For some time now, I have been wondering why Nigerians are so loud and hypocritical. Why are Nigerians show people? Why are we always making a noise of everything we have to do? Why are we just down to earth controversial?

I was still wondering in my wilderness of thought when I remembered a book I read long ago titled The Complete Nigerian by the famed journalist Peter Enahohro alias Peter Pan. In his book (which should have been a best- seller if it were for a developed society), he clearly described a true Nigerian and I remember loudness, being full of mischief and hypocritical as part of the many characteristics of a complete Nigerian in that book.

Why then have I been wondering about the loudness and of Nigerians? Why is it becoming a source of worry and concern all of a sudden? It is because for sometime noe is has been assuming a dangerous dimension that if not checked can cause devastation beyond a manageable proportion.

 After the last gubernatorial and presidential polls in April 2007, many Nigerians during and after the elections were ragging about the conduct of the elections with particular emphasis on the snatching and stuffing of ballot boxes, harassment and intimidation of voters, falsification of election results, incompetence of INEC staff etc. The noise and the outcry was so so loud that it was getting to me. I decided then to write a piece for publication titled Shut Up Nigerians, Shut Up! The write up never saw the light of the press as it was misplaced, so how. In the write- up, I asked serious questions about all the noise and hullabaloo being made about the conduct of the polls. I sought to know why ballot boxes should not be snatched and stuffed with illegally thump printed ballot papers.

I also sought for answers as to why voters should not be harassed and intimidated by thugs who were hired, armed and paid by the very people contesting for their votes. I asked why in heavens name should INEC not have incompetent people in its employ. I wasnt expecting answers from any quarters because I had ready- made answers. Everyday of our lives as Nigerians, these are characteristics we display, thats why. Are we not thieves that snatch things meant for other people everyday? Do we not as politicians and civil servant take funds meant for millions of Nigerians with respect to projects execution? Do we not in our exalted positions snatch jobs meant for those who deserve and merit them for our close acquaintances? Do we not shamelessly connive to take monies meant for pensioners and stash them up in a fixed deposit account so it can yield interests for our benefits while the old people wait and die waiting? Do we not deny people we know admission into the University for those we know or have paid us? Do we not falsify the number of workers on especially government pay- roll so as to benefit from the monies accruing to the ghost workers? Do we not sexually harass females in schools, places of work, and on the street? Is crime not a part of our lives? Are the criminals not our brothers and sisters?

Why wont there be incompetent people wearing INEC uniform when we all close our eyes and allow people get away with examination fraud and have their results released with excellent grades they are never able to defend?

Recently, after the Boko Haram crises, another period of shameless noise making began. I was however very pleased with Mr. Femi Falana’s blunt stand on this noise- making issue when he was a guest on Gbenga Arulebas popular TV programme, Focus Nigeria. He decried the hypocrisy on the part of the government and the press over the issue and went on to back his stand. Lets be objective, is Boko Haram the first case of extra- judicial killings in Nigeria? Why all the hype? What about the Apo Six in Abuja and the countless of these type of cases of senseless killings in Nigeria everyday? What about the case of the young man in Kwara State who arrived Nigeria from the USA only a few days before the bullet of a policemans gun made sure he never returned to the US? What about the polytechnic student that was killed by a policeman when the okada rider he was riding on refused to stop and give the now normal handouts of twenty naira? What about the four people killed in a golf car by policeman in Abuja? The list is endless. Extra- judicial killings now seem to be part of the training now given at the police academy.

What has sparked me into writing about these noise and hypocrisy at this time? It is the noise being generated by about our U- 17 National team, the Golden Eaglets. What about? Over- aged players in the camp. So whats the reaction? As usual, a lot of hypocritical mumbo jumbo in the print and electronic media. A whole lot of criticisms have been flying around as some people have even asked for the players to be prosecuted. What a shame! Have our civil service and banks especially not legalized the falsification of age? How many people in Nigeria have their original birth certificates? Have we not all been parading with certificates of declaration of age albeit sworn falsely under oath of the courts? How often do we see corps members that are evidently over the stipulated 30 year age mark? How in heavens do we think young Nigerians will not enter for the cadre competition with falsified ages? He who has not sinned in this issue should cast the first stone. Before I knock off this write- up, let me disabuse your mind from thinking that I am in any way supporting these vices. I am so much against all of them but at the same time against the indiscriminate and outrageous noise and hypocrisy that normally dot them. Lets speak objectively every time we have to talk.

A friend of mine traveled to Ghana for a Conference and came back with a most amazing experience. He narrated how after one of the conference session, they were headed back to the hotel where they were lodged. It was well past mid- night and as with any society any where in the world, the roads were empty with vehicular traffic.

The taxi arrived at a cross road and was facing the red light of the traffic. He stopped. The right thing to do? Yeah! But that surprised my friend and other passengers in the taxi (obviously Nigerian) pleasantly, as there were no on- coming vehicles from the other lanes. He just waited until the light glowed green before proceeding.

Amazing isn’t it because a typical Nigerian would have reasoned, ‘well, since there is no on- coming vehicle and no traffic warden in sight, let me just go on.’ Even at that it will be a Nigerian that still has some sense of responsibility left in him.

I have been trying to reason that maybe it just wont work for us (Nigerians) to be as law abiding as citizens elsewhere except when we are being watched closely or forced because many times even while being watched, we still go ahead and disobey. I am not saying that laws are not broken in even developed societies or that there are no Nigerians that do not obey traffic regulations or other laws as the case may be. I am only trying to show the magnitude and frequency with which ours occur.

I sincerely doff my hat for citizens that obey traffic regulations especially when the law enforcement officers are not within sight. Check out these people: they are found to be almost faultless with other laws. They are people that possess a great deal of patience and how well they succeed at any endeavour they put their hands on.

Many times as parents drive around with their children, they beat traffic lights there by showing their wards that it is ok to break laws. These same parents cannot stand it when the same children they show how insignificant it is to break rules break some of their own rules in the home. In many cases they will go to the extent of flogging the children.

What about Principals and teachers of schools? Are they left out? As they drive to school or home they sometimes violate traffic rules but will immediately arrange offending students for punishment.

As a director or an employer of labour, how do you deal a staff that made a grave mistake? You issued a query or gave an outright sack? Did you violate a traffic rule lately? How did you feel doing that? Are you a Lawyer or a Judge in the court? Have you ever beaten a red light yet sit in judgment over offenders of laws set by the authorities? Many government officials driving in government vehicles do also violate rules put in place by the same government that they are working for.

What I am trying to bring to you here is that if all of us generally keep to traffic regulations, we are building in us a discipline and respect for the law. The other thing that will naturally follow is orderliness which will in turn begin to cause great things to happen in our country. If not, imagine yourself in a primary school break period playground. What do you make of it? That’s exactly the way our life as a nation is. Many of the traffic hold- ups are as a result of impatient drivers trying to by- pass traffic regulations. Let us all work hard to become like other nations where it is a very serious crime to break traffic regulations.

Cheers,

To a better Nigeria.