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By Hakeem Babalola, Published June 12, 2008
Ade’s reaction to the recent European Champions League final played in far away Russia between two English Clubs – Man
United and Chelsea – is a testimony that Nigerians are pretty much tie to their colonial masters. Oh, there’s nothing wrong in
being a fan of a club one thousand miles away, but to dress a cow in Man U and Chelsea’s logo and then going on to kill the
cow in celebration, is more than just the love for football. It’s more than that. As for me, it’s part of colonial mentality. Ade,
Obianna and Yakubu went on rampage in Nigeria, killing and maiming in order to show their solidarity with two English
teams!
And talking about colonial mentality, the behaviour is as rampant as corruption in the land. The determination to love or die
for whatever British/Oyinbo has contributed immensely to the downfall of Nigeria. There seems to be no exception regarding
the way Nigerians have been cajoled to love whatever is British. One would have thought that the so-called intellectuals know
better, but alas they are as guilty. I mean they blow grammar that would make Queen Elisabeth cringe. They always wear an
expensive grey suit and dark tie in such a tropical weather. Terrestrial example though, it speaks louder.
There’s no limit as far as Euro-American domination on the Nigerian mind is concerned. From their president to the new born
baby, Nigerians seem to be characterised by long suffering like a chronic smoker. Their love for foreign things has moved
slowly and smoothly to the point where if care is not taken, it would be the next corruption most likely to swindle them from
their inheritance. And like many other wrong things in their daily lives, Nigerians do not see this behaviour as something that
might enslave them forever. They may posit: “What’s wrong in copying one’s master?”
Oh, there’s nothing wrong with Nigeria except we don’t know what’s wrong with us. I started serious thinking about the
consequences of obsession with anything foreign when a 10-year-old Nigerian girl said this: “If I’ve the chance to go to
London, I won’t come back to this stupid country”. I have also overheard a boy of twelve saying this: “Oyinbo are better
than us”. What could have provoked two of our future leaders to think in this way? Who or what helped them build inferiority
complex at such a tender age? Perhaps the answer would surface before the end of this essay.
I reiterate here that our inability to sustain a common language other than English is a major hindrance to keeping Nigeria
ONE. Language and culture have tremendous appeal in building a people. In our characteristic colonial mentality, parents
prefer their children to speak Queen’s English to any local language. WASOBIA, a national language once proposed, was
murdered like the police indiscriminate shooting of the citizens. If WASOBIA had lived, or officially adopted some twenty-
two years ago, there would have been a positive structure in the minds of our young adults in today’s Nigeria.
“We love and glorify in things of our former oppressors including their languages, their cities/countries and their ways of
life,” says one Agidimolaja. There seems to be no exception in this madness – from rulers to the ruled; from highbrowed to
low-browed; from mundane to heavenly or ideal things. Nigerian politicians for example, have not been able to design a
system that would be favourable to our culture and ways of life. It’s either the borrowed presidential or parliamentary system
which is equal to no government.
Their uncanny sense of direction is inhibited in the way they glorify Oyinbo things. It is their life time ambition to die in
foreign land, especially “London”. They would rather be buried there with the public money than to make use of the money in
their country. There’s no hospital good enough for this group of Nigerians other than the ones in Germany, England,
America, Hungary etc. It actually reached a point where a former governor of old Imo State, Sam Mbakwe, cried for the
return of the colonial masters to begin what he called re-colonisation.
Nigerian government is ready to employ a less-qualified “expatriate” for the position in which qualified Nigerians could be of
benefit. Or are we saying that no Nigerian engineer or doctor is as good as the Chinese counterparts for example? Still,
colonial mentality comes in different ways. Many Nigerian graduates would rather carry Oyinbo shit, wash and clean toilets in
England than being a teacher or a doctor in Nigeria. Despite the campaign for Andrew to stay at home, his colonial mentality
instinct would pilot him to Euro-American zone. He, like his leaders, must prostrate before Bush’s White House.
I remember how a Nigerian journalist was almost killed just because she wrote that Prophet Mohammed, whom Moslems in
Nigeria hold in high esteem, loved beautiful women. They went on another rampage in defence of an Arab leader who lived
thousands of years ago. See, every form of colonisation is accepted in our dear country and nobody is fighting against this
phenomenon. Those who should enlighten the unenlightened are themselves victims of colonial mentality. No wonder we are
still at the crossroad.
The so-called Nollywood has become the monumental display of colonial mentality judging from the way the actors and
actresses promote and worship Euro-American values. They just prefer to be like Americans. Imagine a Yoruba film or even
Nigerian English film playing rock and roll or rap in the background. It’s not uncommon to see Nigerian film stars carrying in
their chest logo like I love New York, England, California etc. Even the name – Nollywood – tells a lot of story about their
state of mind.
Likewise, many Nigerians in the Diaspora are guilty of what can simply be described as colonial mentality. A naturalised
Nigerian in one of the EU countries once proudly narrated an encounter while he was on vacation in his country. According
to him, he was arguing with some people who were becoming violent toward him. Immediately he sensed danger, he told his
would be attacker, “Look here, I am not ordinary Nigerian,” he boasted. “I am European citizen and if anything happens to
me, you are all in trouble”.
Some mask their Nigerian accents to sound like the British or American. Tunde, who has since changed his name to Tony,
barely spent six months in America when he called me in 1996. “Hey men,” his voice boomed in a fake American accent.
“Who is this?”
“C’mon men, you gotta guess”.
“Who is this?”
“Men, Tony on the line. Calling from Yankee…we stayed together at baba’s flat in Budapest”.
“Oh Tunde, you don be American o”.
“Men, Yankee the place to be. Everything cool men”.
“And wetin you dey do for Yankee now?”
“Men, I’m gonna soon go to school men”…….
Talking about Nigerians in Nigeria, they would rather buy second hand goods from England than patronise first hand goods
made by Ibo or Yoruba or Hausa. Yours truly is guilty of this behaviour as well, for I cannot wear any shoes other than
Italian made. Many Nigerians including a South-West governor bleach their skins, believing that whatever light is better. Even
my sister has washed away her crown with different chemicals in order to straighten or curl her hair; her identity peculiar to
her type. Even the unborn ones glorify in things of our former oppressors. Is there a cure? I need it.
Copyright 2008, mysmallvoice@yahoo.com
Ade’s reaction to the recent European Champions League final played in far away Russia between two English Clubs – Man
United and Chelsea – is a testimony that Nigerians are pretty much tie to their colonial masters. Oh, there’s nothing wrong in
being a fan of a club one thousand miles away, but to dress a cow in Man U and Chelsea’s logo and then going on to kill the
cow in celebration, is more than just the love for football. It’s more than that. As for me, it’s part of colonial mentality. Ade,
Obianna and Yakubu went on rampage in Nigeria, killing and maiming in order to show their solidarity with two English
teams!
And talking about colonial mentality, the behaviour is as rampant as corruption in the land. The determination to love or die
for whatever British/Oyinbo has contributed immensely to the downfall of Nigeria. There seems to be no exception regarding
the way Nigerians have been cajoled to love whatever is British. One would have thought that the so-called intellectuals know
better, but alas they are as guilty. I mean they blow grammar that would make Queen Elisabeth cringe. They always wear an
expensive grey suit and dark tie in such a tropical weather. Terrestrial example though, it speaks louder.
There’s no limit as far as Euro-American domination on the Nigerian mind is concerned. From their president to the new born
baby, Nigerians seem to be characterised by long suffering like a chronic smoker. Their love for foreign things has moved
slowly and smoothly to the point where if care is not taken, it would be the next corruption most likely to swindle them from
their inheritance. And like many other wrong things in their daily lives, Nigerians do not see this behaviour as something that
might enslave them forever. They may posit: “What’s wrong in copying one’s master?”
Oh, there’s nothing wrong with Nigeria except we don’t know what’s wrong with us. I started serious thinking about the
consequences of obsession with anything foreign when a 10-year-old Nigerian girl said this: “If I’ve the chance to go to
London, I won’t come back to this stupid country”. I have also overheard a boy of twelve saying this: “Oyinbo are better
than us”. What could have provoked two of our future leaders to think in this way? Who or what helped them build inferiority
complex at such a tender age? Perhaps the answer would surface before the end of this essay.
I reiterate here that our inability to sustain a common language other than English is a major hindrance to keeping Nigeria
ONE. Language and culture have tremendous appeal in building a people. In our characteristic colonial mentality, parents
prefer their children to speak Queen’s English to any local language. WASOBIA, a national language once proposed, was
murdered like the police indiscriminate shooting of the citizens. If WASOBIA had lived, or officially adopted some twenty-
two years ago, there would have been a positive structure in the minds of our young adults in today’s Nigeria.
“We love and glorify in things of our former oppressors including their languages, their cities/countries and their ways of
life,” says one Agidimolaja. There seems to be no exception in this madness – from rulers to the ruled; from highbrowed to
low-browed; from mundane to heavenly or ideal things. Nigerian politicians for example, have not been able to design a
system that would be favourable to our culture and ways of life. It’s either the borrowed presidential or parliamentary system
which is equal to no government.
Their uncanny sense of direction is inhibited in the way they glorify Oyinbo things. It is their life time ambition to die in
foreign land, especially “London”. They would rather be buried there with the public money than to make use of the money in
their country. There’s no hospital good enough for this group of Nigerians other than the ones in Germany, England,
America, Hungary etc. It actually reached a point where a former governor of old Imo State, Sam Mbakwe, cried for the
return of the colonial masters to begin what he called re-colonisation.
Nigerian government is ready to employ a less-qualified “expatriate” for the position in which qualified Nigerians could be of
benefit. Or are we saying that no Nigerian engineer or doctor is as good as the Chinese counterparts for example? Still,
colonial mentality comes in different ways. Many Nigerian graduates would rather carry Oyinbo shit, wash and clean toilets in
England than being a teacher or a doctor in Nigeria. Despite the campaign for Andrew to stay at home, his colonial mentality
instinct would pilot him to Euro-American zone. He, like his leaders, must prostrate before Bush’s White House.
I remember how a Nigerian journalist was almost killed just because she wrote that Prophet Mohammed, whom Moslems in
Nigeria hold in high esteem, loved beautiful women. They went on another rampage in defence of an Arab leader who lived
thousands of years ago. See, every form of colonisation is accepted in our dear country and nobody is fighting against this
phenomenon. Those who should enlighten the unenlightened are themselves victims of colonial mentality. No wonder we are
still at the crossroad.
The so-called Nollywood has become the monumental display of colonial mentality judging from the way the actors and
actresses promote and worship Euro-American values. They just prefer to be like Americans. Imagine a Yoruba film or even
Nigerian English film playing rock and roll or rap in the background. It’s not uncommon to see Nigerian film stars carrying in
their chest logo like I love New York, England, California etc. Even the name – Nollywood – tells a lot of story about their
state of mind.
Likewise, many Nigerians in the Diaspora are guilty of what can simply be described as colonial mentality. A naturalised
Nigerian in one of the EU countries once proudly narrated an encounter while he was on vacation in his country. According
to him, he was arguing with some people who were becoming violent toward him. Immediately he sensed danger, he told his
would be attacker, “Look here, I am not ordinary Nigerian,” he boasted. “I am European citizen and if anything happens to
me, you are all in trouble”.
Some mask their Nigerian accents to sound like the British or American. Tunde, who has since changed his name to Tony,
barely spent six months in America when he called me in 1996. “Hey men,” his voice boomed in a fake American accent.
“Who is this?”
“C’mon men, you gotta guess”.
“Who is this?”
“Men, Tony on the line. Calling from Yankee…we stayed together at baba’s flat in Budapest”.
“Oh Tunde, you don be American o”.
“Men, Yankee the place to be. Everything cool men”.
“And wetin you dey do for Yankee now?”
“Men, I’m gonna soon go to school men”…….
Talking about Nigerians in Nigeria, they would rather buy second hand goods from England than patronise first hand goods
made by Ibo or Yoruba or Hausa. Yours truly is guilty of this behaviour as well, for I cannot wear any shoes other than
Italian made. Many Nigerians including a South-West governor bleach their skins, believing that whatever light is better. Even
my sister has washed away her crown with different chemicals in order to straighten or curl her hair; her identity peculiar to
her type. Even the unborn ones glorify in things of our former oppressors. Is there a cure? I need it.
Copyright 2008, mysmallvoice@yahoo.com
No Cure for Colonial Mentality