There is an old book; Nobility of Humanity, which argues that despite the possibility of groups of people becoming a confederation of predators, parasites and poachers, individual human being is noble in nature. The argument goes on to say that “it is inconceivable that God should have created a monster with the name ‘man’ which for thousands of years has been spreading wickedness, malice, baseness and cruelty in the world”. Then what accounts for human aberrations if there is nobility in the individual human being?
Discussion concerning human beings being predators, parasites and poachers, arose from federal government of Nigeria having to borrow money to share to poor households as palliative over the hardship arising from removal of fuel subsidy. The gesture of borrowing money  to share among poor Nigerian homes, may have good intentions, but there is also a possibility of such money going into the hands of predators, parasites and poachers. Can any honest Nigerian deny the existence of such unpatriotic people in the country? The formation of groups, small or large, probably accounts for predatory tendency among humans; while alone, man is in danger.
There is the argument that the nobility of humanity comes about through self-conquest and maturity from a dark stage of myopic perception into a glorious stage of awareness. Thus, it is not easy to become a human being because, the individual must develop and mature into that status. In the process of developing and maturing, the individual must pass through loading, diligence and integrity tests, through struggles and interactions with his fellow men, the environment and other obstacles and threats. At a certain turning point individuals begin to differentiate between diligent ones and those that lag behind, choosing to prey on others.
Sadly the wheat and the tares must grow together in the environment of cultivation, so that increasing challenges and threats would serve as impetus for faster development, at least for the serious and diligent individuals. There is the opinion that individual human beings are like dancers, dancing with eyes closed, in a great stage of fools. The purpose of having to dance with eyes closed is to facilitate the integrity test, whereby the dancer does not see that watchers surround and observe him. Loading test has to do with taking on greater responsibility after completion of a previous one.
Life on earth is not only a pilgrimage, but also a testing and maturing ground, where the individual must be exposed to various activities, challenges and interactions. From one daunting task to another, the individual must develop and mature both outwardly and inwardly, through unavoidable processes which are not controlled by blind forces. Sadly, a large number of people are unaware that there are no arbitrariness, inconsistencies or injustices in the mechanism of human existence. But dancing with eyes closed, humans act arbitrarily, and rarely allow themselves to be guided inwardly, even when facilities for such guidance are available.
In Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre, we find a fisher-man asking his master: “I marvel how the fishes live in the sea”. The master answered: “Why, as men do an land: the great ones eat up the little ones; …” As there are whales in the sea, so also are there whales on land, who “never leave gaping till they have swallowed” everything, including food meant for starving children. Human whales, like the great fish at sea which eat up the little and helpless ones, are the predators, parasites and poachers who destroy the nobility of humanity. Like the tares in a wheat farm, they monopolise and grow fatter from nutrients and manure provided for the good of all humans.
Sadly, the human whales and tares, or rather, the predators, parasites and poachers, rarely see themselves as oppressors and destroyers of the nobility of humanity; but consider themselves as human up builders. They would tell you that without oppressors and enslavers, human beings would become so dull, indolent and complacent, that they would never develop and become strong and useful. Therefore, there is the doctrine of survival of the fittest, which stipulates that tyrannical pressure and coercion are necessary for human development. Truly, history attests to the fact that some human beings need whip lashes on their back to force them to wake up from slumber.
King Henry would tell us that “there is some soul of goodness in things evil, would men observingly distil it out”. This would mean that man’s concept of what is good or evil, right or wrong, proper or improper, are not only relative, but also demands placing everything within its specific context. Even in law, there are excusable and justifiable acts of criminality, especially where an action is motivated by a nobler impulse, meant to enhance greater good, or prevent greater calamity. Demolition of old buildings, however beautiful or well-cherished, in the process of urban renewal may be sad initially, but the end result can justify such action.
There is also a valid theory that the motive or intention behind an action should be considered first, without prejudice, before passing any judgement there upon. Thus, in governance there is an opinion that the actions and policies of those who manage public affairs are usually informed by higher ideals which they may not explain to the masses. Sadly gangsterism has been introduced into politics, making the concept of philosopher-kings a travesty; otherwise, political leadership is a noble calling, meant only for the noblest of men. This is far from being the case now, especially where power structure becomes monstrous.
The old book: Nobility of Humanity, mentioned earlier, throws some light into the causes of human predicaments and aberrations. We are told that where people are not alert and vigilant, but become dull, negligent and indolent, the result would be sad. Similarly where people do not stand up for what is right and true, but choose to succumb to corrupt practices, crude tyranny would triumph. A German philosopher, George Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), in an effort to justify slavery, told the world that “Africans were sub-humans and the only way for them to come to the lowest rung of the ladder of humanity was for them to undergo slavery in Europe”. Africa has been known as Dark Continent.
What accounts for the degeneration of any race or groups of people, includes the abuse of power-physical, intellectual or psychic power. Especially where possession of power is accompanied by vanity and vaulting ambition, what comes next would always be a degeneration.  Predatoriness and parasitism are associated with bestiality, such that those inclined towards such lifestyle belong to a beastly class of humans. Poaching is another name for stealing livestock from your neighbour’s farm or pond. All such malfeasance do not point towards proper use of power or ability, but abuses.
A political economy characterised by extremes of wealth and poverty, where huge sums of money would be borrowed ostensibly to share to the poorest of the poor; where the masses have lost confidence in the integrity of governance, then there are predators, parasites and poachers. Rather than borrow to share to the poor, money-bags and predators can do what Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902) did in South Africa. He was African gold-mine magnate. He gave back to society to appease a troubled mind. Are there no money-bags in Nigeria with troubled minds?

By: Bright Amirize

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