Ebiraland: What our Problem is

Authored by: Dr. Zakaree Saheed S, Lecturer
Borobudur University, Jakarta
South East Asia

Posted by: Dr. Joseph Ozigis Akomodi, New York, USA.

Foremost, I must thank you for creating this medium where Ebirans home and abroad can easily expresses their views. Moreso giving those of us in Diaspora the insight of what is happening back home. I have read people’s opinion on problems facing our land, especially on the recent catastrophe that befell our land, Ogaminana to be specific. One of the write-ups entitled, “Crisis in Ebira land beyond politics, but spiritual” was particularly of interest. The writer was of the opinion that “the Ebirans have no leader, whether bad or good!”
Is it true that Ebirans do not have a leader? If in the context of his write-up, leadership does not mean anything different, could the writer be right that there is no single person that delivers true value, integrity, and thrust transformational leadership? Could he be right that there is no single person that articulates an ideological vision congruent with the deeply-held value of fellow Ebirans, a vision that describes a better future to which all Ebirans have an alleged moral right? Could he be right that no single person displays a passion for, and has a strong conviction of what they regard as moral correctness of our vision, engages in outstanding or extraordinary behavior and makes extraordinary self-sacrifices in the interest of the vision and mission of Ebira land? Could he be right that no single person can set the stage for effective role-modeling because Ebira youths identify with the values of role models whom they perceive in positive terms? Could he be right that no single person has or can ever persuade fellow Ebirans to accept and implement change, engage in alignment, with interpretive orientations such that some Ebira interests, values and belief as well as that person’s activities, goals and ideology becomes congruent and complementary?
Well, having stayed out of the country for quite a long time, I may not be in a position to confirm or counter that view. Rather it will be safer to assume the writer may be right in his opinion, so long he did not mean that Ebirans do not have elders. We may not have a leader according to him, but we have got elders, at least.
Ebira land has elders who have been opportuned to take the name of the land to national level, and have done our land the honour of being identified with the name. At least, it is on record that Ebira land has once produced the Chief of Army staff, the Inspector General of Nigerian Police, and State governors among others. Is that not enough an honour? Even though they might not have been able to bring about any meaningful changes to our land, they could not be blamed much, since they were made to sit with half buttock while in office. Hence they are always gene in whichever office you find them. However, they deserve to be commended. Atleast the Ebirans have come to be identified with undiluted loyalty to their bosses. Our elders in public offices are known for being obedient servants, who however could not or failed to draw a line between loyalty and responsibility. They are only vertically oriented and never horizontally.
Even then, I still do not absolutely believe that the problem of Ebira land is that of leadership. Someone may then ask, “What then is our problem?”
The problem of Ebiraland is our unwillingness or reluctance to transform into a modern society. Our reluctance to part with our odd and outdated ways for a civilize society. The so-called Isohiku and the spirit surrounding it has really affected our ability to see the need for transformation of our society. The unruly and uncivilized behaviour that surround the performance of this aspect of our culture has transformed from annual headache into a daily lifestyle. Even the graduates and students, who are supposed to be a symbol of civilization and tools for reformation, are not better of, when it come to the so-called rituals.
“No one makes you feel inferior without your consent”. We have consciously or unconsciously given the impression that what matters most to Ebirans is their annual Masquerade, give it to them and they will let go any other thing, including political offices and resources control”. It deprives our youth the good reasoning capability. We fight without any objective, without any goal other than hurt our fellow brothers. We sacrifice life unnecessarily, achieving nothing other than to attract more massive retaliation and humiliation like what has happened in Ogaminana.
From being a single entity, we have allowed ourselves to be divided by the so-called clannish supremacy mentality. On their part, some of the so-called elders sacrifices the tomorrow of our youths for their own gain. They share weapons to our youths to destroy their fellow brothers. It is only when we become conscious of our loses, our only reaction is to become more and more angry. Angry people cannot think properly. And so we find some of our people reacting irrationally. They launch their attacks against wrong target to vent anger. Of course, the authority retaliates and pressurizes our elder, and they have no choice but to give in.
The writer said that our problem is not political but spiritual. He may be right or wrong. Are our weakness, backwardness and inability to positively develop our potentials spiritual problems?
Has God not said in the holy book that “He will not change the fate of a community until the community has tried to change its fate itself”. In that case, then which is the way forward? It is an undisputable fact that the world is moving fast with or without you. It is either you be part of a dynamic world or be left behind. According to Charles Darwin, “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to changes”.
Who takes the challenge to bring about the reformation that is needed in Ebiraland?
According to Niccolo Machiavelli, “There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than to initiate a new order of things. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old system and mercy lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones.” Of course, the only person who likes change is a wet baby.
It might not be an easy task to change people’s attitude or behaviour, but it will be manageable to manipulate what influences their attitude, that is, the value they acknowledge.
VALUE BEHAVIOUR NORMS CULTURE

Value, especially moral value, or from philosophical view, values of life, encloses an element of judgment in the sense that it embraces individual’s view on what is right, good or desirable. The value may be clan supremacy, class, peace, democracy, material or whatever.
In every culture, value has certainly been developed over a long period of time, only time make it stronger as it passes from generation to generation. However most of the value people acknowledge today, arise from the parent, teacher, friends or other sources. Most of our perceptions today concerning what is right and wrong has been formulated from the views established by the elders.
Whatever value we acknowledge to be right from our own perception has a direct influence on how we behave, and our behaviour becomes our norms, and the norms become a culture. So any attempt to change our people’s behaviour has to be directed towards re-establishing the values that the people acknowledge.
In so doing, charity begins at home. Every family or a household in Ebiraland is an integral part of a society that makes up the community and many communities make up the town. These towns constitute the whole of Ebira land. A French philosopher once said, “You either influence your environment, or your environment influences you”. If we, especially the elites, can impact positive influences on our various families, our society will be positively influenced, and then our communities, towns, and of course the whole of Ebira land will be positively influenced too.
Most importantly, let us once again go back to round table. Call a conference and let all our elites come to the round table where we can collectively identify what are the problems of Ebira land. If we can successfully identify and define our problems, then we can easily establish our vision and mission. Our vision and mission shall guide us in all other aspects, including politics.
Such a round table talk is not to determine the leaders. Rather it is to re-establish a vision for Ebiraland. Where we are at present and where we would want to be in the near future.
It is time we embrace what unites as against what divides us. We can together develop our land, for, “No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable”- Adam Smith.


Dr. Zakaree Saheed S. is a Lecturer @
Borobudur Uiversity, Jakarta
South East Asia