There is a strong relationship among those variablesin the life Nigerians. The cost of expensive data adds to waste of crucial but
wasted social time and both lead to little good but destruction of the fabricsof society and all that hold it for the nation everyone claims; everyone claimsto love but few actually do. I have not met one who truly holds Naija abovethemselves.And when personal interest is threatened, even therichest outside government joins the low to cry and complain of everything likethe cacophony I hear for long, about hardship and hunger. But everywhere you goaround most towns and cities you find projects raising private houses andshops, all over the places.
I was driving around town with a friend last week. Iasked if they spend the much I do every month, on mobile, social data, whetherthey see it as costly and quick vanish as I do. Believe that if at my level I complain, then the person I know shouldcry. But then I remembered at an instance that in Nigeria persons is all equal,the same in advancing selfinterest.
He said yes. “But how do you cope, with your kind ofsalary?” his only response was the Lingua Franca’s popular spoilword: “to ya za ayi?” I had no furtherquestions. It is the same for all of us, and all are involved in the dilemma ofthe need for data, its cost and instant finish.
A two thousand data can only last for three days forsome of us even with the minimum use. I have been wondering for the years aboutthe cost of that on the networks; how many of us manage to get them for themuch use of social media platform, and how same persons manage to cry of hungerand are on the watch for any correctional economic policy of Government toattack for reasons of hardship.
The truth is we try hard or work hard to get data atall costs in order to remain relevant on the social media, and may be in theprocess end up overlooking or jumping some other priorities. Maybe we ignore evenfood for self or the family, in the process. I have also wondered over time,the amount of social time many of us have to be regular and awake on theplatforms.
I have read about the most essential commodity ofthis century and digital age. Information is not just a power today. It is moreimportant that anything. For some of us, the social media, programmes on thetraditional media and our phones are the first breakfasts on waking up. To illustratethat, I attempted to ask my final year students to submit their phones to theoffice secretary to collect them back tomorrow. Every one turned away and mtssed.
In the wake of the fall of Tripoli, the story wastold of a woman from Niger Republic who fled. She was caught in the desertfinding Agades, barefoot, hungry, thirsty and dehydrated. She was asked: “whatis the first thing on your mind right now?” she said, “I want to know how mymum is doing back in my house in Tripoli. Information is becoming somethingelse. It is a human priority.
The social media are growing strong raises forinformation and alternative personal tools in the hands of individuals. Facebookand Whatsapp, for example, have been key sources of news or news media for me,especially for local news, information and development, news that many timesyou get late or never get on the traditional media. Thanks to citizenshipjournalism.
But what do we really see good in them as personaltools that we can use to make or mar anything about us, the neighbourhood,society and the nation? What is this rush to be on the social media about? Whatare the personal benefits and national efficacy in them and in our use of them?What do we seek some of the information on the social media for? What do we useit for? What type of information do we share on the social media and for whatpurpose? But what type of citizen journalists are we?
Those are not questions I have answers for. No. Ijust want us to think about our individual answers and make critical analysisbased on the truth, reality, history and the basis, reason and purpose in ourcollective humanity. But then I know something disturbing that relates to some ofthem. And that is the extension of some of the bad Nigerian habits to thesocial media and that only reinforces such bad habits and influences theproduction of bad characters instead of correcting the existing bads andwrongs.
Truth is we often use the SM to deceive, ridiculeand mock ourselves, our origins, our immediate past status and all that we everstand for; to portray falsehood about us; to lie to society; to reinforcefalsehood and support falsehood, cruelty, heartlessness and deceit. We use theSM to mock the low and support the high without regards to reasons for theirconditions or the paths they each followed to get there.
We use the SM to preach good habits by sharing andpassing the baton of good messages that should change our character, but keepthe old habits that keep pulling individuals, groups and the collectivism back.We use the SM to ensure bad happens all the time and prevails against good sothat our business hinged on the currents of the bad, can prosper to fetch us;to ensure good does not happen to anyone or to the public, and should come ourown way only.
We use the SM to disrespect, harass and intimidateauthorities at every level and to actualise ourselves, our personal above othersuperior interests like those of the neighbourhood, the public and the nation,jeopardising both private and public efforts at productions for economicprogress at the same time we complain to be hungry and lack money. Some of suchselfactualisation and advancement of personal interests most mock the true poorand hungry and ridicule society by trivialising the serious and demeaning thedesirable for collective needs.
We use the SM to showcase self for, mostly, what is unnecessary.We do not seek jobs or offer ideas, proffer solutions to the numerous problemsdiscussed on the social platforms, most of which we give silent treatment aslong as they do ot affect us in direct, good ways. Whatever relates tocollective bargain for even the much cherished peace must make sense only ifour cynic sense does not come across it.
If we support something, it must come from an awoof,loose persons with bad dark spots on their faces. Critical analysis, someonesays, is in gross scarcity among us. We criticise only for the word criticism –just to be seen to be involved indestroying good intentions and mock or ridicule every good public policy,public figure, public official or public action as bad simply because it ishappening under a regime or done by someone who does not share your interest orbias.
We use the SM to disgrace public officials who makemistakes or could not deliver to your personal expectation – undefined andunlimited, unjustified expectation – because one has no definition of anygenuine expectation or good intention outside the one that must service theirego, persons and whims only. We sabotage and discourage a good plan, thegoodintended, the hardworking and the suffering on the path of public andnational service.
We use the SM as tools for revenge and bad exchangesthat ridicule the social substance and injure the social fabrics of thedifferent components of the Nigerian society, thereby portraying everyone asillmannered, illcultured, and illmotived – a gross national jeopardy to theforeign image and relations government is spending money to serve and protect.
There is something that overexposes Nigeria to theoutside world about our bad habits and what we fancy most on the social mediathat makes even some persons in Niger laugh at us. If your personal posts helpto that effect, it is gross disservice to other good Nigerians to thegovernments and to national interests, not to talk about some of such posts themilitary and intelligence services find too critical to the security of all.
The minister of Communications’ efforts at networkand cyber tightening may yield eventual means by which such posts can bedetected on dial and culprits be picked. This is a call of warning before that.Whatever hatred we show him, the young man is determined and good Nigerians arepraying for him to succeed. Remember many programmes you fought have worked andsucceeded. When are you going to stop? So help him God.
We are undisciplined from self to the top. We wantto be too free, too lavish and claim extremes even in privileges. Many of us donot know, but know to ignore, our rights and privileges and blindly blame,abuse, ridicule the government for even the undue. If laws are implemented as rigidas some of us think the government is not strong, many will be in jail soon.
And then we turn it all over against the government as failed to provide as reason for your inability to be on the social media. f you must be on the social media only to showoff your arrival; to mock, laugh at, ridicule, sabotage or destroy, use your data money to buy food and eat; hold your anger and stop crying about hunger and poverty.
Hassan Alhaji Hassan can be contacted on 08032829772/08050551220 (text only with full names and address)a[email protected]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
