Truth Don Die....Archive!!!!

Truth Don Die!!
As I write this, I can’t help but smile at the poignancy of the song I’m listening to with reference to the Nigerian situation. I am listening to Femi Kuti’s “Truth don die” hit from the acclaimed 2000 album, shoki shoki! In this album, femi uses his art of musical ensemble and fury laced lyrics to expose the intricate workings of the Nigerian/ African society in a brutally honest manner. Not that it is such a bad thing. “Truth don die” roughly translates from local Nigerian parlance as the death of truth….as you’ve probably made out already. That seems to be the crux of the Nigerian situation. Common to most Nigerian/ Africans abroad, the alarming news coming out of the continent has filled me with great concern (Nigeria in particular). Not that the country has experienced a dramatic change in either direction as history will clearly point out but one should be wary of the change in tone of a well told story. My friend Chude Jideonwo, a bright young lawyer in the making and current affairs aficionado recently came up with the bright idea of recognizing young achievers in the country through his organization redstrat’s brainchild- “the future Nigeria”. The original idea was to have an event for young people between the ages of 18 and 31, some sort of teen choice awards if you like. Fortunately or unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out as planned following an introduction of participants who have crossed that generational gap already (some have kids in that generation!). Despite a faulty theme, considering the nature of the Nigerian society and the age bracket of the successful, the idea is noble and apparently well received. However, it is only fair to point out that the “Nigerian situation” has rendered these special recognition awards redundant as the case may be. Call me a purveyor of bad tidings, but I am of the school of thought who believes in tackling problems and not dusting the dirt under the carpet. Here we have a country faced with a bleak future in every ramification and a youth population completely abandoned by its predecessors, surely it is quite clear to see the absurdity in recognizing a select few who are not in any way representative of the group my friend so tries to promote. To think that I aim to knock the whole “future Nigeria” thing would be to completely miss my point. I can only commend chude on his efforts; after all, here we have a twenty year old thinking way ahead of his time and space. The boy has done well. However, I knock the whole Nigerian mentality of dusting under the carpet and leaving the job unfinished. Another reference to buttress my point would be the “annual thisday awards”, which just marked its eleventh edition a few weeks ago. It’s glassed over varnish of glitz and glamour did nothing to divert attention from the fact that this supposedly “honorable” avenue of recognition has completely missed the point in the journey to a better Nigeria. What have the recipients done to deserve recognition? A nation in the twentieth century without basic utilities, an uneducated population and a demoralized youth population, surely my argument is clear to see. It is a shame that in the wretchedness of their own self importance, they (the older generation)cannot see the trail of despair and hopelessness they have left behind for their “future”. These situations would quite normally prompt thought provoking questions like, is this some sort of plague to Nigerians? Or even for Africans or/and third world countries?
In last week’s TIME magazine, an article featured a write up on the new booming India and the fact that the vast majority of its business elite and celebrities seemed to live abroad. The writer raised a thought provoking question, saying “is there something about the Indian environment that discourages achievement?” Reading that article, I could identify with it in so many ways. As a young media practitioner in the making, I live in mortal fear of going back to Nigeria and not being able to practice; having to compromise with one desk job or the other. The other option would be unthinkable, surely that means I am a sell out to my argument? The bane of the third world remains the in-conducive environment and faulty bureaucracy common to these countries. Despite all of this, India seems to be doing quite well out of all of this. With the entry of global players like chanel and vogue into its system, stopovers by bands like U2 and Indian businesses like Lakshmi Mittal’s Mittal Steel investing in Europe; India seems to be on the right track. Better off than the rest of the third world anyway. So what are they doing right? Or what are we doing wrong?
I agree completely with chude, the Nigerian youth is the key and the few who manage to get a head start deserve a nod to inspire the rest. To get the rest of the generation in the race, we need to mobilize ourselves as a people. We need to learn what the others have learned and then beat them at it. We have to say no more to glossing over and glitzy finishes over bad wood. Today India has one Lakshimi Mittal, tomorrow they will have dozens more and the whole world knows it. Nigeria needs to borrow a leaf out of India’s books, who knows; maybe in the next thirty years Femi Kuti would have to search elsewhere for his musical inspiration!