Street Talk: Chibuzor and Ajani

Somewhere in Lagos………………………….

AJANI: CHIBUZOR, why are you always watching American programmes every time you are on TV?

CHIBUZOR: Is that any of your business?

AJANI: Cool down now, I’m just curious

CHIBUZOR: I watch them because I need to know what’s going around the world

AJANI: What’s going on in America?

CHIBUZOR: Yes Ajani, the trends, latest slangs, movies and music.

AJANI: But do you have to copy American style from A to Z?

CHIBUZOR: who’s copying American style, I’m only trying to be in touch with modern civilization.

AJANI: Are we not civilized yet? We have good education, democracy, Nollywood, human and natural resources. Can’t we improve on what we have instead of copying Western cultures all the time?

CHIBUZOR: You must be joking

AJANI: what do you mean?

CHIBUZOR: what does Nigeria has to show the world apart from corruption, Boko Haram, Advance fee fraud and Ebola?

AJANI: by focusing only on the negatives you are just acting just like the Western media that sees no good in Africa.

CHIBUZOR: I can’t blame them, did we keep our house in order?

AJANI: there are always good and bad apples in every society

CHIBUZOR: Sorry but the West didn’t see it that way. Africa is full of bad apples, that’s why it’s called the dark continent.

AJANI: But have you ever wonder why they keep focusing only on the negative and ugly side of Africa despite some economic and social gains in parts of the continent?

CHIBUZOR: I’m not a detective, what’s the point?

AJANI: The phenomenon is called exotism, focus on the extreme cultures. We have to look ugly in their eyes all the time, no matter the improvement. Maybe for the sake of the NGOs giving out aids.

CHIBUZOR: What do you mean look ugly? Are they not reporting what they see?

AJANI: eh common now, can’t you see the way we are being portrayed on CNN, BBC, Hollywood and the likes?

AJANI: They always like to view Africa as a single country, the dark continent, wild jungle, the hopeless case.

CHIBUZOR: But isn’t it the same situation for other parts of the developing world like Middle East, Asia and South America? Is that an excuse for us Nigerians or Africans not to clean up our acts?

AJANI: Well I think it’s happening in African countries like Botswana, Ghana and Rwanda. Agreed we have some work to do but we also deserved a balanced report of both the highs and lows of development in Africa.

CHIBUZOR: My brother you deserve what you get, playing the victim card by blaming the West for Africa’s problems will get you nowhere.

CHIBUZOR: What we need is a serious soul-searching and self-examination of our thoughts and actions both at the local and national level. We complained about corrupt leaders but are we not the one electing them into these posts in the first place.

AJANI: My man, you can’t tell me the West is not part of Africa’s problem, please don’t let us go into all the colonial mistakes that we’re still experiencing today. Our problem doesn’t give anybody the right to be shoving negativity and barbarism down our throats 24/7.

CHIBUZOR: I only wish Nigeria will get its acts together, reason like civilized people and elect leaders that will move the country forward.

AJANI: We will get there, I can see it coming.

CHIBUZOR: keep dreaming, people have been saying that for decades

AJANI: yes but it takes just one focused and visionary person to be elected and the turnaround will start.