The Pen and the Sword
Kule, Abel Ongo
The pen is often said to be mightier than the sword. By this assertion, the ‘pen’ unwittingly represents peaceful, non-violent forms of socio-political advocacy or campaign for positive change in society. The ‘sword,’ on the other hand, is naturally made to symbolize physical and other aggressive or violent forms of socio-political propaganda also aimed at creating a wellspring of peace and progress in society. However, what can we do when the pen loses its might? This pertinent question is what this expose is set to address.
Nigeria does not seem to be getting any better. If anything, Nigeria appears to be getting worse. Excuse my pessimism and lack of faith or seeming loss of hope. The recent headlines in the tabloids, electronic and social media have left everyone saddened and helpless at the renewed cases of corruption scandals involving top government officials. The ones saddled with the job of heading the anti-corruption fight, the ones in charge of developing their regions, amongst several other issues bedeviling the entire nation.
This feeling of hopelessness hanging thick in the air is intensified by the fact that the legislature, “the representative of the common man,” has been fingered as a culprit in the recent corruption saga rocking different agencies and ministries in this “change” regime that promised to be tough on corruption. Also, the fact that these scandals are unfolding in the face of the raging Covid-19 pandemic shows the insensitivity of the leaders towards the masses who are presently dealing with the ripple effects of the Covid-19 outbreak and the lockdown approach adopted by the government.
Even more worrisome is the boldness of the accused in the recent corruption cases. Their penchant for theatrics and top-rated entertaining performances does not only distract the easily-distracted masses but also betrays the guts and thick skins developed by these ‘looders’ (looting leaders) overtime. Their ability to ride scandals like a surfer riding the waves and their tendency to remain impertinent in the face of the public outcry is upsetting. Even though the masses and the press have remained persistent in condemning the activities of the ‘looders’ in the electronic and print media, not to mention the satirical and sarcastic comments and memes on social media, they have remained hardened like pharaoh in Egypt.
What else can we do when our pens have lost their might? How else can we appeal to the consciences of our “servant kings” and lead their hearts back to the plight of the people? What else can we do to open their ears to our good-governance and anti-corruption campaigns on the radio? What must we do to cure the jaundiced vision currently suffered by our leaders? How do we shift their focus away from selfish amassing of wealth to building a united, prosperous Nigeria? Perhaps there is no Nigeria, only disunited ethnic groups around the “Niger.” In this sense, we can safely assume that our leaders lack a vision for Nigeria because there is no Nigeria. There is only a failed British creation, which has morphed into the Disunited Ethnic-Groups around the Niger (DEGN) called Nigeria.
Although this does not justify our leaders’ propensity for looting and their unrepentant nature. The masses are more worried about how else to fight them, especially when the inks from our pens can no longer smear them, or the bullets from our words no longer touch or affect them. What do we do when our social media rants and memes do not shame them anymore? It sure feels like the activists, critics, and complaining masses are all fighting losing battles with these “looders”
When the pen is no longer mightier than the sword, it invariably means that the ‘sword’ has become more powerful than the pen. The ‘sword’ in this case is our voters’ cards coupled with our protests, boycotts, strikes, and other more potent forms of socio-political campaigns and collective bargaining. We need to stand-up to these looters and reclaim our future and that of our unborn children. It is no longer enough to sit back and wail, condemn, and criticize on radio and television, or hide behind our keyboards and vent; comment, dislike, and satirize on social media platforms. Neither is it enough to write long editorials and exposes΄ in newspapers and magazines. After all, for evil not to continue to triumph, men and women of goodwill must do something. However, that “something” needs to be “done” differently.
Through the sword, we must ensure that we recreate a united Nigeria by insisting that obsolete and divisive clauses in our national constitution like; indigeneship and quota-systems are all phased out. That way, every Nigerian anywhere in the country can have equal access to every opportunity available. These changes will also retrench the mediocrity enabled by tribalism and ethnic bias, and promote meritocracy instead.
More importantly, the might of our sword must ingrain in the hearts of the leaders and the led the will to do the right thing at all times. The might of the sword must also instill in the people the need to be courageous enough to insist that the leaders act in the interest of the nation and not for their personal, selfish gains. We must not lose sight of the fact that the political class and top civil servants benefitting from the current retrogressive system wouldn’t mind if things were left the way they are. As such, the masses must become desperate enough for change to rise through their labour unions and civil society organizations to demand for a better life, a better country, and a better future.
