The Nigerian bourgeoisie conspiracy

The Nigerian bourgeoisie conspiracy

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 12:05 am


Dr Promise Adiele

By Promise Adiele

The dialectics of class and all its corollaries in modern society constitute adominant discourse in literary criticism and the social sciences. From the time German scholar Karl Marx and his ideological collaboratorFredrich Engels concluded in their Communist Manifesto that “the history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of classstruggles”, the interpretations of class relations have never been the same. That submission by Marx and Engels has fertilized Marxism, providing critical armament for interpreting class parallels along materialistic and economic frontiers. Although Marx and Engels identified the bourgeoisie and the proletariat as two classes in modern society, neo-Marxists have identified other sub-classes, including those without jobs, referred to as The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon.

According to Marx, the bourgeoisieis the capitalist, wealthy class that controls means of production while the proletariat is the working class who depend on their labour power for survival. The proletariat, ravished by need, inexorably submit themselves to be exploited by the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie’s exploitation of the proletariat can be physical or mental. But the wretched of the earth do not even have any work to do and are therefore subjected to all forms of dehumanizationbelow exploitation. The agberos and thugs fall into this category. Ask yourself – are you a proletariat or a wretched of the earth? Are you exploited physically or mentally?

Intriguingly, among all the various classes that make up modern society, the bourgeoisieseems to be in unpronounced but palpable conspiracy against their class counterparts, the proletariats and the wretched of the earth. Sadly, and regrettably so, the proletariat, middle-class workers and the wretched of the earth do not realize this obvious truth. While the bourgeoisie pursues their interests, they ensure that members of the lower classes are set against one another with divisive, corrosive mindsets such as religion, ethnicity, and other nebulous social categories. Karl Marx will be turning in his grave with the kind of idiocy and foolishness pervading the lower classes given how they go at one another’s throat in the protection and preservation of the interest of the bourgeoisie. It was this reality that made Marx attempt to educate members of the lower classes to see the bourgeoisie as the real enemy and not their fellow class partners. The bourgeoisie in every society has the same mindset. They are motivated by the same idiosyncrasy which is the greedy protection of their wealth and ensuring continually that members of the lower classes are at loggerheads with one another.  That way, the conquered lower classes will fail to identify the bourgeoisie as the real enemy, thus the class interest of the bourgeoisie is preserved and maintained.

In Nigeria, the current political season has exposed the bleeding class fault lines which, we can argue, is the nemesis of the country’s socioeconomic healing and revival. The Nigerian bourgeoisie is the political class, those who control power, all instruments of force, and influence means of economic production in the country. They are those who control the machinery of governance and use the same to perpetuate themselves in brute power. Today, the working class in Nigeria, the middle class, the wretched of the earth, everybody is caught in a vicious web of hate in support of political wielders of power. Unfortunately, it lacerates the heart that most people at the forefront of these hateful narratives claim to be educated or enlightened in one way or another. These same ‘educated’ middle class promote ethnic hate and religious intolerance on different social media platforms with vigour and tenacity. They pursue their morbid hate of one ethnicity or another with such desperation comparable to a cat in pursuit of a rat. It is shameful.

The Nigerian bourgeoisie mostly made up of the President, Governors, Senators, Ministers, Commissioners and various political office holders are in open conspiracy against the Nigerian common populace but unfortunately the common populace is not aware of these realities. Look at the political classand how some of them have turned the common people against one another. Today, the proletariat middleclass assist to perpetrate the heinous objectives of the political bourgeoisie. The proletariat class inflames the polity with hateful narratives for the interest of the bourgeoisie. The wretched of the earth burn the shops of fellow wretched of the earth to maintain the interest of the bourgeois political class. But are the political bourgeois class enemies with one another? Absolutely no. If anybody, in all honesty, thinks that the politicians are enemies, that person needs to visit the nearest Babalawo for the right to exorcism. Unfortunately, the lower class of the society kill, maim and tear at one another to protect the interest of the bourgeoisie.

The Nigeria Biafra civil war is a major reference in this discourse. At the forefront of the civil war was Gowon for Nigeria and Ojukwu for Biafra. At the end of the war, unofficial figures recorded that more than three million Nigerians died in the internecine. Gowon did not lose even a relation. Ojukwu did not lose anybody. In fact, while the war was raging, Gowon married a beautiful woman and had a lavish party in Lagos. Ojukwu enjoyed his life and had the best of everything as the head of state of the young Biafran enclave. But who suffered the brunt of the war? Ordinary people, workers, and ignorant soldiers brainwashed to fight one another. Many years after the war, Gowon and Ojukwu met when the latter returned to Nigeria from exile. Both men embraced each other and laughed heartily as if they were laughing at the many souls they sent to their untimely graves. Ojukwu married the most beautiful woman in Nigeria, enjoyed a state pardon and even contested to be the president of Nigeria. Gowon is alive today, enjoying the status of a statesman, like someone who brought honours to Nigeria. Many other actors of the war are still alive and having fun. Yet, their ambitions consigned many families to perpetual agony and pain. Long before I was born, I lost two uncles who had prestigious school certificates at that time.

Today in Nigeria, the bourgeoisieis at it again, stoking the embers of strife and bloodshed. When it happens, no member of their family will be affected. Universities will be closed but their children abroad will continue to attend lectures. When the airwave is saturated with gunfire, the bourgeoisie will be the first to flee from Nigeria leaving the rest of us to bear the brunt of their misguided convictions. The Nigerian bourgeoisie is remotely conspiring to harvest the flesh and blood of ordinary Nigerians. Unfortunately, ordinary Nigerians are offering themselves as ready instruments to achieve the despicable intentions of the bourgeois class.

The greatest instrument of hate right now in Nigeria is ethnicity. That narrative, rehearsed and pushed into the public domain by the bourgeoisie, is tearing ordinary people apart. You are Yoruba, they are Igbo, you are Hausa/Fulani, they are Urhobo, South-South, North-East, Heaven and Hell, blahblah blah.All the ethnic groups in Nigeria are intricately interwoven in businesses, marriages, professional callings, friendship, neighbours and colleagues at work. It is therefore shameful that people will abuse other people or propagate hate while sharing incendiary, inflammatory messages all over social media spaces to protect the interest of the bourgeoisieruling class. Recently, I saw a video on social media where some women were protesting the non-payment of the money promised to them to buy their votes before the presidential elections. That is how the bourgeoisie behaves – they use the wretched of the earth and dump them.

Consider the last naira re-design policy by the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Do you imagine for a split second that any member of the bourgeoisieruling class lacks the new currency? The new currency was sent to their houses in millions by various banks. Who suffered and are still suffering the brunt and hardship of the naira re-design policy – the ordinary people. Think, think, and think again. The bourgeoisie in Nigeria is wicked and desperate. They weaponize poverty and ensure that the people are vulnerable to be used to achieve their nefarious objectives. That is why a university professor will debase his calling by becoming a willing tool to rig elections for a politician. Of course, a university professor who didn’t earn a salary for eight months will easily be compromised by politicians. The bourgeoisie conspiracy is real and the earlier we come to terms with these realities the better for everyone. I do not for a second preach that ordinary people should not participate in politics. Of course, everyone has the constitutional right to participate in politics, and support any political party or any politician. It is a good thing that Nigerian youths across ethnic and religious divides are bonding to overthrow the political bourgeoisie class that has held the country down for many years. Suddenly, power now resides with the people. Politicians now beg the people for votes. Those who shunned debates are now humbled because the people are in charge. The status quo has been disrupted. The bourgeoisie conspiracy is gradually being demystified.

It is a primitive mindset, the lowest form of knowledge to interpret every social reality from an ethnic or religious perspective. But when the Nigerian football national team plays, no one cares who scores the goal or the ethnic composition of the team. Everyone wants victory. Confoundingly, some Nigerians who pretend to have an education are irredeemably lost to ethnic bigotry. Their pastime is to post and share divisive messages on social media platforms. It is a shame. The bourgeoisie in Nigeria is wicked. They are well aware of what they are doing and would be ready to advance their interests with the blood ofordinary people. To all the ordinary people, workers, salary earners, petty business people, the unemployed, and all persons who do not control means of production, arise and be wise. Quit hating your class partners. You are not enemies. Don’t be victims of the Nigerian bourgeoisie, ruling class conspiracy.

Promise Adiele PhD

Mountain Top University

[email protected]

Twitter: @drpee4

 

 


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