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| Chinua Achebe |
The need to discuss the problem of Nigeria; the reason for its perceived
failure prompted Achebe to put his wit and wisdom into work.
The book The
Trouble with Nigeria, first published in 1983 by Fourth Dimension
Publishing co., Ltd, Enugu, focuses on the issue around the failure of the
contemporary Nigerian state – perhaps at the time of writing. The text advances
to list what it views as the problems of the country: tribalism, false image of
ourselves, patriotism, social injustice and the cult of mediocrity, indiscipline,
corruption etc. These problems, according to it, have made Nigeria one of the
most corrupt, insensitive, inefficient places under the sun. More so, the text
is targeted at making Nigerians know their problems and that the trouble which has
pillaged their country is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.
The book explains
these troubles in ten chapters: chapter one discusses where the problem lies:
simply and squarely a failure of leadership; that there is nothing basically
wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. This
chapter argues that the Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of
its leaders to rise to the responsibility and challenge of personal example
which are the main characteristics of leadership; chapter two identifies
tribalism as one of the problems Nigeria has – that it is discrimination
against a citizen because of his place of birth, and that this discrimination
has dominated in the Nigerian society; chapter three views false images of
ourselves as a trouble with Nigeria, that Nigeria has lived on imaginary
self-concept of itself; chapter five discusses the problem of leadership –
leadership in Nigerian style. The text says in chapter five that we deceive
ourselves in professing our patriotism, that a patriot is a person who loves
his country, not a person who says he loves his country; chapter six captures
social injustice and the cult of mediocrity; chapter seven, indiscipline;
chapter eight, corruption – that Nigerians are corrupt because the system is
corrupt; chapter nine discusses the Igbo problem – that Nigeria see the Igbo as
aggressive, arrogant, and clannish. The last chapter describes the death of
Mallam Aminu Kano, of which the text ends in pessimism that Nigeria cannot be
the same again because Aminu Kano lived here. However, this chapter reminds us
that it is used in the manner of Aminu Kano himself to ask the crucial
question: ‘What is the purpose of political power? Why do you seek political
office? Why do you want to rule? Every politician, of course, gives us an
answer to these questions, but unfortunately their answers are alike that they
leave us totally unenlightened.
The author employs
a simple but offensive language in analyzing the theme of his work. The
language is too hard, concrete and exposing that the writer would have murdered
the country if, in the course of writing this piece, he had been given a weapon
and asked to do so.
As an experienced writer, the author uses an
original thought to pass his message across. He moves his idea in a way that
captures a wild reading audience. The form he has used to meet his audience
looks to be what they need. The audience is encapsulated with the idea that
they would love to read another similar work by the author.
The Trouble with
Nigeria succeeds in revealing the weaknesses of the Nigerian state, and
contributes in making the audience reason critically in finding the solution to
the problems that have engulfed and subjugated the country in a string of backwardness.
The text exposes Nigerian peoples into the reality of the bad things that
happen around us and within our societies. The text maps a horizon of
readership, that Nigerians who love their country and are willing to save it
should no longer stand idle and complain, rather they should move into vibrant
and rigorous action, if that happens to be the solution.
However, insomuch
as the text employs wit, wisdom, and experience in exploring the varieties of
the trouble with Nigeria, it has also given space for criticism, in that it has
limitations of material. The text lists what it sees as the problems of
Nigeria, but has failed convincingly and specifically to list and discuss the
solution(s) to the problems. The text, perhaps, with its lack of tact, corrupts
the mind of an average citizen in thinking that the country is the worst place
under the sun. Like I said, the author uses language as though he was ready to
murder the country if given the opportunity.
Nonetheless, it’s
acceptable that attacking a system is another way to correcting its faults, but
the rigidity of the text’s language is too condemning. Hence, it says:
‘Nigeria
is not a great country. It is one of the most corrupt, insensitive, inefficient
places under the sun. It is one of the most expensive countries and one of
those that give least value for money. It is dirty, callous, noisy,
ostentatious, dishonest and vulgar. In short, it is among the most unpleasant
places on earth.’ (11)
In comparison with the little, calm solution it gives, it says:
‘I
am not here recommending ruthlessness as a necessary qualification for Nigerian
leadership. Quite on the contrary. What I am saying is that Nigeria is not beyond
change. I am saying that Nigeria can change today if she discovers leaders who
have the will, the ability and the vision. Such people are rare in any time or
place. But it is the duty of enlightened citizens to lead the way in their
discovery and to create an atmosphere conducive to their emergence. If this
conscious effort is not made, good leaders, like good money, will be driven out
by bad.’ (2)
In contrast, the solution is rather too common
and menial to compare to the harsh and hostile way it puts the Nigerian
problems. The text presents a rather complicated conundrum when it suggests
that the nation can change when it discovers leaders with certain qualities –
such leaders however, are ‘rare’ to find in any time and place. The text gives
a solution without an assurance of its certainty. It succeeds in making average
minds view the nation on one-sided platform – negativity.
The
Trouble with Nigeria seems to attack the government more personally,
because it is rather impersonal to say that the trouble with the nation is
squarely a failure of leadership and that nothing else is wrong with the
country but that. One would be equally right to argue that the trouble is both
leadership and individualism. It is true that the one per cent people who are
at the helm of affairs, people who have control of power, can change the
country to a great extent, but this cannot be complete if individuals in their
minds fail to reform themselves and think better. When they are convinced to
believe totally that the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership, it means that they can
no longer look at themselves and see the fault in them. And with this, they
can’t contribute in bringing the change that is required.
In
conclusion, the text ends with tension and hopelessness on the audience. Hence,
‘Nigeria cannot be the same again because Aminu Kano lived here.’ What this
means, I do not know. Perhaps, that Nigeria cannot be the same geographically
or that Nigeria had been in good governance and in commitment, and cannot be
the same again in post-colonial era – just perhaps.
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©Stanley Chuck
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