INTERVENTION

Many Nigerians like citizens from most African and some Asian nations are characterized by a somewhat strict and toughened approach to life reinforced by culture and religion as the case may be. Unlike what is obtainable in developed climes where far more liberalization exists; it is more likely that issues regarding mental health, marital storms and social injustice will be guarded and handled with unnecessary bravado on the African continent.

Shameless displays of corruption like what has plagued the Nigerian nation since the turn of Independence in 1960 may not be inseparable from an underlying mental disorder just as a cheating or violent spouse cannot simply be blamed on the ever increasing stress living in Nigeria generates. The truth is that a significant proportion of Nigerians exhibit symptoms of mental instability and more than a few can testify to have barely survived breaching that irreversibility threshold; “the díè ló kù moment”. It is only those that have reached beyond who are exposed to public ridicule for conditions they received little or no help to avert or control.

There are several theories which have been postulated to explain how some cancers progress at various sites and at different rates in the same individual. There may be an existing and underlying genetic predisposition or damage which only needs a favorable trigger to initiate or facilitate cancer. The stress of living in Nigeria daily, the economic uncertainty and the sporadic manifestations of insecurity are sufficient stimuli which have pushed many Nigerians over the edge in recent times. Ritual killings, kidnappings, Hollywood-themed robberies, homicide involving even spouses, employers getting killed by employees, rape and looting of the nation’s commonwealth are just a few manifestations of what human beings in Nigeria have done to other humans that are too difficult to comprehend or justify.

We generally take pride in ourselves that Africans are tough and immune to measures such as suicide. We say that Nigerians are the happiest people in the world and many in a way believe that none amongst us is susceptible to depression especially when all the harsh conditions Nigerians face daily are considered. The harsh reality however is that we all know immediate and extended family members;  friends, neighbors and even celebrities who have or are currently suffering from the effects of mental conditions and/ or associated medical conditions.

We may blame poverty and corruption as triggers in Nigeria and some parts of Africa; in other climes the triggers could be substance abuse, uncontrolled use of medications, socio-political supremacy or even religious fundamentalism. This is not to say that these arguably less common triggers cannot be associated with Nigerians. Many individuals are not sleeping well enough; some require a daily dose of stimulants to function daily and cocktails to sleep at night. These may be pointers to serious conditions we all need to be aware of.

Some people who claim they are guided by religious/ spiritual injunctions live their lives full of anger and aggression towards other humans. A few others do not believe in any kind of deity but are also devoid of common sense and equally as aggressive as those who are overly religious. Everyone ends up being blind at the end of the day because the portion of our senses and hearts that enables humanity is fried like the hard drive of a computer. Being intolerant of others, constant irritability, immunity to criticism and various grades of anger may just be cardinal signs for abnormal mental states we all need saving from.

Flight 4U9525 on a scheduled flight from Barcelona to Düsseldorf crashed in the French Alps on Tuesday March 24^th 2015 which claimed the lives of all 150 passengers and crew onboard. The Germanwings Airbus A320 aircraft was reported to have been deliberately sent on an ill-fated dive by the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz who was 27years old at the time. Andreas who locked out the pilot from the cockpit was said to have had a history of depression in 2009 while training to be a commercial pilot. He obtained his flying license thereafter but was required to undertake regular medical checks. It appears there must have been another condition that manifested prior to the crash which was not disclosed to any of the regulatory bodies. It is difficult to understand what prompted the son of a successful business executive to plunge 149 other people to their premature deaths. His main ambition in life was said to have been flying and the former cabin attendant definitely achieved that but left his family members and friend heartbroken by his action.

What led to Andreas Lubitz’s decision to take his life? What agitated Oscar Pristorius enough to take his gun and fire through a closed door thereby killing his girlfriend simply because he thought there was a burglar in his house? It is easy to stand afar off and mock the weaknesses of these individuals; even spouses who indulge in battering their companions would mock a woman who endured an abusive relationship till the abuse consumed her life. What prompts gun wielding boys and men to buy glocks and semi-automatics to cut short the life of school children, worshippers and fun seekers? Is it the same motivation that convinced Mutallab the underwear bomber to embark on what he thought was a just mission? Is it the devil to blame for uninhibited bullying, endemic kleptocracy or the abundant supply of over-the-counter weapons available in some climes? The devil sure has a part to play but so do schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and other types of mental disorders.

There is a lot of stigmatization in this part of the world as well as premature condemnation even before cases are heard. Many find it difficult to spot inconsistencies and outright falsifications; they are easily prone to manipulation by both the mainstream and social media platforms when controversial stories are carried. The recent story about the death (alleged suicide) of a consultant pediatric surgeon is one that has been subject to a lot of conjectures and innuendos by those who have heard the story. Some of the tabloids that published the story hastily used inappropriate terminologies like “cut in bone” and did not realise that they needed to be specific about pediatrics or pediatric surgery which are different specialties in medical practice. A few commentators tried to plot a conspiracy graph to predict a cover-up based on the fact that the husband of the deceased is a Consultant Clinical-pathologist and the general pathology team of the hospital where the deceased was brought would be carrying out the coroner’s autopsy. They failed to understand at the time that these two specialties are in some ways affiliated but with different job descriptions. It still baffles me that a journalist could find it difficult to differentiate between the Lagos state University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

It was not my duty to perform the autopsy but even if it was, I would definitely not be leaking information to feed the tabloids. There are ethics of the profession and observers should understand these limitations instead of alleging cover-ups and propagating unsubstantiated information. There is a role police investigators and prosecutors are expected to play and a case like this fits the profile. There are no post-mortem investigations that could substitute for a detailed “crime-scene” examination. It is the result of this that would be augmented by autopsy reports to prepare a case against any suspect.

Based on the information regarding a suspected suicide, some people have questioned why anyone with suicidal tendencies could have been licensed to manage children and be a surgeon at the same time. This is part of the stigmatization referred to earlier. If we all went about with diagnostic goggles, we would detect varying degrees of cerebral inadequacies which would disqualify most from their day to day jobs and vocations. We would have to remand just about every motorcycle rider and bus driver in Lagos for endangering the lives of other motorists and also fire half of our police force. There are definitely doctors, soldiers, civil servants, top private sector executives, sports men amongst others who battle daily to maintain status quo and hunting them down like many of us do covertly will only lead to something worse than a nuclear plant explosion. We all seriously need to calm down and start providing support for those struggling and others who have suffered the direct effects of lost battles.

“We are a country” with battered citizens in need of emergency support by the elected government. The stress levels in our land have to be urgently crashed in just about every sector and support services for the genuinely frail amongst us have to be at the top of our scale of preference. I spoke with an extremely talented post-secondary student a few days ago and he told me about his desire to offer a combined music and fine arts course. I doubt if such flexibility exists within our educational sector; this young man may end up getting admitted for a degree he would not like because of the rigidity. Students in higher institutions are terrified by their lecturers and some have been subjected to severe abuse and victimization especially in medical schools. These issues need to be changed urgently otherwise the system would only be breeding timid graduates who will end up continuing the cycle of abuse and intimidation with time like the child of an abusive union who ends up abusing his own spouse. Those who make it out of this warped system unscathed would most likely end up falling in love with other nations.

The late General Joe Garba in his book “Diplomatic Soldiering” highlighted several instances in the 1970s when Nigeria “wasted” resources in aid of other countries most notably Grenada and Angola and reaping absolutely nothing in return; not even respect or gratitude. We also sacrificed a lot to ensure peace in the West African sub region and also in other trouble spots across the continent. I doubt if Nigeria has sacrificed as much for her own citizens and children. Injustice and corruption has left the people impoverished and emaciated; those who have claimed leadership titles have fed fat while the people starved. That is one level of insanity; another level is when those who have been trampled upon celebrate their task masters or shield them when justice and judgement beckon.

Nigerians need to love their country all over again, we carry her green passport and we should be proud of that. I chatted with a complete stranger recently whose only relationship with Nigeria is a few years spent in the country when she was younger. Her father was Ghanaian and worked in Nigeria at that time. The years she spent were at a Federal Government Secondary school boarding house and she still cherishes those memories. Nigeria needs loving again; let us not deny her this opportunity.