A video just lately launched by Hazel Onuo, also called “Whitemoney”, is essentially the most disgusting and parochial portrayal of Nigerian ladies.
On this video, Large Brother Naija ‘Shine Ya Eye’ Season 6 winner painted ladies as commodities who reply to cash with out query. He later clarified that he aimed the submit at males and their must earn cash, however he nonetheless got here throughout as saying that each girl has a value. In addition to, by saying, “No girl is out of your league bro, simply earn cash and make your personal recreation, they’re going to play,” she was simply encouraging bros to earn cash, with out hinting at how? That is additionally ineffective if not harmful. It is a level I’ll return to shortly.
Onu’s feedback sparked a significant controversy. Many ladies within the leisure business took him for his inconsiderate remark, and shortly the issues devolved into name-calling and worse.
However the man wasn’t finished. A number of days later, he spoke to artiste Chinedu Emmanuel, in any other case generally known as Nedu. The latter, itself a hypothesis concerning the sexual indiscretions of feminine artists, pressured its company into yet one more assault on feminine integrity. This time, nevertheless, it was a extra localized accusation concerning the women who had been a part of the BBN actuality present. Right here he claimed that many of those women had been caring in the direction of his rich buddies. He additionally speculated that many ladies enter the truth present with the only real intention of “displaying off”, apparently to draw males.
It could be true that his colleagues need his intervention of their want for male patronage, however his failure to withstand the urge to maintain this confidential speaks volumes for the character of this pet and the river. If somebody approaches you with such requests, maintain their secrets and techniques! On this entrance, Whitemoney and Nedu could also be searching for alibis as a result of they did not point out names, however that is even worse! It opens everybody as much as suspicion and impacts the general public’s judgment of a whole class of Nigerian ladies.
However there are different issues concerning the hypocrisy of those individuals. They declare that Nigerian women bounce into wealthy males’s beds to make ends meet or meet society’s expectations. The query is, wouldn’t it have occurred with out the calls for and patronage of males? Effectively, why do not we discuss males? Why do not we discuss concerning the anti-social, generally felony, issues males do to both sustain appearances or really lead life?
Why do not the Nedus and Whitemoneys of this world name out the toy boys who eat on the laps of cougars on this identical nation? Or do they not know them? Why do not they discuss widespread instances of advance fraud, yahoo yahoo or ritual killing and kidnapping? Why is there no concentrate on what the boys, who’re determined to heed Whitemoney’s name to create their very own “recreation,” are doing within the course of? In any other case, his name, which got here and not using a cautionary notice concerning the significance of laborious work, honesty, respect for the rule of regulation and the lives of Nigerians, seems like a name for impunity. It is also one which misguided individuals who see a job mannequin within the proponent of this concept can latch on to with a bit of thought.
Does this imply Nigeria has no ladies whose god is cash? Not all. Such ladies abound, simply as such males abound in Nigeria and the world over.
But there are world class ladies in Nigeria in all walks of life. Ladies who would measure as much as any man and girls whom males worship exist all over the place on the planet. It’s the identical in all industries and sectors in Nigeria. In drugs, regulation, accounting, politics, academia, engineering and even innovation, Nigerian ladies maintain their very own. At each stage of training there are women with first-class brains who make their households proud. Even in Nigeria’s very irritating unemployment market, many ladies of all ages and generations refuse to “bow their heads earlier than Baal”, as Christians would say. They cling to the values they know and hope that issues will get higher at some point, whatever the temptation with which Whitemoney and his wealthy buddies assail them.
However Nigerian leaders have to fret concerning the epidemic of wealth dependancy that has gripped the soul of the nation. Currently, the craze for wealth has develop into so widespread that youngsters, dreaming of massive automobiles and private mansions, slaughters and kidnappings, are renouncing lovers, relations and buddies for rituals geared toward fostering wealth. Final yr, a viral video surfaced of three youngsters embracing their want to develop into con artists and ritual killers, all for cash.
After all, the primary intuition is responsible the dearth of parental look after this terrifying state of affairs. And that may be true. Dad and mom are so consumed by the necessity to survive that they not have the time and even the desire to boost their youngsters with the best values. There are even tales of moms coming collectively to hunt religious safety for youngsters recognized to be concerned in felony actions. These mother and father do not thoughts what their children do so long as they convey dwelling cash. It’s the identical with some mother and father who encourage their daughters to show their our bodies for cash.
Nevertheless, that is nothing greater than the social penalties of a carefree nation. One of many greatest crises of corruption, disloyalty to processes and devaluation of values is the glorification of cash and eventual degradation of society.
In his 1980 guide, Dependancy to Wealth, the late American sociologist and playwright, Philip Slater, described cash as a robust drug that weakens individuals and retains them away from freedom. Politicians have stolen the nation a lot that not solely is the hole between the wealthy and the poor widening, however it has led to the entire destruction of the center class. So poverty has develop into so endemic that everybody has to battle to outlive.
Even then, they flaunt their ill-gotten wealth in entrance of individuals they’ve impoverished and whom they spare no thought for. They promote an economic system that has no security internet or authorities assist. Most Nigerians earn month-to-month salaries however must pay lease for the yr. Charges are low, however households must ship their youngsters to highschool and pay hospital payments out of pocket. So, having cash is an existential problem in Nigeria, so residents are prepared to do something and every thing to get a bit of extra, develop into higher than their friends and purchase wealth even when they must trample others of their pursuits.
The brand new leaders of Nigeria should begin working to enhance the residing circumstances of the residents. With entry to the requirements of life—first rate housing, transportation, well being care, and training for youngsters—this craze for wealth would disappear. Life might be extra significant for everybody. Presently, cash is the one actual faith that many Nigerians perceive, no matter what faith they observe. It’s not place for the nation.