Are We Dangerously Intelligent? (I)
By Churchill Okonkwo
It
was in August 1998 at the NYSC orientation camp in
Girls Secondary School Kabba, Kogi State that the
camp commandant once said that “some of you are
dangerously intelligent”, when coppers revolted
against inadequate facilities at the camp, poor
quality of food and bullying of young graduates by
soldiers in the camp.
We agreed on total boycott from the foods, the
morning exercise, the military training, sports,
everything. After 36 hours, we were summoned, this
time for a peace talk on how facilities in the camp
will be improved. That was when the camp commandant
confessed of his frustrations in handling the matter
and openly confessed that some of us are dangerously
intelligent with respect to the strategy we adopted.
As I look back to events in the country in the last
two decades; the political crimes, economic crimes,
religious crimes in the name of God, examination
malpractices, corrupt practices, embezzlement and
subsequent cover ups, fraud at the immigration
offices and embassies, international money
laundering and unethical business practices, I
marvel at the mastery of these scientific and
sometimes crude art of scheming, conniving,
deception and alacrity with which we act that am
left wondering; Are we dangerously intelligent?
We figured out that the economy is failing, that the
local industries can no longer remain viable and
competitive due to epileptic supply of power, near
absence of loan from the financial institutions and
no support from the government, so we went to Asia.
We started importing low quality goods and drugs
into the country. Most times, we even tell the firms
to further reduce the quality of the products so as
to maximize gains.
Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) were meant to
monitor and ensure quality goods, we bribed them to
approve substandard and fake products. We banned the
importation of some goods through our ports but sent
corrupt customs officials to the porous boarders to
collect money from dangerously intelligent business
men. Today, more than 95 % of the cars on sale in
Nigeria are either smuggled in or escorted in by the
same law enforcement agents who make millions for
themselves and their bosses on daily basis. The
dangerously intelligent police men end up extorting
money from innocent Nigerians on the roads as if
they are not aware of where those cars are displayed
for sale at Berger.
We stopped funding our public schools and watched
the educational sectors collapse. The academia that
went abroad for graduate studies refused to come
back and political office holders started sending
their kids abroad. Soon, the rich and even the
middle class followed suite and somebody somewhere
figured out that private schools is the solution. We
gave license to corrupt politicians and some
influential power-thirsty dragons that care little
about the poor and the unprivileged in the society
that education has now turned to luxury in Nigeria.
We look dangerously intelligent to the eyes of the
world that most foreign consulates in Nigeria milk
us in a bid to make us stop coming to their doors,
but we surged forward. Aided by fraudsters that
camouflage as immigration and visa experts, we faked
family names, business names and trips, bank
accounts and scheme again with the consulates, if
everything fails, we fake the visa. We go to
immigration offices and bulldoze our way to getting
passports in 24 hours. The corrupt immigration
officials hide under the cover of scarcity of
e-passports to exploit and in the process frustrate
law abiding Nigerians that were willing to follow
due process by long delays. So everybody tries to
cheat and bribe their way through, and corrupt
practices become the norm.
We have dangerously intelligent thoughts; EFCC
that has been performing below standard and being
selective in prosecuting corrupt officials suddenly
found the courage to touch some untouchables, so Rabidu, has
to go. When Orji Kalu, Nnamani Chimaroke and co were
arrested and arraigned, we clapped, but when the big
masquerade Ibori got into the net, the IG suddenly
remembers that Rabidu has not gone to NIPSS in
preparation for his being promoted to AIG and
eventually made IGP - story. Okiro believes he is
doing Rabidu a favour – dangerous favour.
It was in their young and evil adventurer's
imagination against the good people of Anambra state
that, some exiled illiterate political touts of the
Dragons Congress who will stop at nothing to
recapture power resorted to blatant rigging,
kidnapping and arson! Incredibly strong and
dangerously intelligent, the Uba family took
political godfatherisim to a different level when
they communed and took vows with the deadly Arusi
Okija.
These oversized, meticulously crafted dragons are
slowly but systematically taking charge of
proceedings in Umar Yar’Adua’s administration. They
have surrounded him with a crop of cabinet members
that cannot distinguish their left from their right,
they have stalled or failed to initiate any
meaningful progress in all sectors be it economy,
energy, education, infrastructural development etc.
Now, they are extinguishing the small candle that
suddenly found enough light to illuminate and
uncover a small percentage of the corrupt public
officials. And darkness is creeping in.
"An utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous
comrade than a coward." - Herman Melville. Are the
likes of Ubas, Adedibus, Odilis, Iboris, IBBs far
more fearless and dangerous comrades to Umar
Yar’Adua’s that we are made cowards? It was William
Osler that said "By far the most dangerous foe we
have to fight is apathy - indifference from whatever
cause, not from lack of knowledge, but from
carelessness, from absorption in other pursuits,
from contempt of self satisfaction."
My questions thus are; Are we so dangerously
intelligent that we always manipulate the system in
our favour to the detriment of the good, larger
community and the rule of law? Is being indifference
part of being dangerously intelligent that we take
the easiest way out or worse still join the dragons
in the dance of shame? What is the root or cause of
this dangerously evil mind and deeds? Has it got any
thing to do with our value system? What can we do?
How can you help?
