Nothing go Happen: How Nigerian Resilience is Nigerian Weakness

A few years ago, every comedian told a variant of the same joke: a Nigerian could never be a suicide bomber because Nigerians loved their lives too much. Suicide bombing was seen as something only religious fundamentalists in the Middle East could do. It did not take long to shatter this assumption. Boko Haram soon became a daily reality.

But Nigerians had an interesting response. They simply changed the joke. The new joke was that such a thing could only happen in the North because of the high rate of illiteracy. It could never spread down south. If it did, the people would revolt. The Fulani herdsmen quickly shattered this assumption. Here we are, having a national discussion about grazing routes.

Although once in a while, a wave of patriotism sweeps over the nation and we hold our leaders accountable, Nigerians generally regard themselves as resilient people. Nigerian resilience is something we are somewhat proud of. A popular Nigerian axiom claims that anyone who can survive in Nigeria can survive anywhere in the world. However, Nigerian resilience is paradoxical paradox, underpinned by both braggadocio and inaction. We boast about how heavens will fall if an event occurs, but when the chips are down, nothing happens. Unfortunately, the politicians have figured this out.

Many Nigerians boasted that Buhari would not dare increase fuel prices. He did. Nothing happened. Instead we adjusted to the new reality.

Many people boasted that Buhari could never arrest Nnamdi Kanu. If he did, Nigeria would be thrown into a state of war. Buhari arrested Kanu. Nothing happened.

The army under this administration has gunned down peaceful protesters and massacred Shiites. Nothing Happened.

Buhari has reduced the nation to literal hunger. Many people can no longer afford to eat three square meals. Nothing go happen.

This is why it is safe to assume that when Nigerians say they would vote Buhari out if he fails to live up to his election promises, it is a joke. Buhari will probably win again in 2019. Even if he rigs elections, nothing go happen. In fact, this notion that four years must go by before elected officials can be held accountable is an expression of the resilience mentality that bedevils Nigerians. We have never impeached a president before. It is not too late to start.

It is safe to assume that when Nigerians say that the military can never seize power again — that the people have learnt their lesson and they would revolt — it is a joke. If there was a coup today, nothing go happen. Nigerians will simply change the joke.

Note that this is not just a Buhari phenomenon. Nothing go happen is the story of Nigeria. This relationship between the political leaders and the people has existed since the very beginning. The Nigerian government has repeatedly shown that it is unwilling to engage its citizens unless the people stop being flexible. We see evidence of this any time that rare wave of patriotism sweeps the country. There are no salary increases unless labor unions go on strike. No attention is given to the plight of the Niger Delta people until a new militant group emerges. The price of fuel does not drop until there are massive protests in the streets. The Nigerian government only responds to inflexibility. Unfortunately, Nigerians go back to being resilient after they get that ten naira decrease in fuel price or that paltry eighteen thousand naira minimum wage.

Although resilience is usually a virtue, it is a vice in the Nigerian situation. Resilience is the weakness that the political elite have learnt to exploit.

This calls to mind Eneke the bird who learnt to fly without perching because men had learnt to shoot without missing. So long as the politician will only respond to inflexibility, Nigerians must, like Eneke, give up this weakness that is resilience. Nigerians cannot afford to go back to being resilient after throwing Goodluck Jonathan out of power. We must continually hold the feet of the politician to the fire.