When you hear people jam the cliche, “I schooled in the UK” in a condescending approach to distinguish themselves from others, one would at least expect a relatable premise and resonating conclusion of a set discourse. However, the table is upside in the case of Hon. Mojisola Ali-Macaulay, standing odd in the comity of expectations.
UK Schooling is termed the best by the evaluative nature of world-class research cum critical thinking that the students are reputed for. It’s however appalling that even though Hon. Macaulay schooled in the UK where she must have learned a great deal of intensive research, it was devoid in her remarks, “Look at the children these days, the youths… They’re high on drugs all the time, most of them… There’s also unemployment in the US.”
Not only was she out of facts, she was absent-minded of reality; as a vast majority of Nigerians youths are productive notwithstanding the strait socio-economic atmosphere of the country.
Maybe Hon. Ali-Macaulay forgot before making the unparalleled comparison that the UK’s youths unemployment rate is 14.1 percent while Nigeria’s is 27.1 percent, zoning about 21.7 million Nigerian youths into stark unemployment; youths in the UK between the age of 24 and under are entitled to £58.90 (#28, 963) per week, while those who are 25 and above can claim up to £74.35 (#36, 561).
Nigeria’s political elites have mastered the arts of clownery which they display without hesitation, despite the heaviness of a circumstance. This is evident in the spoken display of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu where he said, “Those who have suffered casualty during the gunshot needs to answer some questions, how they were there, how long they were there, and what kind of characters are they?” One wonders from whom Asiwaju wanted the answers; from the killed protesters, or the severely injured who still help-walk around seeking medical assistance?
Nigerians were still at awe at the Lagosianism declaration of Asiwaju when Sen. Teslim Folarin doubled-up on comic, saying the 300 motorbikes, 400 deep freezers, 400 generators hoarded in his Oluyole residence, and conveyed away in the heat of post-EndSARS looting was for his constituent; he was stock-piling to share as empowerment in December. Whatever happens to depositing the funds with the manufacturer remains unanswered by him.
Another clownery ensued even at the homelessness of the people in Cross River State when Governor Ben Ayade led a tear-sharing conference in the State lamenting that, ” I never knew that 5 years into office as Governor, I” ll still find somebody who lives in a thatch house in Cross River State, I’m crying because I knew how prepared I was, but it didn’t end the way I prepared for the State… Sobs interlude.” Even with three years more in office, the bewilderment at Prof. Ayade’s remarks lies in his acceptance of his colossal failure as a Governor, even before ending his administration – He has truly failed the people as he rightly concluded.
Then, Dr. Saka Audu, Kogi State Commissioner for Health flasks another set of cut-up in a state-wide broadcast admitting in crocodile tears that, “it’s indeed a very unfortunate development that the State will find it very difficult to recover from… As we don’t have the capacity to provide what has been carted away or vandalized in a short term.” His conclusion remains a pointer to the government’s failure to accept responsibility and a subtle way of telling the people of Kogi to prepare for the worse.
The Clownery saga became engulfed when Desmond Eliot on the floor of Lagos House of Assembly said,” When I went through the comments, I couldn’t believe it Mr. Speaker, the curses, the curses from CHILDREN.” Hon. Desmond clearly referred to teeming population of Nigerian youths as ‘children’ – what a weighty zany at an intensified state of unrest. He though later realized that his emotions had a better part of him.
A quick spot at the clownery replays of Nigeria’s political elites is that their common behavioral patterns, sense of situation, and addresses; affirms C. Wright Mills assertion that “power elite members recognize other members, mutual exalted position in society; as a rule, they accept one another, understand one another, tend to work, and to think, if not together at least alike.
It’s disheartening that none of the elites condemned an obvious violation of the rights of the peaceful protesters who were attacked in Lekki, nor talked about how those injured would get responsive medical support;albeit, they had universal energies to waylay the free use of social media which has always exposed their incompetence under the guise of ‘social media bill.’
It’s high time Nigerians woke up to the reality that the political elites would do all within their whims and caprices to clampdown on the social media which has always come to the rescue of the masses. All calculated attempts to silence Nigerians via the social media bill should be rebuffed by the citizens in the most peaceful engagement, following national and international laws.
The elites are always in unison when it comes to wielding the elements to keep the poor wretched, and the helpless voiceless – a time to change the status quo.
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