by Harmony Levin
I have always believed that one of the greatest evils to ever bedeviled man is fear. I am stunned at the way people have given this odd feeling a commonplace room in society; and yes, many dismiss it as just being cautious, seeing the course the society is taking, it’s a good time to be fear-struck. “Oh I am just making sure my kid goes to a school close to the house”. The underlying sensation to that statement is fear. If that sentence was to go on, it’d probably end something like this: “…I don’t know what may happen if he goes to school far from home”
Gone are the days when our biggest worry was making sure we went to school, got a good job, and started a family; now such a life exist only in the movies. We’re more concerned with kidnappings, stray bullets, sexually transmitted diseases, and of course death.
The Chibok school tragedy of April 2014 will never leave the hearts of many Nigerians; it culminated in the abduction of over 200 school girls from the school. The days and weeks after that attack saw Nigerians glued to their screens for updates on the girls -they wanted to help protest the release of the girls. The #BringBackOurGirls was launched, people adorned red roses to show solidarity and all.
But what’s the above story got to do with this article? I heard of the story of a Chibok family that moved down south in a bid to escape the Boko Haram brutality in North East Nigeria. They now live in constant fear. Amongst their biggest concerns is that terrorism will come meet them here in the south; they no longer send their kids to school in order to protect them from a possible terrorist abduction.
Perhaps the turn of the age of technology and information has turned Nigerians into fickle beings; our fear factor is now on speed lane. Conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, general anxiety disorder, which some 10 or 15 years ago could be dismissed as a non Nigerian condition, are being diagnosed in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
It is with much pleasure I remember when the rumors of Boko Haram invading Port Harcourt swept through the city. Local tabloids were the masterminds of course; shoving fear down our throats with scary headlines: Omagwa Airport to blow up in two weeks. Explosive devices strapped in bags of beans and cereals coming from the north into the city. Bombs hidden in Government House by saboteurs. The headlines roared on. It was a show of prayer conquest in the city, as churches struggled to reach God first with their request to save Port Harcourt from the terrorists- from Isaac Boro Park to Sand Field, to the Obi Wali center, prayer storms were held with fiery looking evangelists as hosts. The flick ended the same as it started, no Boko Haram attack or anything similar -what fear can do.
When I think of how we live in constant fear how fear has enveloped us Nigerians, the hairs on my arm stand in a shiver. The simple and uncomplicated lifestyle we once had now exists in the trash can; although pessimists will say Nigeria never had it easy. Every Nigerian now has an enemy, sometimes physical and in most cases spiritual. In fact it is unNigerian not to have an enemy; there should be an old woman or some uncle in your village casting you with spells that hinder you from hitting millions.
In a wish to drop my pen, I’ll say fear is the creation of man to be adopted by more generations to come. Good thing we still have a choice to make as Nigerians. Someone may be reading this and say “maybe this guy na JJC” or “he’s not Nigerian” obviously because I am failing to acknowledge a Nigerian spirit. Cheers!
Harmony Levin(20) is a writer, speaker and social commentator. An undergraduate student of the University of Uyo, studying History and International studies, a feature writer and editor of Diplomatic Access. A creative director and idea innovator, with high stakes in literature, lifestyle and religion. He is on Twitter as @mactorrr
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