The
trouble with Nigeria is a little of a small yellow book written by Chainua
Achebe and first published in 1983 by fourth it Dimension rushing co: LTD. This
is a book that must be read by all Nigerians who are about their country, who
fed the can no longer stand idly by and a wing their hands in anguish” whiled
Nigerian is destroyed by bad leadership, corruption and equality. Therefore it focused on the indictment of the
current system and as well pass a message of hope for the future which aim at
creating a new social and political order for Nigeria
The
book “the trouble with Nigeria” tends explain of contemporary Nigeria in ten
chapters with the following heading
·
Where the problem
lies
·
Tribalism
·
False image of
ourselves
·
Leadership,
Nigeria- style
·
Patriotism
·
Social injustice
and the cult of mediocrity
·
Indiscipline
·
The Igbo problem
·
The example of
Aminu Kano
CHAPTER
ONE: THERE THE PROBLEM LIES
According to Chinua Achebe the trouble
with Nigeria is simply and according to squarely a failure of headship when he
asserted that
“There is nothing basically wrong with the
Nigeria land or climate or water or air anything else. The Nigeria problem is the unwillingness or
in ability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of
personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership (P.I). This implies that Nigeria, though richly
endowed is faced with leadership problem and the rieptilide of the
citizens.
However he recommend that Nigeria can
change if she discovers leaders who have the will, ability and vision when he
asserted thus “unity conscious efforts and creation of conducive atmosphere for
the emergence of leaders, their will not be good leaders”
Tribalism
The author –Chinua Achebe made. It
known that one of the core problems faced by Nigerian political leaders is
tribalism; which he defined as “discrimination against the citizen because of
his place of birth”.
Tribalism in Nigeria politics can be
fraced to Obafemi Awolowo when he “stole” the leadership of western Nigeria
form Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe in the western house of assembly in 1951. this single
act or event aborted NCNC’s vision of pan-Nigeria. That is, “it was the death
of a dream.
- Nigeria in which a citizen could live
and work in a place of his choice anywhere and pursue any legitimate goal open
to his fellows; A Nigeria in which an Easterner might aspire to be premier in
the west and a Northerner become major in Enugu?
Observably, the problem with Nigeria
is that they do not see themselves as one and the threatening gesture against
tribalism have been premature, half-hearted or plain deceitful.
FALSE IMAGE OF OURSELVES
One of the troubles with Nigeria is
false expression it give itself Achebe stated clearing that Nigeria have a
flamboyant imaginary of self concept (also see page 10). The elites in Nigeria
refer to it (Nigeria) as a great country “False image of ourselves” continue
trouble with Nigeria because Nigeria have refuse to accept the fact that they
are still developing; they aspire and
see themselves as being great without working towards. It before rather have
unrealistic expectations.
LEADERSHIP, NIGERIAN-STYLE:
Here,
in spite of conventional opinion Nigeria has been less than fortunate in its
leadership. A basic element of this misfortune is the seminal absence of
intellectual rigour in the political thought of Nigeria founding fathers. This
implies that Nigerian leaders are materialistic and self-centred, therefore
lack the basic ideology to rule (see page 13)
PATRIOTISM:
Achebe describes a patriot as He who loves his
country. He is not a persons who says he loves his country. He is not even a
person who shouts or swears or recites or sings his love of his country. He is
one who cares deeply about the happiness and well-being of his country and all
its people. Patriotism according to him, is an emotion of love directed by a
critical intelligence. A true patriot as he further explain will always demand
the highest standards of his country and
accept nothing but the best for and from his people He will be outspoken in
condemnation of their short-coming without giving way to superiority, despair
or cynicism.
Conceivably, true patriotism is
possible only when the people who rule and those under their power have a
common and genue goal of maintaining the dispensation under which the nation
lives. This will in turn, only happen if the nation is ruled justly, if the
welfare of all the people rather than the advantage of the few becomes the corner-stone
of public policy. Observably, this is not obtained in Nigeria hence makes it
one of the trouble faced by Nigeria.
SOCIAL IN JUSTICE AND CULT OF MEDIOCRITY
Chinua Achebe central Nigeria’s
social injustice and cult mediocrity on Tribalism/ethnic discrimination, denial
of merit, mismanagement of resources, inequality {class difference of
variation) embezzlement of public funds
by public “servants” this problems has eaten deep on Nigeria that it is
beginning to tire it apart.
INDISCIPLINE
Chinua Achebe in this chapter, differentiated a
disciplined society that of indiscipline. According to him, indiscipline is a
failure or refused to submit one’s desire and actions to the restraints of
orderly social conduct in recognition of the right and desires of others one a
contrast, he noted that discipline does not invite supervision by an external
force but is imposed by the individual form within. Furthermore, he noted the
inevitability of indiscipline in the society when he stated thus “Even in such
a climate (of discipline) there will always be sporadic incidents of
indiscipline because there will always be people who on account of their
immaturity, mental in competence, sheer deviltry on even innocent exuberance
are unable or unwilling to impose the internal brake of self-discipline on
their desires and action. But in disciplined societies, they will remains an
eccentric minority” P. 33.
In Nigerian context, Achebe asserted
thus: “Indiscipline pervades our life so completely today that one may be
justified in calling it the condition par excellence of contemporary Nigerian
society. We see and hear and read about indiscipline in the home, in the
school, in the public service, in the
private sector, in government and in legislative assemblies on the road, in the
air”
CORRUPTION
“corruption in Nigeria has passed
the alarming and entered the fatal stage, and Nigeria will die if we keep
pretending that she is only slightly indisposed” said Achebe.
Chinua Achebe clarified that
corruption goes with power. Thus, corruption should be anchored on the leaders
who control power in the country other than blaming an average Nigerian as
written in the Weekly Star of 15 May
1983 on its front page under the title. The Nigerian and corruption that
“keeping an average Nigerian from being corps is like keeping a goat from
eating yam (page 48).
According to the author, corruption
which has built up over the year will take sometime to correct, assuming we
want to do it peacefully. Thus he proffered that to initiate change, the
president of this country must take and be seen to take a decisive first of
riffing his administration of all persons on whom the sliglitest wind of
corruption and scandal has blown. He
went further to assert that when he (President) can summon up the courage to do
that,