THE AUTIST ACTIVIST A nation blessed with more than eighty different mineral resources, diversely rich culture,7% estimated economic growth in the second quarter of 2013, the nation’s foreign reserve was estimated at $40billion. Analyst tagged Nigeria as Africa’s second largest economy. Perhaps, to an average Nigerian this isn’t anything new, of course it isn’t. But the paradoxical comparison to the aforementioned is that Nigeria’s poverty level is estimated at 70%, insecurity is threatening the nation’s existence, unemployment is hyper increasing daily, sectional and religious crisis, illiteracy is another pandemic endangering the growth and development of the country, the list goes on. The issues and problems disturbing the growth of the country can be described as a patient suffering from stomachache while the doctor is examining and prescribing him with Anti malaria, what a doctor is this! So is the case with our government, media and the activist. Nigeria’s constitution is currently undergoing review with issues like child marriage causing rumpus, blasphemy, insult and chaos. Sadly, activist like Hanney Musawa, Hajiya Maryam Uwais, Eme Awa, Femi Fani Kayode, Nazifi Garba Abdullahi and controversial activist Stella Damasus were all raising voices and dancing to the tune of conspiracy/diversion of our Scene actors (Senators). The alarming issue is that Stella became a day activist just because of bigotry and improper understanding of the concept itself and the aforementioned activist were busy showcasing their level of understanding of the constitution of the nation and unintelligently digressing from important and more pressing issues that would better the life of the girl they are debating on. On the other hand, our legislators casted shadow to the masses with the issue of child marriage while successfully pursuing a bill of life pension for their heads and deputies (Thus it reads: “Subsection (5a) of section 84 of the constitution; Any person who has held office as President or Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the house of Representatives, shall be entitled to pension for life at pension for life at a rate equivalent to the annual salary of the incumbent President or the senate speaker of the House of Representatives” Note their Annual Salary including allowances is N29 479 749, when issues like the PIB bill, Education Bill, Flooding, Striking Lecturers and other contemporary issues are not receiving their due consideration. I wonder where the voice of these activists was when these bills/issues went away unchecked, maybe Stella was busy shooting a scene then and was done when the Senators review the Marriage act. Perhaps, a layman will be thinking that it is only Nigeria that stipulates 13 or 14 years as the age of marriage. Let me put African countries aside, in the developed nation the legal age of marriage varies from 13, 14, 15 and 16 except in England where the consent of the parents is required if she is to be married at 13 years. This makes me wondering who we tend to imitates, the developed Nations, our values, autism or bigotry. academics, activists, media, are regarded as the gatekeepers in which an average proletariat view issues if in any way one of this filters is purged with sentiments, ethnocentricity, tribalism or bigotry then the whole will be in chaos and rumpus. The essence of knowledge is not shouting or provoking chaos. Leonardo da Vinci once said “Where there is shouting, there is no true knowledge”. The issue here is that our activist oppose to slander, blaspheme or character assassinate oppositions or wrong doers rather than rectify the errors. We write and speak for fame not to impact or make positive change in the life of our fellow compatriots. That is the main reason our activists are yet to achieve their dreams of so-called change of which our mentors have always correct us, don’t go for change but positive change. My call to the earlier mentioned activists, myself and even the unmentioned is to not to criticize what you can’t understand. “Don’t judge a book by its cover. You may miss out on a good story”.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 19:05:34 +0000
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