"OIKONOMIA": A PANACEA TO THE SOCIO-POLITICAL QUAGMIRES OF SOUTHERN KADUNA.

By

    Victor Kwara   

       victorkwara34@mail.com,07033760545. 

  

           Preamble: The underpinnings of social and political philosophy are hinged on how best a society ought to be organized. We have political science and social and political philosophy,the former describes political theories that have been used to govern nations,the latter prescribe solutions to socio-political problems,experts in this field are best described as "socio-political prophets"! Consequently,from ancient to the contemporary epochs,political philosophers have emerged and theories propounded with consistency and ideoligical triumphalism though all in a bid to explain the operational principles and essence of any theory they may seek to propound or interrogate,hence,the thin line running through them all lies the argument for the best theory to be used in order to make the society egalitarian. It is worth-asking at this juncture the following questions: with the quality and quantity of politicians,pen (wo)men,traditional leaders,civil society in Southern Kaduna vis-a-vis the emerging issues and the way things are going,can the future generation aptly make a sigh of relief and exclaim "the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain?" Can the elites or political gurus,in conscience,tell the world that they once bequeathed a good political legacy to the younger generation? With the band of good people in our milieu,an average Southern Kaduna son/daughter still cries! Can we boast of benefitting from democracy? (albeit ours is an aberration). For how long shall we be suffering and smiling at the same time? When are we going to rewrite or history? We sleep on daily bases with our eyes opened because our lives and properties are not secured,the latest genocide-like massacre of our people in Godogodo on 2/8/2016 is still fresh in our minds. One is not sure of a good number of structures from federal to state governments since the return of democracy in 1999! Insufficient social security are effects of democratic epilepcy and or deficiencies. The questions begging for answers are legion: are we unqualified,unfit,unworthy or less-human to live decently with social security in Kaduna south like compatriots? Is our seeming inaction a tacit way of affirming the errorneous and or retrogressive  political philosophy of "sicut erat in principio,et nunc et semper,et in saecula saeculorum"?-as it was it the beginning,is now and ever shall be world without end? NOT AMEN! Therefore,it is the requirement of this piece to serve as a gadfly meant to sting Southern Kaduna brethren both at home and in diaspora to consciousness in order to wake them up from an aged-long socio-political slumber! In order to account for the essence of this article,it is instructive to acquaint ourselves with the concept under interrogation: "Oikonomia".      
       The Term "Oikonomia": Etymologically,it is the combination of two Greek words,"oikos"-household,"nemia"-to manage or control. The concept under review emerged in the Helenistic period of ancient Greek in 323 BC often considered a period of transition,sometimes even of decadence or degeneration...According to Natali "...the Hellenistic authors used the term "oikonomia" to designate household management,in the most traditional sense,it means control of the household's internal areas,which was left to the wife as opposed to the external areas and political activities which were considered the man's affair...it implies man's management of his property as master of the house...(97). The concept is used in figurative sense,any environment in which the capacity to manage a complex structure (high or small) can be applied with success. The concept refers to the general handling of political affairs in a city or region. In Dionysius as quoted by Terhide,it means "...a public civil administration as opposed to the handling of military operations,and in particular the management of trials and resolutions of controversies..."(3).  For Aristotle and others at his time, "oikonomia" designated the study of household management. According to Angela "...albeit Aristotle set out the household as the foundation of politics,it was for him a markedly different sphere because it was  composed not by the hierarchical logics...." (52).  According to Ischomachus as quoted in Booth,among others,the duties of a household manager include to increase the household's wealth and the good use of what has been acquired(40). It is the opinion of this paper to deduce from the foregoing that a good household manager has the potency to manage the larger society-a nation,a good father who provides social security and thereby ensure family cohesion is adjudged good. Conversely,an unhappy and badly-managed family headed by a father may sow the seeds of chaos,discord and socio-political insecurity. Plato corroborates this assertion when he describes the family as "the bedrock of morality". Charity they say begins at home,the Igbo proverb "what destroys a spinach is in the spinach" captures it nicely.   
       Southern Kaduna as a Nation: A nation refers to a geographical sketch peopled by citizens of a common culture,ancestory or ideology as opinioted and adopted by this article. Southern people of kaduna state,though comprising of different ethnic groups have alot in common,hence the sufficient reason for partitioning of the  state. Therefore,one does not require anthropologist to teach him/her about this. To validate my deductions,we understand most words spoken by other tribes,for example,is it the Moroa and Gworok or Atyap dialects that are difficult to understsand by others? Is it Kahugu,Gure,Kurama or Dingi that do not understand one another's dialect?  (Although Lere LGA is from zone 1). Therefore,our "unity" in diversity essentially is supposed to be a spring wherein unity of purpose would flow for the basic goods of human flourishing. Therefore,SOUTHERN KADUNA is a HOUSEHOLD NAME.            
                   The Gamut of our Socio-Political Quagmire: It is the opinion of this article that politics has become a veritable means to divide and rule us,these  cracks are glaring especially on the social media,from Gurara Forum,Netzit People's Network etc,one finds it difficult to belief his eyes,reason being that there are always divergent views between those on the left and right wings respectively! Yet,most of these clashes are informed,not for the common good,especially those from the left wing. Secondly,ethnic chauvinism or bigotry is another factor. The politics of "pay back time,we vs them,family and friends or stomach infrastructure" etc especially in Lere LG is avoidable and inexcuseable! In Lere,some tribes feel superior and more advanced than others,hence cowed by others especially during election periods! Thirdly,suffocating sychophancy and scandalous greed have "killed" the consciences of some of our brethren because of pittance from oppressive governments,these brethren seem to be ready to walk naked on the streets or dance on the tombs of their slain brethren so long as material benefits are accrued therefrom! They shamelessly defend anti-humanity's polices. Again,political apathy/inferiority complex in the political parlance by some of us. The cliche "politics is a dirty game" seem to be the motivating factor to this anomaly. As someone who hitherto believed in that take while in Plato's "Allegory of the cave" " (of the essence of politics),I am out of it and bold enough to correct the notion and assert that there are only dirty hands in politics,thus,it is the reconciliation of interests!         
                 The Panacea is Oikonomia: I am not a pessimist,I am an optimist,despite the ugly picture we have presented herein,there is hope,household management is the way out. All  aristocrats,pen men and women,secular and religious leaders,civil society,politicians etc should not relent,the monsters of disunity and ethnic schisms should be chased out of southern kaduna. Our multi-culticultural tenets or values as a housedhold should be explored. Urgent and responsible steps should be taken if we have the will to put our household in order,these can complement the fora meant for the preservation of our collective existence and heritage. If Herod and Pilate could reconcile in order to "deal" with their common "enemy"-Jesus Christ (Luke23:11),what stops us from doing same so that our common enemy-retrogression would be extinct? Our ability to manage our household well guarantees our socio-political security,conversely,we leave a bad and catastrophic antecedent that would either make our generation and the next slaves in perpetuity or suffocating dearth would be our way of life!         
                           In conclusion,if Mrs. Rosa Parks on December 1st,1955 in the U.S.A could "sit down" in the bus for afro-Americans to "stand and walk" thereby have one of them today as not only the president,but the most powerful person in the whole world,if Nelson Mandela could go to prison for his compatriots to assert their being,what stops us from putting our household in order for the common good? As we walk freely today in our land as a right,those behind us may not even have the privilege! The signs are glaring to the third-eyed! God forbid,amen.