The cultural fabric of Nigeria has long been colored and woven with deep respect for elders. This principle, enshrined in traditions across our nation’s diverse ethnics posits that age goes hand in hand with experience and synonymous with wisdom and that deference to one’s seniors is a cornerstone of well organised society.
Let’s forget westernisation attitudes paraded by our youths today and the seismic shift which occurred now with our new generation of Nigerians, armed with digital tools and fueled by frustration with the status quo which is understandable but not an excuse for their confrontational approach to issues. This has led to my question of how we got to this level of decadence.
The line now between their so-called activism and disrespect is blurred.
We are supposed to have a rule of engagement in social and general issues which is paramount now.
The recent, widely publicised interview between Arise TV journalist Rufai Oseni and the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi showed the aforementioned in clear mirror.
The heated exchange, centered on the Lagos – Calabar coaster Highway project. Inasmuch as I am not against Rufai asking questions, the way and manner he manned that session was rude, confrontational which I see as a robe of Rufai while addressing issues and this alien to our cultural fabric as Nigerian and African in general.
We now have a younger generation whose idea of activism is shrouded in what I consider to be disrespect.
As a Nation, we value traditional hierarchies and decorum.
Rufai was loud and his refusal to let the Minister deflect were counterproductive and disrespectful. This is not merely about politeness, it is rooted in a cultural conviction that elders and those in positions of authority are owed and they deserve a certain level of deference.
In Rufai’s effort to make the Minister accountable for the projects and the litigation,he goofed by aggressively challenging an elder in a very rude manner which might serve as bad precedent to the coming generation.
The method of demanding accountability is as crucial as the demand itself and when the method is perceived as an attack on the dignity of the person, it allows the person to pivot from the substance of the questions to the perceived insolence of the questioner which Rufai successfully demonstrated.
Presently we are sacrificing our essential cultural values to clout chasing.
Dave Umahi deserves some respect not just as a public office holder but a man that is versed in the field where Rufai was asking him questions that ordinarily he can get from previous interviews.
This incident is not just simply about an interview gone awry, it is about a nation losing its younger generation to cultural abnormalities which is dangerous.
For us as a country to really get it right, the youth must learn to channel our righteous anger in structured, policy – driven advocacy that is difficult to dismiss without losing our cultural values, while the older generation must learn to listen past the tone of the critique knowing fully well that they are trying to point to where the doers of actions will have done better.
In Rufai Oseni Vs Dave Umahi, the minister deserves some respect and not an insult. He has practical knowledge of what he was trying to say as a qualified Engineer who ruled the state of Ebonyi and his work speaks volume.
He has a track record of transforming Ebonyi state to the most beautiful state in the East and this is not trying to praise him but as a Yoruba man, I live and work in Ebonyi State.
Dave Umahi is not a man of disrespect and he deserves his accolades when it comes to building and construction of world class infrastructures.
What I see is generational clash which is a decay of cultural values.Dave Umahi deserves respect…
Odeyinu Temidayo Andrew writes from Ebonyi State.