When our Ancestors used beads, cowries, shells salt, cows, slaves, elephants tusk, mamilas and bars of metal as their means of exchange, it was not a do or die affair. It was more or like a legal tender in their era for buying and selling of goods and services. Thanks to science and technology that have provided us with a lot of comfort with its invention and innovations. Money was made to serve the interest of man and not the other way round. However, it is arguable that the bane of numerous ?kasalas? that Nigerians is facing is due to the fact that Nigerians have not only fallen in love with money but have gone an extra mile to worship and serve money.
A classmate once told me that it is only naira and kobo that can make me great in the Nigeria of today. Actually, I was amused by his school of thought and when I failed to subscribe to his ideas by giving him examples like Late Professor Chinua Achebe, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Late Legal Luminary Gani Fayemi, Late Odimegwu Ojukwu who dared to be different and wore the crown of greatness, even when they were never people with wealth that defiled rational comprehension, he went ahead to tell me that no matter the volumes of books I write, the society will not value me if I do not own palatial mansions and ride on the latest jeeps in town while swimming in the ocean of opulence.
The recent pathetic happenings in the society is a pointer to the fact that we have succeeded in sacking ?Mr. value? and replaced him with ?Naira? and ?kobo?. As far back as 1981, the then Arch Bishop of Onitsha now, Francis Cardinal Arinze envisaged this crazy struggle for Naira and Kobo by Nigerians and referred to the bugging infection as ?nairamania?.
This philosophical school of thought that declares Naira and Kobo as a basic constituent of life is not a ?welcome development. The move to ?nairanise? the polity is a worrisome prospect. Thus ?plus pire? of? the whole issue is that even religion and religious practices in Nigeria is also affected by this canerus monster. In fact, our entirety has been pervaded by this bizarre and crazy struggle for money and things that money can buy. No wonder, most youths seek to acquire naira and kobo not minding the importance of such acquisition to their life and the society. With this erroneous and fallacious philosophy that money brings happiness, our country has turned into a jungle.
We have succeeded in reducing the value of the human person to naira and kobo. With the conspiratorial silence or moral and religious leaders and the ?sidon look? attitude of our elders, the pathetic situation is now taking a frightening dimension. The cases of assassination, kidnapping, armed robbery, prostitution and all sort of evil is now taking the centre stage in the society.
With the dethronement of integrity, honesty and hard work and enthronement of ?chief get rich quick?, people now live in fear and sleep with one eye open. Why must we ignore the consequence of law of retribution by justifying the ?end justifies the means? maxim through our actions and inactions?
The Pope emeritus, Benedict xvi, observed that ?happiness is something we all want but one of the greatest tragedies in this world is that so many people never find it, because they look for it in the wrong place?. He captures the existential reality in the polity. Despite the fact that history is full of men and women who felt that happiness lays in material acquisition and gave money a wild chase to their detriment. Many a Nigerians have insistently refused to learn from ?Mr history?. Where are Idia Amen of Uganda, Sani Abacha of Nigeria, Mobutu Sese Sekru of Congo-Dx, Emperor Jean Bendel Bokassa of Central African Republic and multi millionaire like M.K. Abiola? Indeed, like the Hausa?s say- Dunia banza (the world is vanity). We must realize that man does not live by naira and kobo alone. The human life has value only to the degree to which it is offered in service to God and humanity. The life of legendary icons like Nelson Mandela, Sekon Taire, Mahatma Gandi, Kwame Nkuma, Julius Nyerere, Queen Amina of Zaria, Gani Fayemi, Chinua Achebe and Chike Obi is a pointer to this fact.
The current reigning ?nairamaniac? philosophy of accumulation is un-called for. We will be bitting more than we can chew if we don?t retrace our steps and change our value system and orientations.
It was Calvin Holdege who observed that ?it is good to have money and things money can buy, but once in a while let us check out if we have not lost what money cannot buy?. The glories of naira and kobo are ephemeral. Money cannot guarantee the happiness of man because the happiness of man does not come from ?without? i.e. outside but ?within? it is an affair of the mind and soul and not purely and squarely of the body as many erroneously believe.
It is only a fool that thinks that all that matters is naira and kobo and so such chooses naira and kobo before everything (nairanism). Pause and ponder, those who want to get naira and kobo by all means should be ready to face the consequence of their actions in all ways because, ut severitas meritatis sic ? what you sow, you shall reap.
Echoes of Reality?With Martins-hassan Esom (08165148181)
