A woman who upon finally tasting Brie has decided that it's best left to the aristos!
Nouveau Africana
A light hearted look at the Rich and Poor divide in Nigeria. But relates to Ghana as well.
Lagos is so much fun ! I love going home for Christmas ! These were the utterances of many women as we sat in my living room discussing holiday plans. When I was home last Christmas, I was amazed at the sort of life many lagosians seemed to have. Such a Western existence. "Let's meet for brunch at the Brass lamp", "Oh we spend Sunday mornings by the beach" Drinks at Vintage and a little dancing at elevenfortyfive. Look, I knew the situation had completely scattered when I was offered brie at an acquaintance's house. (I know many of you might be thinking, what is brie? Believe me, you are not alone) My dear, I have to tell you, I was living the high life in Lagos and my own was even small. Fashion show on Thursday, theatre on Friday, get your nails done at the Nail salon (where every woman seemed to have a Chanel bag) and shop on Saturday at Tiffany amber's (where my sister noted that a Gucci bag was the uniform of choice for young aristo girls). On Sunday, chill at Nimbus; enjoy some art and good wine. My darlings, this local girl was very intrigued by the high life.
On first look at the Ovation lifestyle of the elite, one would think that Nigeria is truly doing well. After all, on the island, na so so Mercedes and BMW galore. Anyone looking around would think Nigeria is filled with the rich. Anyone who chose to only look through the lens of their rose colored glasses and ignore the plight of the masses who are everywhere that is. One serious aristo (aristocrat - so to speak) that I was riding with chastised me for giving money to a beggar. "Will you stop that" she said in her britico accent, "very soon they will swarm around this car like flies!"
This ability to view the millions that live below the poverty line as merely a nuisance is amazing to me. It's like the rich shield themselves in a cocoon. Many of them hardly even step off the island, except to make the trek to Murtala Mohammed Airport. (Ok, maybe I exaggerate, maybe not, you be the judge)
I have to ask the aristos, how far now? How is it possible to continue to live in a culture of such excess, against a backdrop of abject poverty? I found myself feeling guilty for haggling with the woman selling oranges over pennies when I had been out the night before and seen people dropping the equivalent of five hundred dollars on drinks in the VIP room of certain clubs.
We lock our gates and bar our homes, trying to keep the bad elements out. The people who would steal from us and take away what we own; I have to wonder, how many of us stole their possibility and destroyed their futures in the process of getting what we own?
I do recognize one thing however; it would be easy for me to pass judgment. After all I live in a society that has an established infrastructure; a society where most people have an opportunity to work and live; a society in which my success does not seem to depend on someone else's failure. It would be so easy for me to pass judgment, but I would be a liar, if I didn't admit how seductive life as an aristo is. You have a comfortable life. You enjoy the privileges of the elite (many of us, simply because we have been educated abroad), you are wined and dined when you return. My friends, it is very seductive. I was in Lagos for about a month and before I knew it, even though I am barely quarter to aristo, I too was having difficulty seeing the beggars as they chanted, "Aunty, may God bless you".
Over the holiday, there was a fierce debate in my home about the role of society magazines which feature for example, a rich man cruising around in his Bentley in a country where most people have no other ways to travel but leggedes Benz. It was said that these magazines seemingly glamorize excessive consumption. The idea of some was that images like that only serve to perpetuate the status quo. People become more ruthless because they want to achieve that lifestyle at all costs. Others felt it was merely a question of demand and supply. People want a magazine like that because they buy it and catering to the desires of the people is capitalism at its best.
I couldn't help but think, the magazine is so not the issue. A magazine cannot build infrastructure, it cannot make an illiterate, literate and it cannot feed the hungry no matter what the contentŠI will not propose to tell you what we need in Nigeria to even the playing field, to make the good life a possibility for many and not just the legacy of a few.
I have no idea what the solutions are; I only propose that we think about it, as we rush home to enjoy our aristo Christmases. I also propose that we talk about it, and every once in a while, take off our Gucci sunglasses and really see this place that we call home.
By Ekene Ajene Onu
A woman who upon finally tasting Brie has decided that it's best left to the aristos!
Nouveau Africana
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