Countermarch, By Wole Olaoye

Nigeria's path forward requires a deliberate step backward, returning to the foundational values of integrity, hard work, and mutual respect that once defined the nation. Author Wole Olaoye contends that the country has become a ship adrift, having lost its anchor of old-fashioned principles like Omolúàbí, Ezigbo afa, and Mutunchi in Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa cultures, respectively.

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The way forward is a backward trudge to the past. To catapult to the desired new Nigeria, we must return to the ‘old school’ values of years gone by, old-fashioned principles such as integrity, hard work, mutual respect, communal solidarity, and honour (Omolúàbí in Yoruba, Ezigbo afa in Igbo, or Mutunchi in Hausa).

This drift has been exacerbated by decades of systemic corruption at leadership levels, which has sent a damaging message to younger generations: laws are for the weak, and respectability can be purchased. The author notes that when public funds are misappropriated with impunity, citizens' patriotism and willingness to adhere to rules erode. The traditional Ubuntu philosophy has been supplanted by a 'dog-eat-dog' mentality, further fueled by the decline of extended family influence and community oversight.

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Laws are for the weak, and respectability can be bought.

Olaoye links this moral decay to a sharp rise in crimes once considered taboo, such as kidnapping for ransom and ritual-related violence. He points to the erosion of close-knit communities and the influence of social media, which accelerates a culture of instant gratification and extreme materialism. The phenomenon of 'self-abductions,' where individuals stage their own disappearances for various motives, is presented as a symptom of this desperation and loss of shame, exemplified by a recent case involving a local government official.

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Our old-fashioned Ubuntu philosophy has been replaced with the more trendy outlook of dog-eat-dog.

To reverse these trends, Olaoye advocates for a profound cultural and systemic transformation. This includes reforming governance so that hard work is rewarded, enforcing the rule of law to ensure crime has consequences, and intentionally reintroducing value-based education in schools and homes. He laments the removal of subjects like 'Civics' and 'History' from the curriculum, which he believes contributed to the current predicament.

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What kind of desperation would make a highly placed public official stage his/her own abduction?