyed: the family and the village.

Our land and our crops have been destroyed, yet we have supported the enemies because we have allowed ourselves to be corrupted in the first place. Could we blame them for this? The question is frighteningly relevant, because we have condoned their action, and I think that there will be no meaningful solution to the Benue socio-economic and political conundrums until we commit to knowing and listening to the poor.

How can anyone believe in our integrity when all that reflects from our mirror now is that there is nothing more essential than political crumbs? How can they trust us when we have charged them with power against us, while we extend every weapon of death on ourselves?

Surely, this madness must cease. I speak as a brother to the suffering poor of Benue. I speak for those whose land is being occupied, whose homes are being destroy, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor in Benue who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home amidst death and endemic corruption. As we counsel our youth concerning the ills of our society and the impact it has had on them, we must clarify for them our role and challenge them with the alternative of conscientious decision. This is the path we must follow more than anything else. Our lives have been placed on the line, hence, every person of humane convictions must decide on the values that best serve the common interest of our society.

The business of filling our homes with orphans and widows, and of injecting poisonous pills of hate into the minds of young people or facilitating their dark and bloody activities across our communities, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love. A society that continues year after year, to spend more on the creation of thugs in defence of the looted estates as against social and safety-net uplift programmes is heading to doom. Hence, the time is now, and if we make the right choice, it is possible to transform the melodic discords of our society into a beautiful symphony of people-hood, where justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream (Amos 5:24).