A CULTURE OF SILENCE

{Nigerians are trained not to think and talk}

I was discussing with a group of friends yesterday and as you can rightly guess it was about Nigeria. We were trying to find out were we went wrong as a country and what we need to do to return to the path of progress.
It was a heated but revealing argument and many of us seemed to believe that Nigeria will eventually become great and I asked how? And the response is that God will intervene. I have listened to such lazy and inconsequential submission for long that I want to say something about it now.
One of the main problems we have as a nation is our culture. We developed a culture of indifference and non engagement on critical issues at family level. At family level young people are not allowed to ask questions especially when adults have taken decision even when the decision may not be right. We were told that the decision of elders are final so young people are not allowed to interrogate or question these decisions because our culture has this erroneous belief that with white hair comes greater wisdom. Have we tried to prove the veracity of this belief? Most of the people that looted our economy are they not filled with white hairs? Those who provoked religious riots for selfish political ambition were they not filled with white hairs? Those who provoked tribal hatred as a means of securing political gains for selfishness were they not filled with white hairs? So how can someone in the light of our experience still believe that white hair comes with great wisdom in Nigeria? Is this not the reason why old men who ought to have retired from active lives still run about like children in our political space as they believed that men of 40 years are not yet men enough to be in leadership?
Culture is not static. It changes as time progresses and based on our experience as a country we need to teach young people to ask questions and interrogate our decisions. We must include them and encourage them to be part of decision that will affect their future. We must explain in details why we arrived at certain decisions which may affect their own future and stop treating them as puppies.
From family we move to Education. The same problem we created in the family also manifested in our educational system. You rarely see students interrogating their lecturers because: Firstly, they already possess the spirit of timidity at family level so whatever the lecturers say is law. Remember also that we were told never to go against the decision of an elder because an elder can never be wrong. Many don't even interrogate or question the veracity of research findings of more than 400 years especially on society and to know if what was applicable then is applicable now. The general objective was just to pass examination and get on with life. This is why we have this general idea that Nigerians are one of the most educated immigrants in UK and USA but I beg to disagree. Nigerians are one of the most backward immigrants I have met. There is a general understanding that our education did not reflect in our character. Degree certificate can not be equated with character development. You may not agree with me.
Secondly, education must reflect in our character, relationship with people and must be utilised as a tool of social reformation. Any education that cannot birth good people and society is useless. You can say for yourself if we have fared well after observing Nigerian condition today with regards to inter tribal relations and personal development.
From education we move to religion. One of the virtues we witnessed in Jesus Christ was that he gave room to the Apostles to be men. He also gave them room to think and take decisions based on the Word of God. Jesus Christ led from the front and He never spoke from both sides of his mouth or lived a double life. In other words, Jesus Christ was not a secret agent. He encouraged us to test all spirits meaning that there could be possibility of fake spirit. Why then are present Christians barred from asking questions about the condition of the church? Once you notice a biblical error and voice it out someone will quickly remind you that, "Touch not my anointed" or "Don't discuss leadership" or "The man of God cannot be wrong". We shut people up in church and refused to stimulate lively healthy discussion that will free people from the spirit of fear for selfish reasons and all these fundamental errors gave birth to a hedonistic, backward, wicked, unproductive society. Imagine staying in a church with a Rev. King the murderer as Pastor and you are not allowed to ask questions and do we know that you have such charlatans all over Nigeria as "Pastors" working as vision killers, political puppeteers, economic predators etc for pecuniary reasons?
In conclusion, if young people, students, followers are not allowed to talk at family, educational and regilious levels and participate in decision that affect their lives then you can agree with me that there must be a total overhaul of our culture. The only way you can say a particular culture is beneficial to the society is to look at its products and how it affected our society. This culture of silence birthed moral, spiritual and psychological slavery which can not birth a new nation. This is just one among many other problems Nigeria as a nation need to overcome.

- Lex Nwosu KSC, JP a public affairs commentator wrote in from Abuja