Chidi Nwaonu: Sometimes a thing is just a thing (30 Days, 30 Voices)

In order for a people to survive in a harsh and aggressive environment it is necessary to accept and adapt, but in order for a people to advance and progress they need to challenge and modify.

“Sometimes a thing is just what it is, a thing….when we see lightning killing people we don’t ask why, we just stay out of  thunderstorms”-Virgin of the Flames’  Chris Abani.

This quote strikes me as the most astute summary of Africa and African attitudes I’m yet to come across. It summarises our way of thinking and why we survive so many catastrophes and more importantly why catastrophes continue to befall us.

Unlike other colonized people virtually no African peoples were exterminated. Despite the best efforts of wars, slavery, floods, disease, malnutrition, droughts, climate, colonialism, independence, dictatorships Africa and Africans survive. Africa always finds a way.

Because to us a ‘thing’ is indeed just a ‘thing’. Not to challenged, questioned or bent to our will. But rather to be accepted and a will to be bent to. By adapting to disasters and seasons, our flora and fauna we have been able to survive. By accepting the superiority of another tribe or enemy a village pays tribute but survives, living and going about its business in relative peace.

A river with dangerous undercurrents regularly sucks in people who venture too far from the shore. It is declared off limits, the Elders state there is an angry River goddess that requires placating and the river is avoided except for rituals. No one is inclined to check for fords or river patterns. The village remains idyllic and isolated. It survives but it doesn’t expand or prosper. Risk is averted and life is preserved but then so is ‘evil’

The ability to adapt, improvise and overcome is without doubt the most striking thing about Africa. The collective accepts the ‘thing’ and although they might lose some people on the way the collective always survives in some shape or form. The question is though, would the casualty rate be the same as actually confronting these ‘things’ as accepting them?

This is the very reason we are so ill used and we accept the tyranny of Big Men. We laud and flatter illiterate thieves because we meekly accept their itinerant power. We are willing to be co-opted and accept second best for no other reason or question than ‘that’s how it is’  Leaders cant be confronted because they are ‘ordained by God’.

In order for a people to survive in a harsh and aggressive environment it is necessary to accept and adapt, but in order for a people to advance and progress they need to challenge and modify. Sometimes it is necessary to climb a mountain for no other reason than that it is there. Maybe there’s nothing at the top? Or maybe on the other side is a fertile valley.

Development and survival are two different things. Great Britain developed because it was a cold feudal island without much opportunities. The people did not accept these things they spread out, fought, conquered, exploited, oppressed and their island progressed. For every Lugard or Rhodes there are thousands who died anonymously. But for every 100 who died 1 or 2 prevailed and seized entire nations for themselves or their home countries.

This is not an advocacy for murder and pillage. Instead it is an observation that the biggest prison of any peoples are the prisons that their minds and cultures permit. A tiny number of uneducated, unskilled people hold entire nations to ransom with complete immunity. With acceptance comes impunity and it is impunity that is the greatest impediment to real change in Africa. We can stay out of thunderstorms or we can stand in the rain and get wet and maybe figure out where lightning comes from.

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Chidi Nwaonu is an London based engineer and entrepreneur, who works in infrastructure engineering and runs Proud to be African Clothing (http://proudtobeafrican.co.uk/) and a security consultancy.

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30 Days 30 Voices series is an opportunity for young Nigerians to share their stories and experiences with other young Nigerians, within our borders and beyond, to inspire and motivate them.

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

 

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