"Where are those new elites?" Well, believe it or not, we've birthed them and are still producing more of them. They are the majority, largely unspoilt and uncorrupted.
Our national anthem instructs us to “help our youth the truth to know, in love and honesty to grow.” So while we may have squandered the legacy bequeathed us, it’s not too late to modify our behaviour and lifestyle to germinate and warrant a future Nigeria of “new elites.”
The title of this Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a quote belonging to a dear brother, Akeem Akande. My friend would repeat those three words, often out of frustration. I would ponder on it. New elites ke? What is he talking about? Then, one day, it connected.
While the discourse about leadership in Nigeria rages on, the potential merits of a new elite class warrants exploration.
The pillars of every society, from civic to social to cultural and politics, particularly capitalist societies, are bolstered by its elites and middle class. They are the custodians to whom so much has been bestowed, with the expectation to give even more back. Now,although the Nigerian middle class has been emaciated to the condition of kwashiorkor, the Nigerian elite class has continued excel as the weakest link.
Prior to the EFCC’s search for the belligerent ex-governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, some weeks back, the anti-corruption institution’s attempt to arrest their suspect, morphed into a dramatic siege outside his house in Abuja. With the help of his recently appointed shadow as governor of Kogi State,the self-proclaimed White Lion scuttled into hiding like a proverbial thieving rat. How can an ex-governor be missing? Only in Nigeria! What is a drama without a stage? Days later reports began circulating that the same EFCC had arrested the ex-minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, for an alleged N8 billion fraud.
In spite of this, the chief anti-graft officer, Ola Olukoyede, mounted the stage and declared to Nigerians that he will resign if he failed to prosecute Yahaya Bello. This begs the question: Is Bello the only suspect on his to-do list, so why the posturing?
I recently came across a story on Facebook about the decayed structure of Eric Moore Junior High School in Surulere. Immediately, many began pointing fingers at the Lagos State government. But where are the alumni of Eric Moore? Historic institutions such as Harvard, Wharton, Yale,OxBridge and the likes have been sustained for decades by the philanthropic donations of former students – a culture we have also seen replicated by some alumni groups in Nigeria for their alma mater. We need new elites.
African billionairism is the disease commonly termed poverty mentality. It starts from grass and pivots with riches. It is the mindset of a ‘billionaire’ who pays 10 years of advance tuition to a foreign school for his offspring,while the children of his state continue to languish in penury. It is the mindset of our billionaires who prefer to donate their riches to educational institutions in developed countries, while Nigeria’s education continues in decay.
Quite recently again, what was supposed to be a brief call to veteran thespian, Mama T (Taiwo Ajai-Lycett), to wish her good luck in her upcoming London production ofAwo – The musical, pirouetted into a much longer banter. We bemoaned the lack of collaboration in the theatre industry, primarily caused by the paucity of funds and a comatose Arts Council. Theatre is the canvas from which all other creativity emerges. It’s the oratory of present, past, and future. How could the country of Herbert Ogunde,Duro Ladipo and Tunde Kelani be saddled with a theatre space that is deprived of funds? Where are our elites?
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Prior to calling Mama T, I had just read Lasisi Olagunju’s latest article, “Sending Ooni of Ifẹ̀ to Tinubu.” In that article, Olagunju lamented the deplorable state of the Ibadan-Ifẹ̀ road. He considered whether the Ooni, Oba Enitan Adewusi, had notified President Tinubu that the N78.9 billion contract awarded by his predecessor in 2019 is resting peacefully in the crowded graveyard of Muhammadu Buhari’s broken promises ?
The first week of May was yet another eventful week in Nigerian news. By now, we must be accustomed to weird and bemusing videos of government officials in a myriad of compromising situations. However, the 10 minute performance by Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, tops the charts of the maximally dysfunctional. In the video, an erring contractor’s attempts to seek clarification about the contract in front of him, was punctuated with foul- language from the senior government official, coupled with indignant threats from Mr Minister that he would get the locals (thugs) “to deal with you” (contractor). Are these our elites?
The twinned incivility and avaricious nature of our elite class is the red oil that continues to stain the white pallets of our national flag. We deserve a new set of elites!
Our avalanche of problems points to a society led by successive dysfunctional leaders, guiding us to a continuous downwards spiral. That dysfunction is the recipe that breeds a pureed brand I call ‘African billionairism.’
African billionairism is the disease commonly termed poverty mentality. It starts from grass and pivots with riches. It is the mindset of a ‘billionaire’ who pays 10 years of advance tuition to a foreign school for his offspring,while the children of his state continue to languish in penury. It is the mindset of our billionaires who prefer to donate their riches to educational institutions in developed countries, while Nigeria’s education continues in decay. It is the folly of living and looking out of the tinted bulletproof windows of opulent mansions at the slums across the road. The mindset of “agba baller” who doesn’t know the difference between money and wealth.
The other recurring response was, “Where are those new elites?” Well, believe it or not, we’ve birthed them and are still producing more of them. They are the majority, largely unspoilt and uncorrupted. They are our grandchildren currently being educated in primary schools across the country.
African billionairism is cognitive dissonance, short-sightedness, ignorance, and self-loathing. We need new elites.
There’s a general notion in Nigeria that everything in the West is made possible by their government. Kindly disabuse yourself of such fallacy. Culture, civic, and learning institutes in the global north were built by their billionaires. Infrastructures such as libraries, museums, schools, and even bridges, oil pipelines,and scientific research were made possible by the larcenous excesses of capitalist egos. Yet, pilfering African billionaires are accursed with a desperation for Western validation and applause, and this,without putting in their shift. Imagine for a minute if just three of our billionaires were to adopt our fractured educational infrastructure as their collective vanity project?
This article was first presented in a five minute video monologue, which has evoked deep introspections. Writer and journalist, Toyin Akinosho’s response, “What are we doing and what have we done?!,” is the existential question that should dominate our societal discourse. It is no longer about how we got here; it has to be about how we progress from here. About the seriousness of our desire and passion to reshape the Nigerian narrative, since we know that this current inanity cannot and must not continue. “We need new elites” should be a call out on every billboard from Lagos to Kafanchan.
The other recurring response was, “Where are those new elites?” Well, believe it or not, we’ve birthed them and are still producing more of them. They are the majority, largely unspoilt and uncorrupted. They are our grandchildren currently being educated in primary schools across the country.
Our national anthem instructs us to “help our youth the truth to know, in love and honesty to grow.” So while we may have squandered the legacy bequeathed us, it’s not too late to modify our behaviour and lifestyle to germinate and warrant a future Nigeria of “new elites.”
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