Pastors, Politicians & Actors: Nigeria's Aro Meta

It is no longer news that Nigeria is quite ill. Depending on where you stand, how hungry you are and where you come from, the severity of this illness may differ. Be that as it may, I believe we are all pretty much in unison about Nigeria's state of health. Things are just not well. I agree that this illness is quite protracted. We've faltered and fallen like a new foal since the British left us in 1960. Every given Sunday, we shock mankind with new and unprecedented levels of 'anyhowness'. We consistently disprove evolutionists who posit that disorderliness was only peculiar to our distant relatives, the homo habilis and erectus. We have sacrificed common sense and the sanctity of human life at the altar of 'bellenomics'. 

There's a concept in Yoruba culture called 'Aro Meta'. A triad of deities frequently appeased by traditionalists. Quite simply, it is to the African traditional worshippers what the Holy Trinity is to Christians. But unlike the latter that basically thrives on praise and thanksgiving, 'Aro Meta' will usually take sacrifices like goats, fowls and kola and will often hold subjects ransom till their voracious appetites are satiated. The Yoruba people also use the term, Aro Meta, colloquially to refer to three inseparable entities. This is therefore why I find the concept of Aro Meta particularly similar and applicable to Nigeria of today. Religion (and pastors), Nollywood (and actors) and government (and politicians) have conspired to keep Nigerians bereft of common sense since 1960. And in my opinion, this remains the root cause of many of our problems.

The role politicians have played in this continued mental slavery is quite clear. It does not need a lot of exposition. Make education a luxury that only a few can access and afford. When it is accessible, starve the sector of any meaningful funding and development so those that do access it are not really 'educated' but schooled. These schooled, and understandably, unemployable young people will fall into the rat race of jobs that do not exist and remain poor. As poverty thrives unfettered in the land, carry on with graft and during elections, address stomach infrastructure to remain in power. Repeat the cycle and the continuum of madness prevails. Simple!

The two other elements of the Aro Meta play more surreptitious roles in my conspiracy theory. They are such a well-orchestrated and oiled machinery that they are not glaring to the non-discerning eye because while the politicians mess with your stomach, these ones rape you at a higher and deeper level. They deftly mess with your mind and emotions so that at a psychological level, you are thoroughly mind-screwed. An emotionally damaged populace is ideal game for preying politicians so you see why the illness that afflicts Nigeria is chronic and possibly terminal.

I can't stand Nollywood. Let's get that out of the way first. I am still working on scientific research to prove my hypothesis that Nollywood art has negative feedback effect on Intelligence Quotient and is a leading cause of mental retardation in Nigeria. When I have verifiable data to support that assertion, I will ensure you get a copy. Nollywood churns out flicks everyday which if you watch long enough, make you believe life's problems are 'sent' from a wicked stepmother or a disgruntled relative in the village. The plots are usually around a poor village girl who the handsome Prince, who is already betrothed to another Chief's nasty daughter, falls madly in love with. Eventually, the solutions to many of these plots is that a Prophet 'sees' the evil hand and after steadfast prayer the spirit leaves the afflicted, usually in the form of two red tablets or an arrow, and returns to sender who subsequently becomes mad. When you watch this long enough, you stop processing with your mental faculties and start ascribing powers to imagined villains. You stop trying to 'cerebrally' find solutions to problems and quickly run to the third arm of the Aro. You don't have power, you are broke, your kids/siblings are unemployed, your roads are bad, your hospitals are virtual and the anyhowness is at proportional levels but you have Nollywood so you consume more and more of the inanity. 

These election campaigns have been intriguing. Recently, Dame Patience Jonathan hosted Nollywood actors at Aso Rock. I'm told it was a fine night of wining and dining. Every day, I see endorsements pour in from Nollywood for the incumbent government. A government that has presided over a careful economic and human decimation of ordinary Nigerians, who ironically, are the core market target of Nollywood films. So, you spend money you don't have to watch these movies and enrich these actors on one hand and then on the other hand, they endorse the same government that has annihilated your earning power? Nigeria has such rich history that if Nollywood was retelling the stories of our heroes past, many young people will understand and appreciate where we have come from. They can tell us the story of Murtala Mohammed and his sound leadership but that won't sell since Genevive and Ramsey Noah won't kiss in such a movie. They can tell us the story of Ahmadu Bello and his elegance and class as a Nigerian but that won't sell either since Mama Ozokwor won't use witchcraft to hound her hapless daughter-in-law there. They can tell us Biafra's story and the Civil war so we appreciate the value of peace and unity but that won't sell either, where will RMD and Omotola fall in love in that kind of film? So, they give us 'Blackberry Babes' and 'Beyonce vs Rihanna' instead. It is this total oblivion of our history that makes it easy for AIT and NTA to tell their own twisted and libelous versions of our history and mess with the brains of young people. They weren't taught in school and their 'education' did not emphasize reading so they didn't do that either.

The last Aro is religion. Why is China a superpower and we are not even though we pray more than they do? We have population also. We are the most populous black country after all. We have churches on almost every street in Lagos. We fast for 21 days, 40 days, 60 days and 90 days. We bring Lagos to a standstill every month when we gather to make supplications to God all night long. China doesn't do this and yet, they are eon years ahead in development. Why? Why should life expectancy in a less-praying and less-religious nation be higher than ours? Is it that we are so close to God that He calls us home earlier than the rest of the world? Is it because we are the 'light of the world' that we never have power? Is this the darkness we are told of in John 1 vs 5? That we will shine and the darkness (and GENCOs and DISCOs) comprehended us not? Why is our society backwards? President Jonathan has been a frequent visitor to churches recently. He has taken the transformation message to the Christians and has gone to subtly remind them that he is 'one of them'. A fellow believer. He has gone to subtly warn Christians not to be 'unequally yoked' with the sons of Ishmael. Churches that should ideally stand up for the oppressed in the society have become political dance halls for inept and desperate politicians. He comes to fellowship with us and we don't ask him why Alamieyeseigha, a documented criminal who skipped bail in London, is now running for Senate. We don't ask why Chief Bode George is now handpicking political office-holders after returning from jail for corruption. We don't ask why Buruji Kashamu is running the show in the South-West for PDP. We don't ask because Mr President is a believer like us. Until our Men of God revert to their original roles like in the days of 'thus saith the Lord', Nigeria will remain terminally ill. Days when kings feared prophets and couldn't buy them. Days of old when prophets quickly reprimanded erring kings and stood up for what was good and decent. Now, the fattest lambs and the honey of the Earth are reserved for our prophets, after all, they are God's mouth piece and should not 'lack'. 

I may have hit on a nerve. If I have, that is the exact reason why Nigeria's illness is probably terminal. In your mind, I have mocked your religion and I have touched 'the anointed' and done harm to the 'prophet'. We declare every new year, the year of Nigeria's liberation. 'God will help us' we keep saying. And the Aro passes us around like a football. They gang-rape our minds till we are numb to our realities and become full blown zombies who have surrendered every capacity to think and shake off our idiocy.

Like Professor Pius Adesanmi observed, maybe this is our reality and normalcy after all. '...maybe because some countries are just not meant to be good'. If not, how does one explain having such a potent trinity, all in the same country?