Are we mad?

The man who the gods will destroy they first make mad- African Proverb 

Madness is described as a state of insanity. Another word that closely defines it is senseless folly and this word aptly describes the state of my beloved country; Nigeria.

Identity crisis is the greatest crisis

According to Marshall McLuhan, violence is a quest for identity in the same vain as crime and many other vices. This assertion is very applicable in the Nigerian context. Our historical antecedents are filled with bitterness and grievances. Our founding fathers as much as one would be compelled to recognize their good deeds, the legacy they bequeathed to us is not very rich in love. The best of them sacrificed nationalism on the ignoble altar of selfishness and personal ambition.

Five decades after independence, Nigeria remains plagued by many woes. Communal clashes have become a common fixture. Our society is void of humanity. The well to do amongst us is consumed by greed while scores of the disadvantaged ones scramble for survival. We rank high in all negative index (corruption, child and women mortality, e.t.c). Hypocrisy rules in the corridors of power and in very obscure quarters. 

When shall we start living?

Tragedy befell a man of my acquaintance. I had a personal relationship and rapport with this now late graceful citizen. Before his timely death in the hands of marauders, he was a Chief Executive of a thriving enterprise. This man over the course of two decades worked assiduously to build a formidable institution which he took from a private limited to a public company. The harrowing account of his encounter with these marauders is a gory and sinister one I wouldn't dare express in details. This patriotic believing Nigerian was killed alongside two of his subordinates, their bodies were burned beyond recognition and they were buried with their car. They were on their way to celebrate the wedding ceremonies of two children of one of the company's director. This  journey marked their end. This happened in Nassarawa; northern part of Nigeria. This man did not die in his sleep. He didn't die of any disease or auto-crash. He died in the hands of his fellow compatriots. He met his untimely death in his homeland. 

This incident is just one of the numerous cases. The lives we lost in Jos, Plateau and other pockets of communal clashes are in hundreds summing up to thousands. Why is it that human lives mean nothing to us? Why is it that we are unperturbed by the madness that is evidently driving us sore? Why do we forget history very easily?

This piece is dedicated to the loving memory of Mallam Gidado Hassan and the two souls that perished with him. May your souls rest in peace and may your deaths not be just another.

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