I’ve been off Twitter for about a week now. Had a severe bout of the flu. I’m good now.
People who know me know that when I believe in something/someone I’ll run with it/them passionately, giving it/them my all. That’s till I no longer believe in them, till I feel like I’m being taken for granted, or till I get bored and decide to seek amusement some place else (third reason rarely happens).
In my short lifetime I’ve been involved in quite a diverse range of activities/causes; from organising album launches, press conferences, bake sales, even worked on publicity/branding for politicians as some point. Each of these events have one underlying factor that determined whether they were success or failures; whether all the organizers remained buddies or if we can’t bear to even think of each other now.
Trust.
This is what trust is NOT, and this is the best analogy I could think of (and not because I love beans)
a. We want to eat moimoi. We agree we will eat moimoi.
b. We (say 1000 people) decide (consciously or unconsciously) that Zainab will buy and pick the beans, Kudirat will grind and mix in the spices, and then Ifeoma will watch over the moimoi till it is ready.
c. We all go to the market with Zainab, help her carry the shopping. We all pick the beans, chatting while we work. Then we go with Kudirat to where she grinds the beans, maybe even argue about how much pepper and onions should be ground into it. On the way home, we buy garri and groundnuts we’ll use to eat our moimoi.
d. Ifeoma doesn’t call us, several hours after. In anger, we march to the kitchen to find that the stove’s cold, and Ifeoma’s not there. Our moimoi mixture is as we left it, uncooked. Furious but famished, we put our moimoi to cook. Later we find out that Ifeoma went to the neighbor’s to eat akara.
Trust.
Does Ifeoma think Zainab, Kudirat, or the 1000 will ever plan a meal with her again? It is for this reason, ladies and gentlemen, that I am heartbroken. Disillusioned. Disenchanted. Disgusted. Maybe even ashamed.
Samuel Johnson said, “the key is to get to know people and trust them to be who they are. Instead, we trust people to be who we want them to be, and when they are not,we cry”.
It is for this same reason I’m wary of the loudest voices since the protests started. ‘Saviors of the people’ have again risen up, denouncing the government (which is a brainless one by the way) in the strongest, vilest language possible. I see we’re also calling for the President’s head (which is justifiable in my book too) but have we taken a close look at the people chanting the loudest?
Let’s start with the individuals. Especially if you’ve been in government or in a position to make a change and you did nothing. You should hide your head in shame because sweet cheeks you are a part of the problem.
Still on individuals, sycophants, lying scoundrels giving wrong counsel to people in power for an extra buck. Shame on you. It just goes to show what you’ll be when you’re there.
Then, the ‘activists’. Once it suits your purpose, your battle cry is the loudest. You want the interviews, the international publicity; the power, maybe the extra follower on Twitter. If however there’s the slimmest chance that your interests might be harmed, you go oon self-proclaimed exile. And in doing so rubbish the credibility of your comrades on the altar of your greed. Shame on you.
The sensationalist. I would love to push this to the media but it is human beings who make that up isn’t it? And in these days of social media making citizen reporters of us all, kinda further widens the scope doesn’t it? We publish/repost/retweet gore in the name of news, offend the sensibilities of everyone else with news that is as unfounded as it is ridiculous. Especially in times of tension or strife. Where is your conscience? Ok you’ve sold that. Did you sell your common sense too? “If the writing is honest it cannot be separated from the man who wrote it” — Tennessee Williams. Same thing goes for dishonest writing/retweeting/posting/publishing.
Worst of all are the ones who are silent. Elie Wiesel said, “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victims. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented”. But perhaps it is this quote by Martin Luther King Jnr that expresses my thoughts the most, ” our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. Posterity will judge.
It is for these reasons I am heartbroken.
Fairy Godsister's Blog 
Sub at Amara no?
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@ Jane, I’ve never been careful enough to sub. I wrote to myself as much as to the next person. There’s a place for personal interpretation though, which everyone has a right to.
Thanks for stopping by!
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You are apt and so to the point that I feared for our blindness. I fear that the day we choose to see again we will be revelled with countless half truths and libelous comments we have shared as relay stations of social media. Yet I disagree with your comments on the leaders of the protests. While not oblivious of their past we appreciate their defining roles in our current struggles. An autopsy of their past conducts is better left to to the eternal judgement of history.
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@Mohammed, it’s ok that you disagree with me, matter of fact that is the essence of publicizing posts. I must however say that it is extremely essential that you look into the past, especially as it concerns leadership. What track records are there to measure a person by? It is better to be shocked when someone’s behavior suddenly goes south than to have someone who’s always been deviant and expect him to lose his spots in old age.
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Well written and from the heart, as usual. No matter how people have criticized or criticize you, this is no time for silence. The unfortunate side to this is we are all now wary of those who claim to weak for us, except for a very few. May we, the common Nigerians, be the victors in all this.
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Big amen Hauwa! I’m worried that we’ll stop trusting, even when the ‘messiah’ comes, all because of the rotten eggs we’re surrounded with now.
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Very well said. We can only be hopeful and watchful.
But keep at the struggle.
God bless us.
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@Osagie, thanks for stopping by! Of course I’ll keep at the struggle, this is what I was made for!
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I admit culpability in this. I guess when there has too much bottled up, you never think much when the bottle smashes. I share your sentiments on the different personas championing the struggle; it is just all so clear that it is a means to an end for them. I just hope that people don’t have amnesia in the name of sentiments. You speak for a lot of us yet for yourself and that is REAL. Hopefully, God sees our hearts and helps us to trust even when this virtue has been terribly abused. The struggle continues though… Put your fist in the air!!!!
PS- This is great and beautifully written!
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Thank you Souljah, this post apart from being my platform to vent, also afforded me the opportunity to encourage people not to accept everything they see/read hook, line, and sinker. Even Jesus in the Bible said, “take heed what you hear”.
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This really captured a true picture of some of d developments as d protests progressed, some people that lost out in govt. of today, or in d past election took advantage, to re-brand their image by lashing at d govt., or some still being investigated for graft committed while in govt., used it to launder their image as good patriots. It is very good to know that after all the dust have calmed, that we don’t fall to d level of dis opportunists that is now mixing with the genuine agitators for d social good in ‘deeds’ and not ‘veiled talks’…
I will add that dis is a masterpiece of an expose on d current developments.
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Thank you Iyke for stopping by, and for te compliments as well! I think that in these times we should all be wary of the ‘saviours’ that have arisen; everyone has vested interests…
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*nods head* I thought I was the only one with the opinion that some of our ‘freedom’ fighters have ulterior motives- I was wrong. ThoughI think ridding ourselves of the greater evil is a step in the right direction. Beautifully written
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Cross, you’re not the only one! I’m learning not to ascrie virtues to people anmore, take them at face value (and therefore with a pinch of salt) so that you’re not surprised if they turn out good or bad.
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Chioma, this blog explains a lot, my dear! And describes what I feel as well! SPOT ON.
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Thank you Ruonah!! Somehow I knew the post would strike a chord!
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