Eaglepoint: ‘Mad men and Specialists’

Let me start by saying the title above is not mine and I cannot lay claim to it. Let me then proceed by honouring Professor Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate per excellence , renowned creative writer and Wordsworth, who wrote a collection of essays titled “Madmen and Specialists” in 1971. The collection of essays with the title above by ‘WS’ is a critical work that explores the themes of politics, culture, and identity in post-colonial Africa. The essays critique the failures of African leadership and the legacies of colonialism, while also exploring the complexities of African culture and identity.

Soyinka’s work is known for its lyricism, depth, and intellectual rigor, it is no surprise then that “Madmen and Specialists” is considered a significant contribution to African literary and intellectual traditions.

And I chose to humbly borrow this classic title to reflect on the goings- on in Nigeria lately. Truth be told , to prevent our society from having an overpopulation of ‘mad men’, there must be adequate supply of ‘ specialists ‘ in the country. In advertising parlance, the term ‘mad men’ originated in the 50s and early 60s to describe the creative and often unorthodox advertising professionals working in Madison Avenue in New York City. Thus, ‘specialists’ are experts and authorities in their chosen field.

In Rivers State of Nigeria, a state in Democracy but now under the rule of an Administrator is a case in question which its analysis tests the foundation of the thought process and proficiency of the specialists in the polity.

The question on the lips of many has been ” does the clash of interest among the major key players and state agents within and beyond the state aptly describe a state in chaos requiring the declaration of emergency rule?” Let’s go to Lagos….while commotion had brewed and sprouted in full circle in Rivers , same political disagreement showed its face on the Lagos Political horizon and the embers of chaos was nipped in the bud because Abuja showed interest and called the Lagos actors to order. And one may want to ask then, was the Rivers matter handled with similar gloves?

If there should be punishment , does it have to feel one- sided? If the general public think the hammer, when it fell, was lopsided, would the body polity not be tempted to conclude the Specialists have been prejudiced? More questions…no answers!

Still in Rivers State , there were so many activities that projected the ‘ Mad men’ syndrome. But the one that surprised people of clear conscience was the sudden 360 degree turn- around in the loyalty of the Former Head of Service to the Suspended Rivers Governor, Simialayi Fubara, Elder George Nwaeke. The role of the Head of Service in the life of any political dispensation cannot be taken for granted, so it is a given that a dyed- in- the -wool bureaucrat with years of civil service experience alone can climb to the pinnacle of civil service to become the Head of Service in any state of the federation, definitely though, having earned the trust of the state Chief Executive. So, critics and observers alike were surprised that Gov.Fubara’s Head of Service, in espionage parlance ‘ went rogue ‘ on his boss by going on air to describe his Principal as ‘a terrorist who had a plan to bomb Rivers in his bid to put his own state in total chaos’. What a revelation!

And just the other day , a Senator of the Federal Republic asserted that psychiatric test should be administered on would-be Nigerian Political office holders. These are interesting times indeed. Does that not allude to the fact that in the eyes of the Senator, there is a concurrence to the idea that so many ‘ mad men ‘ populate the nation’s political scene?

As at this moment, all is quite in the Lagos front and we hope it is not the quiet of the grave yard. We know for a certainty that a certain female billionaire who has her hands in diverse business pies is alleged of having participated in some financial misconduct and has been declared wanted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The billionaire is alleged to have strong ties to the major political figures in Lagos; interestingly EFCC has come out to say the woman’s arrest when she is found, would not have anything to do with her links to Lagos and Nigerian Politicians. This in itself is a veiled threat as it has to do with Lagos and one can only watch the clock tick.

On several other hands, Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan , radical female Senator from Kogi State has continued to be a pain in the behind of her haters in Abuja and Kogi State. She has had her battle at The National Assembly and as if that was not enough trauma for a minority female politician, her detractors have escalated her troubles by orchestrating her recall. You begin to wonder how many more troubles will they throw her way? I make bold to say I am a feminist and I kick against dehumanizing the womenfolk in the society. The Specialists can do better than imposing roadblocks on Natasha’s desire for expression because it is Natasha today, it can be anybody’s wife, sister or even daughter tomorrow. And that does not imply one is biased against Natasha’s detractors but frankly speaking, the steps they are taking in their fight against her, unknown to them is a ‘ fight against womanhood, motherhood and anything decent against the emancipation of the girl child.’

Finally, there is hunger in the land and it’s only the blind that will ignore this reality. Hunger does not know tribe, political party or religious sentiments. When hunger comes, it comes in full force and when you are broke and hungry that is when you really want to exercise your freedom of speech. The Lagos Corper who fell into this ‘hunger -rage mode’ couldn’t help ‘chesting’ out her frustration on the Social Media. Well, perhaps, addressing our leaders as ‘terrible’ may be interesting locution but psychological frustration will bring out the existential reality of how brash humans can be. The social contract dictates that the governed will expect economically viable policies from government that will touch down gently on the masses, and no matter how plausible the statistics of good Governance being reeled out by arm- chair economists and finance budget analysts , if the masses still gnash their teeth over soaring prices of essential commodities, the Lagos Corper’s locution will be street- justified.

‘The online idiots’ is a speech locution that gained trenchant last week. The statement was a reaction by a communication expert and spokesperson in the Presidency to the rumour that dragged last week about some death scare of a powerful Abuja stakeholder. In the first place, it’s only a frustrated and a ‘mad people’ specimen that wish others death and on the other hand, it’s public opprobrium to describe ‘Netizens’ as ‘online idiots.’ Perhaps everyone really needs ‘ the specialists in this country’. Real Specialists. Not the ones assumed as specialists based on overrated sentiments.