It
might not be too far-fetched to describe “silence” as the absence of utterances,
most often verbal in moments when responses are being sought. Infact! It might
aptly represent what the word connotes, in the simplest and crudest of terms,
though ultimately it will amount to an incomplete definition. “Silence” can further
be described as the existence of a moment, dominated by the absence of any form
of noise (which could be verbal or non-verbal). We must bear in mind however,
that the human communication system isn’t dominated chiefly by the word of
mouth which is inclusive of the sounds and words spewed out of our vocal
cavity, as erroneously often conceived by a few, whose lack of panoramic
conceptions give them away as intellectual quacks. Over 70% of the human
communication hub is dominated by non-verbal elements. When one is asked a
question for example, and the questioned employs muteness, then even such
“silence” is capable of transferring a whole set of information. Therefore, it
is of immense and unquantifiable benefit to the questioned, to talk, express
yourself and your opinion rather that stick to the confines of reticence.
Your
intent and or thoughts could be misinterpreted by people, an action which isn’t
the sole fault of the interpreter but a collective error, the blame of which
ought to be shared partly by the “silent” and the interpreter of the “silence”.
The silent, because the absence of the expression of one’s thoughts and
feelings unequivocally, which is supposed to stipulates the wants, ideas and
opinions of a person clearly, could bred the conjecture of wrong ideas about
the subject. The “interpreter”, because jumping into conclusions without proper
clarifications only help cocoon situations in deeper quagmires. This therefore
is a part of the reasons why I advocate for the murder coyness with consistent
practice of self-expression, building loquaciousness, to avoid the existence of
situations unfavorable, which would be birthed solely by the erroneous action
of keeping silent when one ought to talk and define one’s self. Poet and writer
Nadezhda Mandelstam powerfully accentuates the need to speak out when she stated
“I decided it is better to scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity”.
Nadezhda understood the need to express and emphatically always states one’s
own thoughts and ideas; after all she was married to a political figure, with
whom she traversed the globe in attempts to evade the gruesome Russian powers
around the mid- 20th century. The need to talk and talk clearly out
of one’s fresh and innate feels cannot be overemphasized; therefore, I would
rest here to advance further in this discuss.
I
am a writer at 23, one who due to the devastating state of his country would be
addressed as an “upcoming” or to put more rightly, a “budding” writer, not
because of the lack of the necessary skills which would ultimately qualify him
to a writer in the full sense of the word, but because the structure of the
nation within which he finds himself gives room for success in whatever one
decides to do, only when your youthfulness, it freshness and vibrancy begins to
wear off into the oblivion of the 30’s. The country has been and is still
enmeshed in a rather tumultuous and cataclysmic situation. In all honesty, I
find the adjectives above rather inadequate to describe what this nation is
going through, despite its conspicuous potentials and possibilities. I am
pained, angered and in full-red-rage about what is going on in this country, my
country; however, I would avoid the temptation of delving into analytically
discussing the problems of this nation now, even though I would still touch and
brush over a few issues. My decision is hinged on many reasons, amongst which
is the fact that the country is gradually becoming a hub of grammars and
counter-grammars and no sense. Everybody wants to say something, but very few
indulge in logical and critical thinking, which seems to be the only way out of
the plethora of problems into which the country is submerged. Therefore, I have
decided to avoid spewing more grammars and instead try and speak from a heart.With
a population of over a hundred million, Nigeria has the potential of being one
of the most powerful countries on the face of the earth. The country has
already earned for itself the name “most populous black nation in the world”,
but evidently citizens of the country itself do not even know the essence,
worth and value of what they have. A shame to say the least! Gradually the
populace of this country have metamorphosed into being silent and dormant. They
turn out active only when it’s time to act the bidding of a force, similar to
the relationship between a puppeteer and his puppet. Silence has gradually
pervaded the air in this nation, intoxicating the learned and the illiterate
alike. The consequence of this disastrous action of silence employed by the
people of this beautiful nation, multiplies in many folds as time strolls down
the long path, which seems to lead to a calamitous destination. The Nigerian
societal upheavals despite being enormously scary, isn’t impervious to sound
thinking and concrete creative and decisive actions. My aim is fundamentally to
tackle the Nigerian issue from the top, to show how good leadership goaded by
the people’s wants and voices can salvage the country out of the pit into which
it has fallen. Therefore, to propel my aim, I intend to explain to the masses,
the ordinary people what their silence is perceived as by their leaders and how
murderous it is, not only to us existing now but to our generations yet to
come.
Nigeria
practices democracy, a system of government, which is complicated as well as
cumbersome. The major perk of this style of governance however, is the singular
and concrete fact that it places ALL the powers in the social structures of the
society in the hands of the people. This explains why many countries practice
this style of government, defined simply as “the government of the people, for
the people and by the people”. Gradually democracy has risen to be the most
practiced style or system of governance in the world. In this type of societal structure,
the people’s voice stands as the power from which the actions of the government
draw impetus. Is it not ironical therefore, that a country such as Nigeria
which practices a style of government in which the voice of the people is
power, should have a populace whom have pushed themselves into the stream of
dumbness, where they thus are drowning? The Nigerian people happen to be the
most interesting in the world, and I say this with no air of sarcasm. The government
at all levels is to be formed by representatives of the people, chosen by the
people to go and work for them. These representatives are servants, meant to
work assiduously for the people; they are paid from the coffers of the public.
The people therefore in this arrangement become the employers, while the so-called
“leaders” become the employees. This sadly is not the case in Nigeria; the
representatives chosen by the people in all levels of government have
transformed into masquerades, dictators and have made their employers their
servants. Funny! But that is the laughable condition in which dear Nigeria
swims. The silence which has existed on the part of the people for so many
years, have over these sad years been exploited by the leaders to the detriment
of the people. The cause(s) and my subjective solution(s) to this silence, I
would address subsequently. Our leaders have become tyrants, whom cannot be
questioned. They have grown into profligates, squandering the people’s
collective wealth without any iota of guilt. They buoy in wealth and extreme
affluence, their children bask in luxury inexplicable, while thousands of Nigerians
die in different parts of the country, due to the denial of the necessities of
life and the negligence of government. I have often tried to describe these
leaders that have held the country ransom over the years, and always before I
write or talk, the picture I see in my head, is that of a being with a heart of
stone and the feelings and attributes of one worthy enough to be called a
master to the biblical Satan. The cause of the silence exhibited by the people
in my opinion is a lack of knowledge of what is and what should be. Majority of
Nigerians do not have any idea about how their country is run and how it should
be run. Most of my fellow compatriots do not even give a hoot. These have over
the years culminated into an apportioning of huge powers to our leaders, an
unfortunate development which should not have existed at all. This is the main
thrust of my discuss. It is time now to act and act fast, if we as a people are
to deliver our country from the shackles of destruction, shame and failure. I
believe vehemently, that the time for silence and the exploitation of such
silence by agents of deceptions called leaders, is over. Mr Chima Inaji, a
social commentator and public analyst in an attempt to stipulate the position
of the people in the society, especially within a democratic setting stated
that “The constitution reserves the absolute and ultimate power for the
people”. The masses, the ordinary Nigerians, the proletariats of the Nigerian
society must understand that the time to take a decisive and revolutionary step
to secure the country for generations to come is now! Everyone should ask
questions about everything that goes on in the society as it affects everyone.
The people ought to begin to make it mandatory that their representatives in
government should account for their stewardship, periodically and in details.
Our souls and generations to come are worth more than monetary gains, therefore
we ought to break our silence and begin to holler. Let us enquire, enquire,
enquire, and finally demand tirelessly, until the situation of the country
begins to change and the structures begin to work for us all. Anyone who is not
ready to serve the people in the first place has no business being in
government.
I
would anchor on this note; the silence in which we as a people have indulged in
for rather to long is murderous, cancerous and destructive. It could be likened
to a virus which gradually eats one up, but whose effect wouldn’t be seen just
yet, until it piles up into a Kilimanjaro of pains, woes and tears. It is a
colossal mistake to assume that the offspring of the bourgeois and the
proles, especially in a country as marginalized as Nigeria, enjoy the same
benefits from the state, which collectively belongs to us all. Everyone has
equal shares in Nigeria, nobody irrespective of his/her wealth, class or creed
has a higher stake in Nigeria than the other does. Therefore, we ought to speak
out, vociferously, angrily, vehemently and yet peacefully against the ills that
have worn out our national values. The change to the right path, due to the
long years of decadence that have pervaded the government and structures of
this country, I must confess is a long and painful one. However, it is better
late than never! This voice “talking” to you, is one amongst the numerous
pained voices roaming the streets of the country in search of Jobs, coming from
an ill-equipped school on an empty stomach and from a frustrated entrepreneur whose
day got wasted while queuing to buy fuel at an extremely exorbitant price. This
is the voice of a furious and angry youth whose destiny have been tossed up and
down by WAEC, JAMB, NYSC and other governmental structures that exist in a
state of abject comatose. This is the voice of a 5 years old boy, unsure of
what his future in a country such as this would be like. I therefore solemnly
plea that for a start, let us embrace leaders who are of sound character,
untainted precedence and highly intelligible individuals, of which we possess
more than enough in this country. Jah bless…
