what really defines US

By Muyiwa Adetiba
I spent two hours with Dr Christopher Kolade,
the elder statesman at his home last week.
So rich is my experience, so varied is my
take-away after such a meeting that I always
wish there could be more of such meetings
but Dr Kolade is still a very busy man even at
his age. It was our first meeting of the year,
and there seemed to be more to discuss than
time allowed. But two areas that are
inescapable in our discussions no matter how
tight the time, are his passion for God, and
his passion for Nigeria.
Because I also know something of his
relationship with the vice-president, whom he
regards as one of his favourite sons, I led him
to a discussion on the Buhari administration.
He had a lot of positives, and believes that
what many people see as rigidity might be
due to lack of exposure. He however
cautioned that as desirable as the fight
against corruption is and the need to pursue
it to a logical conclusion, the administration
should be careful not to be defined by it.
Later in the evening as I reviewed my day, I
was struck by that admonition. Not only as it
pertains to this administration, but as it
pertains to all of us. My understanding of
what defines one is what comes to people’s
consciousness when the name of an
institution or a person pops up. So what
defines you and I? What defined the previous
governments?
I started with myself and in the wee hours of
the night, thought of what I believed should
define me. I thought of my many
constituencies and wondered if they would
agree with me. I wondered if I had projected
the core of my being enough for the real me
to come through. Next, I thought about the
people I admire and what defines them to me.
All my role models are successful—naturally—
but that is not what defines them to me. It is
the way they have handled their success
which is unlike an average Nigerian. It is also
a portrayal of their value system. Have I
handled my relatively little success the same
way? Or more importantly, how do people see
me?
Now wide awake, my mind drifted to previous
administrations and how they are perceived. I
started with the Gowon administration
because it was the one around when I started
working. The regime would probably be
defined by the civil war and how it was
prosecuted. It would also be defined by the
foundation it laid for the country and people’s
minds at the onset of the oil boom. As a
person, he has had a second chance as it
were due to longevity to redefine himself.
He would probably be defined now as a
simple, God-fearing man who found himself in
power and had to take tough decisions at a
young age. Murtala Mohammed’s regime
should be defined as decisive and impatient if
not arbitrary. As a person, he would be
defined for his passion and desire to get the
nation moving quickly. His manner of death
would probably reflect his simplicity and
fatalistic belief. Obasanjo’s first coming would
always be defined by his willingness to
organise and relinquish power to a civilian
government.
He was seen as a bridge builder. A southern
Christian who acquitted himself well by
handling over to a northern Muslim and
thereby reinforcing the unity of the country.
His second coming hasn’t been so salutary.
He came in as a statesman and left as…. His
second coming would be defined as that of
raised expectations and dashed hopes. The
spectre of ‘Third Term’ would always be
lurking in the administration’s definition. His
person has also undergone some redefinitions.
He is now seen by many as a bully who brow
beats his opponents and says what he does
not always practice. But he is a man of
courage who does not care whose ox is
gored. He is also a hard worker who knows
how to get things done. He loves Nigeria; he
loves himself. And his love of self sometimes
gets in the way.
The second Republic of Alhaji Shehu Shagari
would be defined by the profligacy of his
lieutenants. He was a decent man who was
promoted above the level of his competence.
He has since faded into the sunset without
bothering to redefine himself. The hallmark of
Buhari’s first coming would be discipline and
some would say, insensitivity bothering on
harshness. His desire to sanitise the polity
was obvious; the methods not so obvious. As
a person, he was defined by his Spartan life
style and single-mindedness.
The jury is still out as to his second coming
but his personal integrity stands out. Even his
public perception can still be redefined.
General Babangida’s government would
always be defined by corruption and June 12
despite his many bold interventions in the
nation’s polity. As a person, he was seen to
be wily and evasive, the Maradona of Nigeria.
To many of his friends though, he is a truly
generous man. General Sanni Abacha, the
goggled one, would unfortunately, be defined
by kleptomania. I say unfortunate because his
handling of the economy was not too bad.
The Ogoni issue and the judicial murder of
Ken Saro-Wiwa would also form part of the
definition. As a person he was taciturn and
uncommunicative. His friends say he was a
nice but misunderstood man. General
Abdulsalam’s short tenure to me represents
the unwholesome side of the character of the
Nigerian elite. The side that is more
concerned with self and class survival than
nationhood. There are more questions than
answers about his tenure. As a person, he
seems to be content to stay in the shadow of
his more flamboyant neighbour.
Jonathan’s administration is another case of
raised expectations and dashed hopes. With
his background and education, we expected
more. But you can’t give what you don’t have
and Goodluck Jonathan didn’t have much to
give. His government would be defined by
corruption and impunity. Especially the latter.
And if you added divisiveness to it, you might
not be far wrong. As a person, he would be
defined as a captive of power who lacked the
conviction of his office. But he is seen by
some as a humble, self-effacing man who
showed respect to elders.
And now we come to you. What defines you?
Which gods do you swear by? How are you as
a spouse, parent, boss and friend? How do
people in your constituencies see you? How
do you see your role in the Nigeria of your
dream? This is the time to look inwards and
redefine and re-project yourself.