I never wanted penciling down this article for public consumption at the initial stage, until after I had a heated intellectual debate on a very controversial and sensitive issue of national importance with some journalist colleagues, research fellows and very brilliant academicians and patriots at the premises of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State penultimate Saturday during a brainstorming visit to a senior fellow of the institute.
Those my colleagues in the media, others mentioned and whosoever may have interest, are the target of this piece to pave way for future debates when we cross ways again. It was indeed a memorable encounter, spiced with intellectualism and brilliant ideas. I learnt a lot from the debate, I must confess.
In support of the points I painstakingly raised on that day, let me restate that over 250 years ago, in a controversial book that almost sent him to the hangman, Thomas Paine that I referred to, proclaimed the Age of Reason. It was a grand rebellion against superstition, against revelation, and against organized religions of all shapes and forms. Interestingly Paine did not deny the existence of God in his proclamation, but faulted organized religions for stifling reason, and insisted on the freedom of inquiry into all subjects including religions, as a God-given right which cannot be denied.
One is therefore tempted to observe from the perspective of several psychologies, that this is a case of the name following the man.
After all, wasn’t the first popular Thomas a skeptic as we argued to disagree? But Thomas Paine was not quiet original from my narrow understanding.
Instead, the entire gamut of philosophical thought in the century before his own that was the celebrated 17th century—- known as the Age of Reason. Starting with Rene Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, the thinkers of that period celebrated the freedom to use their reason to discover the truth about the existence and nature of God, and about the nature of their obligation to the state and their fellow human beings. They rejected any reference to the supernatural which has not been validated by the light of reason. Let’s get those points straight.
Thus when Sir Robert Filmer, writing in the National Power of Kings, argued for the divine right of the monarch, John Locke used his first treatise of government to demolish the claim, characterizing it as a chain mean to bind mankind. For Locke, if the divine right of the monarch is based on tracing his lineage to Adam and Eve, what prevents every other human being from making the same claim? I hope I am clear and understood?
After all, from my wild reading, according to creationism, we all descended from Adam and Eve as spiritually believed. This is the power of reason at play. It frees us from the bondage of superstition, imagination and fear.
It is therefore remarkable that the Age of Reason which began in the 17th century ran into the Age of Enlightenment the end of which is typically put at the middle of the 19th century. As one of its architects defines it, enlightenment is the freedom to use one’s own intelligence. It is the emphasis on knowledge through scientific investigation and freedom to question authority courageously.
It should also be noted that many of those involved in the Age of Reason and the Age of Enlightenment were devout believers in God, who is the Creator of the universe. Descartes had three arguments to prove the existence of God, and it was upon this that he built the edifice of knowledge including scientific knowledge.
John Locke was a physician-philosopher who also had a strong belief in God. So was Immanuel Kant, the most forceful of them.
What is common to all these critical thinkers was their refusal to allow the goodness of God to be used by God’s creatures, no matter how highly placed in the spiritual or physical realm, to hold their fellow creatures in bondage. The critique of the rationalists and empiricists alike from John Locke to Jean Jacques Rousseau played key roles in the revolutions that liberated America from British colonial bondage and France from monarchial absolutism. The subsequent freeing of the intellect led to an explosion of development in both countries. Of course, we are also mindful of the infiltration of human nature and its frailties when those who fought to free themselves from bondage ended up putting others including our own folks into more egregious form of bondage. Reason could be crippled when it is most needed.
Suffice to say, though, that the ascendency of reason in the affairs of humankind has been for the most part a blessing rather than a curse. It is unimaginable where the world would be today without developments in science and technology that exploded in the last century and continues till today. The balance sheet of reason and enlightenment is certainly in the credit column.
But these are trying times for reason in view of the numerous rebels that are lined-up against it. It’s as if the world has had enough of exploits of reason and we are ready to lay the red carpet for irrationality to reign. Boko Haram, Niger Delta militants are only instances.
In fact, Boko Haram, without its trademark of violence, could be an exercise of reason. If the translations we are fed are correct and reliable, to say, that “Western culture and education are sins” is at best a proposition of reason. It is put forward by the sect. As such it needs to be defended or argued for, an exercise of reason. In the give and take, that most ultimately follow one side may have to admit that it was wrong. It is unclear why Boko Haram must be that side.
Think of it this way, if by “sin” they mean an act or practice that violates the laws of the Almighty, then any aspect of Western education and culture that falls into that category is a “sin”. And I am almost sure that members of Boko Haram can point to a good number of such items from their vantage point of reading and understanding their Holy Book (s).
What an interlocutor may bring up against them is whether being a “sin” is horrendous that those aspects of the education and culture must be disavowed. In other words, with its most radical claim, Boko Haram can still find partners in rational discourse.
Book Haram members however become candidates for rebellion against reason because they abandoned the road that reason knows best and travels on the path of irrationality, the road of hate and violence. Recourse is made to this other road only by those who are afraid of the intellect or who just want to load it over others because they think they have the advantage of a monopoly of force and violence.
But this is more about those less publicized and more subtle rebels against reason than it is about Boko Haram.
If you foolishly think the West has been liberated from the scourge of irrationality because the age of reason was inaugurated in the belly of the West more than two centuries ago, then, think again. It used to be the case that when you deny the existence of a physical object and you are presented with that object in real life, you are satisfied, you swallow your pride and admit your mistake.
This is not the case with the “Birthers” of America, a group of otherwise intelligent men and women who denied that former president Barack Obama was born in the United States even after Hawaii authorities confirmed that he was born in their state, and after the release of Obama’s birth certificate. What is that if not rebellion against reason?
Take the case of the present president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He claimed to have graduated from Chicago State University in the US. He claimed attending several secondary schools in Nigeria but without records of proof. Facts were glaring against his credentials and credibility to stand for the position he occupies in Nigeria today.
Funny enough and unbelievable, he was ‘awarded’ a clean bill of health for the contest by the Supreme Court and crowned him the elected president against natural justice. Is that not a rebellion against reason?
While reason leads in the direction of affirmation and shutting up the mouth, the rebellious “Birther” takes flight to the other side.
Take a look on the case of Ahmed Idris (sacked Accountant-General of the Federation) who courageously and professionally stole Nigerians over N109billion but still granted bail by a court of competent jurisdiction. Is that not a case of rebellion against reason?
A look through several lingering cases of malfeasance and authority stealing in Nigeria defies logic. Danjuma Goje, Orji Uzor Kalu, Godswill Akpabio, Rochas Okorocha, Peter Odili, Ibrahim Shema, Jonah Jang, Murtala Nyako, Chimaroke Nnamani, Lucky Igbinedion, Aliyu Abdulhameed Abati, Sambo Dasuki and a host of other ‘criminals’ that stole Nigerians were granted bails by the courts in line of rebelling against reason.
Another case for study is found in federal appointments by the Tinubu led-administration as that of rebellion against reason. One of the conditions to access federal appointment in the Tinubu led government is to be a Yoruba by ethnic creation or readymade political tool for use against opponents.
The President himself, Ministers of Finance, Education, Blue Economy, Trade and Industry, Petroleum Resources, Justice, Communications, Interior and Solid Minerals are all from the same ethnic nationality (Yoruba).
Not only that, Heads of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Efcc), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industries (BOI), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), NIRSAL, Director-General Department of Security Service (DSS), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Comptroller-General Custom (CGC), Comptroller-General Immigration (CGI), Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Inspector-General of Police (IG), Commandant Brigade of Guards (CBG), Permanent Secretary State House, Director-General Bureau for Public Enterprise, Chief of Staff to the President, Accountant-General of the Federation, Head of Service of the Federation, Director-General FCCPC, Managing Director NEPA, Director-General Nigeria Maritime Authority and Safety Agency, Director-General National Social Insurance Trust Fund, Director-General Industrial Training Fund, Director-General PENCOM, DG AMCON, DG NPHCDA, DG NAFDAC, DG NIDCOM, DG NOA, DG NEPZA, DG National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, DG Bureau for Public Procurement, DG National Sports Commission and Chief Justice of Nigeria are Yoruba from the same geo-political zone.
Surprisingly, the Yoruba nation at the 2023 presidential election vehemently rejected the presidential bid of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in totality with over 63 percent of Tinubu’s winning votes coming from the north through concerted efforts.
The rebellion against reason is over galling and government and its agents are leading the mob. This reminds me of the visit of former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton to Nigeria in 2009 with a holistic mission to tell the truth and let the devil be ashamed. What she said is what reasonable folks within Nigeria have been saying in the past decades. But what reaction did we have from the establishment that prefers the status quo? Rebels against reason cried foul that Hillary got it wrong as they said in unison.
Pray what aspect did the former American First Lady get wrong? That corruption is eating Nigeria up? That selection and imposition through the electoral umpire and the courts are what we have going on in the name of election?
Government has been unable to provide most of the services required by the people with unbelievable claims. But what is the government presently providing to the people apart from escalating insecurity, hunger and poverty?
Today in Nigeria, every household is a local government of its own providing its own water, electricity, medication, education and even security. And in the matter of security, while the men and women of the underworld can boast of superior fire power, households engage the services of security agents that have no access to even dane guns.
And the argument is that every Nigerian cannot be allowed to carry fire arm. But what has the government done to enforce that law?
Well, government cannot do everything for the people but what has it done to justify its stay in power subjecting the people to series of ineptitude, cluelessness, manipulations and marginalization? The logic is simply troubling. But that is the nature of rebellion against reason.
When Nigerians cry out against injustice, the police are ever ready to fight against those agitating for justice. The police are governed with obsolete Acts inherited from the colonial government. They are more sycophantic to government than political praise singers and urchins. When we cry against underdevelopment and insecurity, we are given rice as substitute. In some cases, politicians in elective positions cover failure and malfeasance with crocodile gifts of motorcycles, sewing and grinding machines to their impoverished people to keep mute. What a rebellion against reason.
Lastly, when Bauchi State Governor, Sen. Bala Muhammed drew the attention of President Bola Tinubu on state of affairs in the country, rebels against reason took offence and demanded a pound of flesh from the courageous Bala Muhammed. But what was wrong with that statement of truth that came out from a senior stakeholder in the Nigerian project? Were rebels of reason expecting Bala Muhammed to have said the opposite just to please Tinubu? Tinubu could not listen to accept the reality for the good of his nose diving administration.
Now, PDP Governors at their just concluded meeting in Jos, Plateau State, have re-echoed the same statement made by Sen. Bala Muhammed against the interest of rebels of reason. What again?
Muhammad is a commentator on national issues
