Seun Kuti, P-Square: Nigeria’s youths continue to major in the minor

The World Value Survey, “a global research project that explores people’s values and beliefs, how they change over time, and what social and political impact they have” (according to Wikipedia), in 2014, ranked Nigerians as the happiest people on earth. Then, Rod Dreher, an American writer and editor living in a self-imposed exile in Budapest, Hungary, reportedly attributed this to Nigerians being “super religious,” and having an unusually high level of optimism even in the face of utmost adversities.

Nigeria, I now understand, had dropped, closely to being around the one hundredth, happiest people, according to recent rankings. Despite the downward slide, very few people realised the underlying reason that still keeps us at such a “high” level that I sincerely see Nigeria as being undeserving of. I do not think we deserve to be that “high” up the scale of happiness, if one considers what an average Nigerian is being subjected to, by a combination of “Buharinomics”, and “Emefielenomics”. But in every situation of hardship we find ourselves, we have this penchant for deploying humour to numb the effects. The emergence of the “Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Revolution”, has greatly aided in the liberalisation of this ingenuity with which we cope with the adverse effects of both misgovernance, and non-governance resulting in socio-economic hardships. We deploy the instrumentality of the virtual community engendered by social media platforms like, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, among others, to a maximum effect. If anything that ordinarily would force people in other climes to take to the street (in protest) happens here, Nigerians, especially on social media, would always come up with memes that, leave people with no option than to start laughing. And if you ask me; “who dominate this social media arena”? It is the youths, who are expected to lead the vanguard of a “new Nigeria” that we all crave. The “New Nigeria” that would usher in positive changes that will make life better for the people.

Take for instance, the 2023 general election is about nine days away, with campaign at its peak. Town Hall meetings are being organised, left, right, and centre. One expects the Nigerian youths to converge on the venues of such meetings, for a thorough interrogation of presidential candidates’ manifestos, relative to how there would be, for instance, a steady supply of electricity, adequate funding of the university system, equipping hospitals and making healthcare service affordable to Nigerians. They are expected to interrogate the politicians on the need to make our roads more motorable. What about issues like, ending insecurity, ending fuel scarcity, reducing youths unemployment, arresting inflation? The list goes on, and on. The only effective platform through which the communication could take place, at a relatively low cost, is the social media. But what we see regularly is that, it has become a theatre of humour, and tragicomedy, rather than a (virtual) community for real engagement, where agenda for development could be set, and shaped. It is an arena, where the drift of a national conversation could, and should, be dictated, with the contents and pace, determined. So far, can anyone say that Nigerians, especially, the youths have maximised the opportunities offered by social media? Without any fear of contradiction, I would say “No”.

Let me give an example. While the ill-advised, ill-timed, and poorly implemented “currency swap” policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), combined with cabal-orchestrated fuel scarcity to bite hard, on the populace, a large section of the Nigerian youths once again, immersed themselves in taking sides in a face-off between Seun Kuti, and Peter Okoye. Seun, a musician (and a multi-instrumentalist) and, son of the legendary Afro musician, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, in an interview with the online platform “Mic On podcast”, hosted by Channels TV’s Seun Okinbaloye, had described the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, as an internet’s favourite, who might not achieve much, even if he wins. He went further to describe the former governor of Anambra State as “an opportunist”. He said, “He (Obi) hasn’t had the time because he started too lately. You can’t be telling me that just because you lost PDP primaries 18 months before the election, you suddenly started a movement, and you have a plan for the country. No, that’s opportunism. And it’s not an opportunist that will deliver Nigeria—not jumping on Labour Party. The Labour Party has a socialist structure. Peter Obi is a capitalist. Where are they going?”

Then, one of Seun’s contemporaries, Peter Okoye of the P-square fame, wasted no time in responding. He perceives the former’s lack of support for Obi’s presidential bid as a manifestation of ethnic bigotry. He wrote on Twitter thus: “Dude, I understand your frustration. But realise that the sky is big enough for all birds to fly. @burnaboy and other great artistes have climbed our great Fela’s ladder to blow. Comport yourself and pray to your God. My God has blessed my destiny & I’ll 4ever remain thankful. I’ll surely keep you in my prayers. Learn from your nephew @Madekuti cos he is well guided and clean.”

Okoye further tweeted: “Dude just keep quiet! So so disappointed! Dude just erased his father’s history! You said only the people of Nigeria can save Nigeria! Is PO and the rest candidates not the Nigerian people?…. Shame! Shame!! Shame!!!”.

Remember, Seun is Yoruba by tribe, from the Southwestern state of Ogun, while Okoye is Igbo (like Peter Obi who hails from Anambra state), from Ebonyi state. So, before anyone could say “Seun Peter”, Nigerians youths had taken the face-off over from its owners. They have been insulting, dragging one another, and acquiring enemies on behalf of, either Seun, or Peter. The most irritating thing about the whole saga is the tribal slant it has taken. I am not surprised, though, as it is emblematic of public (especially political) debates in Nigeria in recent years. Before you knew it, they’ve introduced some ethno-religious inanities into the debate, as to “who is the most successful among the two feuding artistes”?

We now have more music connoisseurs on Twitter and Facebook, than we have in real life, trying to teach us what difference there is between a musician, and a singer. Remember, social media is an arena for the democratisation of everything, including ignorance. An arena where a first-year student of science and laboratory technology argues, and purports to teach a professor of law, the nitty-gritty of “jurisprudence”. Funny. These emergency music connoisseurs have pitched tents, either with Seun or Peter, on social media. No one seems to remember that Nigeria will on the 25th of this month (February) decide on who among the 18 eminently qualified Nigerians, gunning to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in office, as the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, come May 29. They do not seem to remember that this is the only time the politicians listen. They are no longer conscious of the fact that, this is the time to put them on the spot, regarding their individual agenda for our fatherland, if and when they’re elected into office.

While Nigerians were busy on the queue, under the scorching sun, waiting either to buy fuel at unacceptably exorbitant rates, or get their daily rations of “Emefiele’s Naira notes” (₦2000 per day), some able-bodied Nigerians were, idly, dragging one another, on behalf of Seun Kuti, and Peter Okoye, on social media, over whom, among the two artistes can afford “Ponmo” in addition to a plate “Akpu”.

It is an unfortunate tale of ironies, as the Yoruba would say; “Òun tó ńṣe igun kọ lo ńṣe Ọbọ. Igun pá l’ori, Ọbọ pá n’idi“. Roughly translated – the monkey, and the vulture have, somewhat similar, but at the same time, different concerns. One is battling with alopecia-ravaged head, while the other has, the alopecia-infected buttocks to contend with. So, their concerns, and needs are bound to run parallel. While Nigeria needs the youths to take her back from the claws of the socio-economic cannibals currently feasting on her future (our collective socio-economic destinies), the youths have other engagements, albeit, frivolous at best. They continue to major in the minor, while also minoring in the major. Emefiele is being cajoled by the council of state into obeying a supreme court’s injunction, in a country you and I believe is not a “Banana Republic”. It is, to say the least, very unfortunate. It is disheartening to note that Nigerians, especially the youths, are still enmeshed in politics of ethnicity cum religion. Hardly can any topic come up for discourse in the public space, without it having ethno-religious undertones in this age, of the world being a global village! Nigerian youths need some waking up.

Abubakar writes from Ilorin. He can be reached via 08051388285 or [email protected]