Tribune Eulogising the dead · Monday, 25 November 2013 00:00 NIgeria has recently witnessed a long list of prominent persons in public life who lost their lives. Some died at a ripe old age, at least three score and ten years and above. Some died in their sleep, some in hospitals in foreign lands, while others died in vehicular accidents. There is a growing list that reminds us of the shortness of life and the fact that death is a debt owed by all humans. Indeed, death reminds us of our finitude and forces us to reflect on our purpose and goal in this earth. The event of death underscores the need to leave a worthy legacy. That is why when society mourns the dead, there is always a recall of the character, role and values of the deceased while on earth. In African culture, people are admonished not to speak ill of the dead. So, they eulogise the dead. A review of comments on some prominent public office holders who died recently provides a living paradox. All past public officials are heroes. They are described as fair, just and detribalised Nigerians. They were kind, generous and served the country meritoriously. Yet, everyone knows that corruption thrived while they were in office. Billions of dollars were stolen when they presided over government departments and agencies. Some were even named in mega scandals such as the Siemens and Halliburton scandals. Indeed, they may have gone scot free only because they had manipulated and compromised those who should have prosecuted them with their mega wealth and connections in government. Now at death, Nigerians transform them into royal and saintly figures. Those currently in office lead the tribute train, perhaps setting the stage for their own positive dirge. Yet, the inability of the country to provide stable electricity after many years of sinking billions of naira into the project, and the fact that they had to die in hospital in London, New York or Delhi, are eloquent testimonies that they did not run the country well. The fact that they failed to build institutions, left them decrepit and travelled to other countries to access services that they could have helped to establish in Nigeria contradicts the positive tributes that so sumptuously herald their departure. In tributes, mean-spirited rogues and spouse-abusing people are lauded as generous, loving human beings. In religious houses, they are praised. With very few exceptions, criticism of bad conduct in public office is never condemned in these religious houses during funerals. Spiritual leaders speak in such a manner that gives the impression that religious obligations met out of stolen money, the building of places of worship from looted public funds, guarantee peace with God and eternal bliss in the hereafter. Eulogising the dead must not lead to justifying misdeeds, calling evil good. By this means, society not only trivialises moral failures, it glosses over errors of judgment and glorifies ethical baloney. This behaviour is not healthy for society. A progressive society must learn from the errors of leadership. Uncritical praise of past leaders while they are alive or dead is a practice that must be discouraged. People who have exercised power without purpose and responsibility must not be presented to the future generations as moral heroes. To foster goodness and decency, the nation must have a balanced assessment of leaders in a way that promotes social progress and emphasises the importance of securing the common good. It must uphold the values of sacrifice and self-denial as the key to national transformation in place of the current praise showered on the dead who were powerful and wealthy as a result of privatising public resources while in office. Eulogising wrongdoing creates a cloudy moral environment that will make it extremely difficult for the next generation of leaders to be wise. While greed trumps chivalry, duplicity becomes the cherished principle of social interaction. In this type of environment, progress will be far-fetched and Nigerians have only themselves to blame.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 07:44:04 +0000
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