The National Commission on Excellence in Education in the United States of America used the title: ‘A Nation at Risk’ in its report in 1983. Nations all over the earth do set up some commissions of inquiry to look into various challenges so as to make recommendations on how the nation can move forward in terms of excellence. In Nigeria, there have been such commissions of inquiry set up to look into the nation’s challenges, demonstrating the desire to ensure stability and also provide some worthy legacies for future generations.
Among other things, there was “Vision 2010” and other programmes such as “War Against Indiscipline”, “Structural Adjustment Programme” etc. The promotion of a culture of excellence, good behaviour, diligence at work, etc, were sought to be imbibed by Nigerians for the good of the country. How effectively Nigerians have cultivated the culture of excellence and discipline would remain controversial. Excellence or discipline, as a personal culture, can be seen easily in how an individual behaves and interacts with others.
A nation is at risk when there is absence of personal polish among the citizens. What we see in Nigeria daily include grossness, meanness, brashness, shamelessness and lack of consideration for others. In conduct and utterances crudeness features.
Emergence of a League of the Living Dead in any nation signifies a serious risk. Such category of people, even though living physically, is characterized by seriously diminished degree of deep inner feeling which manifests in obtuseness.
A nation is at risk where a battle rages, without anyone knowing what the ground or grouse of the war is. How would any one explain the logic of a bill being proposed to treat “repentant terrorists” as if they were on a humanitarian mission? The league of the living dead include wealthy and powerful people in society who become so befuddled that they begin to behave like demigods. Great opulence can make some people lose touch with ordinary human beings.
The fact that the class of Nigerian political leaders has lost touch with the masses that they are supposed to represent, is demonstrated in the current issue about purchase of “exotic cars”. The fact that there are protests from various quarters against spending huge sums of money to replace the cars being used by our lawmakers, illustrates the idiom that “the falcon cannot hear the falconer.
Obtuseness in the ruling class manifests in making lavish spending on luxuries, but at the same time looking for where to borrow money and also raising taxes in various ways. Hubris, defined as great and unreasonable pride, is indeed an idiom. Those who live in opulence, ask for more and more comfort, but tell others to be prudent, while they themselves grow pot-belly, exemplify features of the league of the living dead. In their hubris, they behave as if the country belongs to them alone.
A nation is at risk where the citizens or some sections of the leadership class live in bondage; a situation where people are held hostage by terrorists, kidnappers, obtrusive law-enforcement agents, etc. A society where the thoughts, aspirations, values and desires of the greater majority rarely rise beyond mundane issues, there is a risk of attracting some ignoble psychic forces. There are people who become patrons of such energy-centres, from which sources they draw power to do some ignoble deeds. Thus, there are a number of human robots who are physically living but whose humanity is zero.
The best legacy which any leadership can give a nation and its future generations, include such lasting values which manifest in the nobility of the actions and aspirations of the people. Part of the risk that a nation can encounter include the cultivation of life-styles and propensities which would take several generations to put right again. This is where exemplary leadership puts a nation in great advantage. It’s good to have role models!
It would be wrong to lay all the blames for the current aberrations in Nigeria on the leaders. Truly, every nation gets the kind of leadership which it deserves, just the same way that every individual gets the kind of experience most appropriate for him. But where no efforts are made to eliminate observable risks and correct unhelpful mind set and propensities, then the risk of unpleasant experiences in the future becomes greater.
To learn from unpleasant experiences of the moment is better than passing blames or glossing over wrong doings. Whether such wrong doings are individual or national, they provide opportunities to make appropriate adjustments and change for the better. It follows that if through our current sad experiences we can change and improve for the better, then our present travails would not have been in vain.
What Nigerian lawmakers can do for the nation is to compile and study various complaints, fears, genuine demands and aspirations of the Nigerian masses. Then bills can be proposed for inquiries into the various areas of risk or challenges, so that each of them can be addressed realistically. Peace, stability and progress cannot grow from the soil of injustices in personal and collective dealings.
A most common complaint across the country is the nation’s reward system. Do we place emphasis on merit, diligence, productivity, etc in political decisions with regards to dispensing of national largesse? Are we being circumspect in the demands that we make, with obtuseness about the state of the larger majority? A nation that does not recognize or reward merit and place emphasis on social justice is a nation at risk. Bishop Matthew Kukah would say: “We have practised madness for too long!”
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.

Bright Amirize