The Scramble
Back in the 90s, my mother told me two-thirds Nigerians were basking in gratification. This wasn’t because everyone’s barn was brimmed with yams. It wasn’t because everyone’s net kept catching fish in superfluity. It’s a known fact there’s always an imbalance of class in the society; not everyone will be rich. So was it in those days. The European explorers who gained entry into our separated regions before they were imperatively amalgamated in 1914 gave a repulsive report about a people stricken by abject poverty. This is to tell you about how poverty reeked out of this part of Africa. In fact, most of our progenitors believed poverty was an African identity. Soon after the entry, colonization began. This was after the European scramble for African countries and the resolution in the Berlin Conference.
Our condition deteriorated drastically as a people under a vehement foreign influence can’t triumph. While this suffering characterized by slavery was ongoing, only a few Nigerians found a cunning escape — Only a few criminals were made out of the suffering. Nigeria gained her independence shortly after Ghana gained hers, and there’s a quick revival which was later truncated. As the aura of independence hovered in Nigeria, the crime rate wasn’t outrageous, aside from the corruption of our governments. I read of highway robbery, kidnapping, drug and human trafficking. Still, the news of these crimes weren’t sonorous because they weren’t alarming.
Fast forward to the 21st century; a generation characterized with craziness. Scramble, as a mad rush to attain a luxury, has imprisoned the hearts of many people in our country. It’s true one should not be comfortable with one’s condition to shun stagnancy, still satisfaction is a life saver. Almost everyone is scrambling to leave a wretched life behind, not minding what it takes, even though it’s inhumane. This is why our generation will produce a large number of millionaires and a little number of those striving to put food in their mouth. Nonetheless, the burning question is, how many decent millionaires?
Poverty is no longer an identity, it’s now seen as a burden that must be disencumbered.
This scramble is influenced by so many things, only a few of the influence will be mentioned in this article in no hierarchy. The first is the music industry, this industry is bent on condemning a poor life. It’s one that preaches the marriage of money and love. The aforementioned industry will go as far as creating the narratives of a girl leaving her poor boyfriend for a rich guy, hence portraying the former as a loser. Eighty percent of Nigerian songs celebrate a life of luxury, and mocks wretchedness. This is why a eight year old boy will tell you he wants to hustle. No one is sitting again, everyone is on the run. A thirteen year old boy is surfing through the internet for apks to defraud people. This is a boy who’s yet to have a dystopian experience. Music industry is beleaguered with monetary themes, only a few celebrate dignity in labour. Most times, the songs abet listeners into engaging in anything to be rich even though it’s licentious. Logo Benz by Lil Kesh featuring Olamide is a song that urges people into stealing ladies’ pants for rituals. So outrageous! With all these, it’s no doubt this music industry also contributes to the dominant scramble in the Nigerian society.
Also, most parents have become tired waiters. Once you’re 28, and nothing pulchritudinous is forthcoming from you, they will start with proverbs and end with words that apparently tell you they aren’t pleased with your condition. No good parent will be pleased with his or her child’s stagnant life but the pressure is a thing that should be botched. The pressure is a reason some children will run from one native doctor to another to seek money rituals. The pressure is the reason some children embrace fraud because they can’t behold the disgraceful moment of beholding their parents with no flashy cloth and exorbitant cars. It’s fine to be poor doing something because you will be out of that lifestyle someday with smartness and diligence. But it’s wrong to be poor doing nothing, sitting idly.
The prosperity pastors are also an influence. They are fond of telling their members a poor life is a cursed one. However, this is somewhat a positive influence. It keeps the members on a scramble but the problem with this influence is that it lades members who are tired of praying for prosperity with depression. Redundancy with no result kills.
Nonetheless, these influences have helped positively to some extent but the negative impacts overshadow it. The scramble isn’t stopping anytime as the influences aren’t stopping too. And it’s likely for the influences to have a stronger voice, hence a crazier society is birthed.
Ifenaike Michael Ayomipo is a young Nigerian writer who writes on all genres on literature. He hails from Ogun State, Odogbolu, although he lives presently in Lagos State where he catches his muse. He stans Ademule Gandhi David. He’s a young promising Educationist with robust dreams He’s also aspiring to be a photographer. He loves listening to revolutionary songs.
