In a developing society like ours where a large number of people live in agony arising from unemployment, poverty and anxiety over security, the writer lives in a dreary world full of concern about social plight. Like a stranger in a boisterous crowd but far from being alienated or frustrated, the writer watches with keen attention the driving forces in what the people around him do. Without being weighed down by the obtuse nature of a large number of people, he goes through life with compassion for his fellow men and women.
The writer may see more than what a larger majority of people around him would rarely see immediately, but he is mindful of what he would say and what are better left unsaid. With a personal philosophy that there is more to life than earning a living through an honest labour, the writer writes not for bread or fame, but to express deep conviction. Neither does he envy anyone his riches or fame, but would want to live unseen and pass away unlamented and unsung. Rather, he is often oppressed by the fact that human life can be dressed up for mere show.
The writer is deeply touched and wounded by the agonies he sees around him and, more so, by the hypocrisies of those who assume that they help, guide and order things. What do we find but a situation where the worth of an individual is determined by the wealth and grandeur around him! Where does the writer look to find plain living and noble thinking, nourished by the grandeur of Nature? Thus, the earth becomes a desert through which he travels, longing for such company and society that cherish nobility of heart. The thought of the writer dwells on the riddles of life and the economy of Heaven which have defied human explanations. Is there satisfaction with the explanations often proffered?
The message of the writer, in an obtuse and agonising society, is like the song of a goat which goes without being appreciated, or make any significant impact. Greater agony of the writer himself arises from the problem of accurate transmission and representation of his ideas. It is the problem of distortion of his scripts and ideas in the process of reproduction. Despite the wizardry of modern printing technology and the large army of computer graduates, we still find it difficult to print literary works without flaws.
The agony of the writer does not come from a society that turns reading culture into an abomination, where no amount of writing would make any impact. Rather, his agony comes from printers and publishers. Among the many challenges which the nation has, is the inability of the average Nigerian to take sufficient pains to see that what he does or produces bears no flaws. We do not seem to care about the result or quality of what we do or produce. The finishing or end-result would always bear some marks of a care-free attitude. A well-written script can become so distorted and mutilated that the writer can become embarrassed about his own work.
Words like rapprochement can be printed as reproachment; septimal becomes skeptical and some lines in a sentence are jumped and omitted, such that a sentence structure becomes vague or ambiguous. Budding Nigerian writers rarely observe what is known as “Kiss” principle, i.e. “keep it short and simple” rule, neither do we apply the culture of self-effacement in writing. Persistent errors, especially in a newspaper, discourage articulate readers from patronising journals which are noted for such printing errors. Sports and entertainments make more sense and draw larger patronage among readers than impactful articles.
Perhaps, being a nation in a hurry to catch up with the world, we rarely consider it necessary to take some pains to see that what we pass on to the public for consumption bears a good quality. This problem of poor and crude finishing and quality of what we produce manifests in every sector of activity. Neither must we allow such sub-standard culture to go on unchecked. From the food served in restaurants, the bread baked and sold to the public, to fresh meat and foodstuff in the markets, there is a care-free attitude in handling and packaging of everything passed on to the public.
It is unfortunate that Nigerians have become used to accepting and accommodating sub-standard products and performances, neither do we protest over such acts of irresponsibility. Herd or slave-mentality whereby every idea or product can be foisted upon the masses by those who wield power, must not continue as a part of the agonies which Nigerians bear. The fact that agencies responsible for the generation and distribution of electricity can provide irresponsible and erratic services and still increase the tariff, demands that the public should challenge such agencies. Nigerians have been docile for too long.
Continued docility of the Nigerian masses has resulted in greater boldness of their oppressors, mindless of what agonies the people bear in silence. Have we made protests over issues of public accountability, of why nothing works effectively in the country or over poor service delivery?
Rather than say No to unacceptable policies, services and treatments foisted on the masses, do our elite not hustle and scramble to join the oppressors? Even though the rich also cry, is it not true that the masses bear the brunts of elite leadership failure? So long as the common people continue to accept and settle for sub-standard services and performances, for that long would corrupt practices reign in society. Evil grows bolder when it goes unchallenged, especially when those at the receiving end provide the ground for evil to prey on.
In a society in agony, the power to bring about a change for the better lies in the volition of the masses, especially the ability to give verbal expression to such volition. For the writer, the pen is a vital weapon which serves best when it does not take sides with an oppressive social system, or pander to the weaknesses and herd-mentality of the masses. With his pen the writer calls attention to social anomalies and abuses of power, so that people are not given rubbish to swallow.
Injuries, sadness and agonies can be foisted on an obtuse and unsuspecting public by those who administer public affairs in various guises of abuse of power. To remain silent and docile in the faces of abuses is to give impetus for the continuation of social abuses. Life would be better and more meaningful where the masses are motivated to engage in joyful activities, where leadership is seen to set the pace through practical examples. The agony of the writer increases where political actors tend to work towards debasement rather than ennoblement of the masses. Therein lies the agony of a society.

Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.