Nigeria. It’s not macabre. It’s not another case of “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”

[Cornelius Hamelberg]

Whenever the cap fits 

this phrase so conveniently covers so many dubious situations:

 “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”

“Advertising signs they con

You into thinking you’re the one

That can do what’s never been done

That can win what’s never been won” ( It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

Some topics are anathema, “can of worms”, Pandora's box , best left alone, and so some of the elders caution, “don’t rile the sleeping lion, Africa’s sleeping giant, let sleeping dogs lie…”

To the trained ear, in any interrogation, sometimes, what was not said - voluntarily - in e.g a self-confession, is as important as what was/is  actually said.

Sure there have been all kinds of trials , even treason trials and trials of terrorists or so called freedom fighters etc.,  each with their own particular merits, - Nelson Mandela’s, Jomo Kenyatta’s, Dave Dellinger’s, Steve Biko’s, Ken Saro-Wiwa, to name just a few…

In the wake of the utter pandemonium that has been swirling and sweltering , 

gathering directions around the upcoming trial of Nnamdi Kanu , and recently, 

not unexpectedly, the weighty utterance by none less than Biafra's avuncular 

Wole Soyinka (holding forth here “Biafra will Win” etc ) which on the positive side could be interpreted to mean either “divine intervention “ or it could be Nigeria’s national karma translating into better luck next time for phase 2 of the Biafra enterprise, but what does the less than omniscient ignoramus know? 

I suppose that to avoid any repetition of full-scale fratricidal carnage,

very soon there will be clarion calls for dialogue, for “a national dialogue”

as the most amicable way forward, the best possible way to negotiate a way out of the conundrum, and since dialogue requires mutual respect from the contending parties and some basic agreement about the language/s in which such dialogues could be best conducted  - in this case since it is specifically about Igbo matters / matters of particular concern to Igbos and other ethnicities that are stakeholders in the Nigerian Federation , I’d say that for starters, one must always bear in mind what Achebe said, that “Among the Igbo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten”

Having mentioned  “national karma" ( an idea), if it's Nigeria in focus and we're going to talk about “national",  back in the day, in an interview by “Stella” somebody, an interview that was published in the now defunct West Africa , when of course, inevitably, the question of Biafra  came up, the late Emeka Ojukwu talked about visiting “the very foundations” of the amalgamation known as Nigeria  - by which he must have been referring to Lord Lugard, pre and not post-1914 ; so when talking about “national karma”, the unrighteousness of “Every country has the government it deserves”, aside, the very first question that comes to the enquiring mind is  “When did Nigeria become a nation?” I’d like to read John Onyeukwu’s take on the birthing and evolution of Nigeria into nationhood but until then, for just now  we can readily give dates to the other aspiring segment which the aforementioned Chinua Achebe focused on in his “ There was a Country”