The trouble with Nigeria by Achebe Chinua

Author:Achebe, Chinua
Format: epub
Publisher: London [u.a.] : Heinemann
Published: 1987-08-14T16:00:00+00:00

centenary of James Joyce. I sat with other guests and thousands of Dubliners in a huge municipal hall waiting for the President of the Irish Republic to arrive and inaugurate the event. Two minutes to go and I had still not seen any signs of his arrival. On the exact dot of five a tall fellow walked on to the stage followed by one man in uniform. The Chairman of the event (who incidentally was a writer and not the Irish Minister for Social Affairs, Sports, Children, Women, Trade Unions and Culture) motioned the audience to stand. So that was the President! His ADC gave him his speech which he read and came down to sit in the audience to listen to a few tributes to Joyce.

The argument of Security which is always raised by defenders of official thuggery surrounding executive appearances in Nigeria has never been persuasive. Security is hindered, not enhanced, in a climate of hooliganism.

But I am prepared to leave matters of security to those who claim expertise in the matter. I will only remind them and those who heed their advice that there are more political assassinations in mentally under-developed countries which indulge in the celebration and brandishing of Power than in mature countries which sublimate it. But as our people might say: wetin be my concern there?

What should and does concern all of us is the danger of indiscipline by imitation which I have already referred to ad nauseam but must return to one last time in the form of an actual incident.

Early in 1983 I was travelling from Nsukka to Ogidi with my wife and daughter and driver. As we were driving through Awka we heard a siren and performed the appropriate motions of mild panic and pulled up. Three police vehicles — a jeep, a car and a lorry sped by in the opposite direction. From the side of the lorry a policeman was pissing on to the road and the halted traffic.

You may not believe it; and I can't say I blame you. Although I clearly saw the fly of his trousers, his sprinkler

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