MY CULTURE SPEAKS, MY PEOPLE LISTEN by Charis Pen

MY CULTURE SPEAKS,  MY PEOPLE LISTEN by Charis Pen

“Nigeria”, the  most  populous black  nation  on  earth  and  the  self  acclaimed  “Giant  of  Africa” with  over  500  languages and  over  200  dialects  and  ethnic  groups,  with  it's  largest ethnic  groups as,  Igbo,  Yoruba  and  Hausa.  Each  tribe  has their  diverse  cultures : custom  and  traditions, bringing a more pronounced cultural diversity in the country Nigeria.

But with the clear diversity in culture,   similarities  such  as;  morality  and  respect  (especially to the  elders)is common to the tribes.
The  Nigerian  culture  has done  a  lot  of  good  to our society.  I  learnt morality and respecting  my elders   as a  result  of  what  the  Nigerian  culture  teaches.  There  is no society  without  culture.
All  these appraise  will  not play  down  or  belittle  the bitter  truth  of  victimization  (especially on  the  youths and  women). The  case  of  victimization  is the  biggest fault  of  the  Nigerian  culture.  The Nigerian culture preaches that not greeting an elder, is a form of disregard and disrespect. Of course, everybody  deserves  respect,  both  young  and  old but who says "The young  man must  greet  the  old  man  first" ? 
I once  asked someone  this question,  and  all he  could  say was;  “it’s  our culture”.  The  World  as we  see  it  today is evolving,  our  beloved  culture  is not.  Our culture  tends to level  respect  according to age,  our  society  believes that  even  if  an  elder  is wrong;  he  shouldn’t  be corrected  or  challenged  by  a  youth.  So  he can  tell a  lie  against  a  youth  without any  objection,  his  objecting  will tag  him  disrespectful  or  rude.   Nobody  sees any  wrong  in  an  older  individual  disrespecting  a  younger individual,  but  the younger is  tagged  “rude”  when  he  revolts.  Our culture  gives  more  preference  to the  testimony  of  an  elder than  that  of  the youth  in  a  conflict  or  a  local  case.  He seems right  by  the  virtue  of  his grey  hair,  while  the  youth  is wrong  by  the  reason of  his age.  Viewing  this abysmal  situation,  we  can  depict  that  by  the  reason  of  his age,  the  youth is in  trouble. The  older  personality  can  do well to insult  the younger personality,  but  if  the  younger one  retaliates,  it  becomes disrespect  in  his part.

In  further  explaining  the  handicap  of  our  culture  and  tradition,  the  segregation  of the  women  in  our  society  cannot  be  ignored.  In  greater  parts of  our  society, women have  also  been  victimized  by  this  culture  of  ours.  The  women  do not have a  say in  the  affairs  of  the  society,  they  live  by  the  self  centered  decisions of  the men.  Political  positions are  held  by  men  alone;  the  woman’s  opinion  on  issues that  will affect  both  her  and  the  whole  society  is ignored,  or  better still,  not needed.  In  the  major  part  of  our  society,  families by  the  reason  of  our  victimizing culture  have  taught  their  daughters,  directly  or  indirectly,  to see  themselves  as servants and  slaves  to the  men in  the  society.  One  shouldn’t  be  surprised  at  the Nigerian  President,  Muhammadu  Buhari,  when  asked  about  the  submission  of  his wife,  the  First  Lady,  Aishat  Buhari on  his administration  as president. He  replied by  saying  “She  belongs to my  kitchen,  my  living  room  and my  other  room”.  One shouldn’t  blame  or  attack  him  for that  statement;  he  spoke  as a  typical  Nigerian, influenced  by  the culture  of  his motherland.  Buhari never spoke  his own  opinion  as majority  of people  claimed.  The  bitter truth  about  this, is that,  he  spoke  the opinion  of  the  Nigerian  culture.

The  Nigerian  culture  says  it’s a shame  for a woman not to know  how  to cook,  which  leaves me  with  this question;  what  about the  men?  I  begin  to  wonder  if  God  created  the  woman  with  the  special natural ability  of  cooking  and  left  out  the men.  Mothers  make  it  mandatory  for  their daughters  to join  them  in  the  kitchen, but  leave  out  theirs sons.  All  this is as  a result  of  our  culture.

My  honest  submission  is not for the  culture  to be  changed, but  that  it  should  be amended and made to fit the present  global  transformation. I  want  our  culture  to evolve  and not remain  static,  I  want  a  dynamic  culture.  If a  woman’s  inability  to cook  is a shame  to her,  then  the  man  should  be  added  into the  equation.  If the  elder deserves  to be  greeted  by  the  youth,  the youth  in  the  same  equation  also deserves  to be  greeted  by  the  elder.  There  is nothing  wrong  with  the  elder greeting  the  youth  first.  For our country  to developed,  our  culture  has to evolve.

I end  with  a  quote  by  Chimamanda  Adichie;     “Culture did not  make man,  man made culture.  And  if man  made culture, then man  can change  culture”.

Charis Pen.