WHEN
THE ELDERS ANNOUNCE THE DAWN
Cornelius
Afebu Omonokhua
When I was writing my dissertation for the
award of a master’s degree in Systematic Theology, I decided on a topic with a
local context. In the first chapter, I made a lot of references to some
Philosophers in Athens and many theologians in Europe and America. I had two
supervisors, Afin Mensah (A Ghanaian Scripture Scholar) and Luke Mbefo (A
Nigerian Professor of Systematic Theology). The Ghanaian Professor was the
first to read the chapter. He remarked: “Beautiful chapter! Go ahead with the
second chapter.” Mbefo was my first supervisor. Here was his remark: “You have
run well but on a wrong course. There are Socrates, Plato(s), Aristotle(s) and
great philosophers in your village; go home and look for them.” I really
travelled to my village and the locality to identify the sages of Etsako. I had
to re-write the first chapter completely with the ideas I gathered from the wise
elders. I discovered that even without Western education, these elders have the
wisdom that it takes to announce a new dawn. This for me also confirms the
adage: “uno’kpishia lu’kpe ozagbe” (It
is the elders who announce a new dawn). In other words, it is the elders who
announce the yearly festivals that bring everybody together.
The wisdom of the elders in Africa indicates
the strength in our great continent. It is a popular opinion that civilization
started from Egypt (Africa). The exportation of human labour, agricultural
products and arts from Africa contributed to the development of Europe and
America. Once upon a time, a black American preached a retreat to us at Brother
Roman Centre, Ekpoma (Edo State, Nigeria). He made a statement that could be
translated to be either an insult or a challenge. He said: “This is my first
time in Nigeria. As I travel from Lagos to Ekpoma, I see green vegetation, well
fed animals, healthy human beings. My God! Nigeria is rich with human and
natural resources. With the news we receive about Nigeria, the impression is
that if you tell every Nigerian to move to America and tell every American to
move to Nigeria with the mandate to develop the new abode with the available
resources, within ten years America will be impoverished like Nigeria and
Nigeria will be developed like America.” The message was that Nigerians lack
the capacity to develop their potentials. Rather, they would consume what they
could invest to make a better tomorrow akin to the song of Bob Marley: “In the
abundance of water, the fools are thirsty.”
Imagine the renaissance that would dawn on Nigeria
if every citizen could resolve to key into the wisdom of our ancient ancestors
who valued honesty hospitality and industry. The art of carving a canoe, weaving
baskets, making bow and arrow, sculpturing, artefact, pottery and many local
African products were not learnt from Europe and America. Foreign nations once
depended on groundnuts, cocoa, coffee, rubber, fruits and many natural products
from Africa for their industries. The art of trade was not learnt from foreign
nations. African commerce started with trade by batter and the use of cowries
before the era of colonialism. Manual labour of African slaves was used to
build tunnels and castles in Europe. Some of the hospitals some Africans visit
in Europe and America have Africans as the best doctors. Then, why do we still rank
as a third world? The problem is not in our star but in us. We have been made
to kill our brothers and sisters like the proverbial crickets who turn against themselves.
African nations can transform into world power
if Africans selflessly, wisely and courageously unite their intellectual and
political potentials to raise the communities from grass to grace. We must believe in our natural strength. Let
us not be intimidated because God did not create us with inferior intelligence.
We need courage and honesty to utilise our resources for what it is meant for.
One day, I ask a friend who was my class mate in primary school: “When will you
enable Nigeria to have uninterrupted power supply?” I asked because he was a
manager in Nigeria Electric Power Authority (NEPA). Here was his response:
“Uninterrupted power supply in Nigeria is not possible in our generation
because the money allocated by the government for electricity goes into private
pockets.” This type of stealing would be a serious abomination in the sight of
our ancestors. In the past, many Africans feared to steal because they feared
the retribution and nemesis that would befall them from the deities. If so,
what has changed? Are the deities on retreat or the gods are to be blamed?
Do we call on the ancestors to bring down the
rains so that we can be situated in the modern context? Do the ancestors
understand that railways, refineries, iron and steel
industries could rank Nigeria a first-world? Sometime ago somebody published in
the newspaper that oaths to objects of traditional religion can stop corruption
in Nigeria. I interpreted that to mean a return to our traditional conscience
while still remaining good Christians and good Muslims. It was interesting
seeing the past Heads of State and Presidents at the inauguration ceremony at
Eagle Square on May 29, 2015. Some of them have seized power from each other
successively in various coups. What a sacred opportunity for reconciliation!
When in his maiden
address, President Buhari said he would not settle “old scores” one could imagine
the feelings of Babagida who took over power from him and Shagari from whom he
took over power. Now that Nigerians have started to eulogize statesmanship and
change, let us pray that the past leaders in Nigeria will strive to play the
role of elders while those in power now would work towards making indelible
marks that would make them statesmen and women. We pray that those God has
entrusted with authority to serve the nation would strive to write their names
in gold in the annals of history. I pray that the present leadership of Nigeria
will be allowed to build on the efforts of the good leaders and heroes who have
gone before us. We can, if we are collectively determined since nothing is
difficult for a willing heart.
What
Nigeria needs today more than ever before is a Renaissance that flows
from the heart! A heart that considers the other more than the ego (Me, I and
myself) notwithstanding the popular belief that charity begins at home. This
could produce the nostalgia to African cultural movement, innovative flowering
of vernacular literatures, painting, and educational reform. The need for
re-education today is imperative because the worst disease in the world is
ignorance. Education goes beyond formal education because it goes with
formation of character. This form of education gives the wisdom that is deeper
than mere academic knowledge. This wisdom is the "ability to judge
correctly and to follow the best course of action”. This would produce reverence
for God and respect for human beings. This goes beyond keeping the rules and regulations that cannot cover
all situations. It takes wisdom to know what is right or wrong in a given
situation even without the written law. Wisdom understands the consequences of a
particular action in terms of harmony between human beings and obedience to the
will of God.
This Renaissance should start
with the development of the vernacular literatures to express the African
spirit, values and wisdom. This value could help the African nations to further
understand that whoever eats alone dies alone. This would assist Africans to
respect their elders. This would remind the elders, patriots, statesmen and
women that they have the obligation to preserve the integrity of the communal
life we inherited from the ancestors and the heroes past. This again, is our
chance. We are waiting for the elders to announce the dawn with practical
examples that will not disappoint the next generation.
Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu
Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat
of Nigeria, Abuja and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with
Muslims (C.R.R.M), Vatican City (omonokhuac@gmail.com).
