Political complaints in Nigeria all through the years have
always included perceived plights of the major ethnic groups. No one seems to
care about the other 347 ethnic groups. Power must be rotated from North to
South they say, when what they actually meant is "power must be rotated
between Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba". A clear depiction of this political
injustice and in consideration is the design of the old and new 50 Naira notes.
Take a closer look at the note, you will observer that there
are four major characters in the notes - the aim cause is to show nation unity.
What is wrong with the picture.
First, amongst four entities, only one female is represented
and this alone shows the paternalistic nature of the political system in
Nigeria. Now having said that, in Nigeria, to call someone a woman is to
emasculate the person. To make him feel small.
Secondly, that pictures show a man dressed in Muslim attire
on top of the other, that is a symbol of domination over others. Though one may
argue that it was actually done that way to represent the geographical location
of the North but that is a huge fallacy because not everyone in that region dress
like that and not all of them are muslims. Where is the voice of the Jukun, the
TV, the Berom, the Nupe, etc?
I will like to quote the statement from a group representing
the minorities of Nigeria:
“There is a deliberate denial of development in non-Muslim
indigenous communities in northern Nigeria,” the statement said. “Non-Muslims
are marginalized with respect to admission into schools, denial of roads,
infrastructure, employment, hospitals, grant of Certificates of Occupancies,
building plans for churches, appointments and promotion, etc.”
Who is talking about these minorities who are truly
marginalised but who may not be able to get their voice heard because in a
majoritarian democracy, where number counts for much, they can never be heard.
We need to redefine this arrangement.
I do not want to talk about the fact that the designer seem
bereft of idea or those who commissioned the work are deliberately mischeivous.
We are yet to see other characters dressed in priestly garments, why should the
character representing the north be made to wear a Muslim-Arab attire when
there are hundreds of local and traditional dresses in northern Nigeria.
Thirdly, the other characters below the Arab above them are
to represent the other part of the country. Just like the problem which I have
with the Arab guy up there, it is insensible to have one Igbo-looking man to
represent the entire south East and South South of the Country, common, the
Ijaw people alone are more than 4 million. That is more the population of
countries like Kuwait, Namibia and Gabon. They do not dress like that Igbo
character up there. Where are the Anang, the Efik, the Ibibio, the Ijaw, the
Edo, the Itsekiri, the Urhobo, and so many others in the picture? They have
been subsumed under the suzeriaty of an Igbo character. That partly explains
why some group can suddenly come up to name a country where they drag these
other minority groups into their map without so much as having any thought for
what they want.
Fourtly, they have one woman representing who? and what?
Image is powerful and its semiology could determine so much.
In my own opinion, that stupid artwork on the 50 Naira note must be pulled
down.
We should consciously evolve a nation for all, not a nation
for few powerful groups. This has been my position all along and it shall remain
so.
Written by Olu Adegoke
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