Let the Dead Breathe

By Abu Onyiani

On a day my older brother and his wife welcomed a child after ten years of marriage, I feel it is sardonic that I have to write about the untimely demise of 32 year old Banker, Amarachi Ugocukwu, who regrettably committed suicide. Nevertheless, duty compels me to write.

In 2022, Punch reported that 72 Nigerians committed suicide, although I am confident in Dr. Titilayo Tade’s assertion that suicide rate in Nigeria is underreported or miscoded. To be clear, suicide is mostly unreported because of the mockery that accompanies the dead, and by extension, his family. As far as I know, reports of suicide have always been greeted with condescension and tone deafness in Nigeria. As a people who are often narcissistic, we are often caught up in the atavistic behavior of victim blaming, and trying to farm for attention in a situation where it would have been better if we could just express our condolences, among other options.

A large number of Nigerians are no doubt already imagining the area of hell she will be in now, and how hard her punishment will be on account of her suicide. Others, in an attempt to make light of the situation will scream “it can never be me”, over a matter they are entirely ignorant about. Save for a suicide note she left behind, where she among other complaint, bemoaned her lack of economic stability, we know next to nothing about the matter leading to the tragedy. I know that the banking industry in Nigeria is an unforgiving result oriented jungle, and that stress levels can be higher than Mount Everest, particularly because a sack is inevitable if results, however draconian they are, are not met. It is also common knowledge that for a vast majority of the populace, good jobs are an impossible dream.

Researchers have noted that economic instability spikes the rate of suicide attempts, especially in the working class. For a nation that has in the last decade been on an economic downward spiral, it is regrettably lugubrious that suicide has become an option for an increasing number of its populace.

The incurably inept Muhammadu Buhari’s regime broke unenviable records for economic sabotage. His Cabinet fingered the economy to a catastrophic orgasm. For the role of Central Bank governor, he picked a walking psychedelic disaster, Mr. Godwin Emefiele. As if Buhari’s band of square pegs in triangular holes were selected and ordered to kill and destroy, the sadists wrecked the economy, stole billions even as the majority of Nigerians were writhing in unimaginable pain. The consequences of his prebendalism and vacuous economic policies remain his statue in the heart of millions of Nigerians.

Considering that so far, Bola Bulaba Tinubu, has shown promise of breaking all his predecessor’s evil records, it is alarming to visualize Nigeria’s future. Inflation is almost 30%, and a measly 30,000 naira is the monthly minimum wage in a nation where fuel pump price over 600 naira. Despite the imbecility of APC’s ill thought economic policy and lack of them, political rascals are already strategizing to keep them in power, come 2027.

Notwithstanding the uselessness of our political elite to the masses, it is also important to note that Nigerians have a highly materialistic culture. For a nation that is the poverty capital of the world, it mesmerizes me whenever I see supposedly educated people broke shaming people who are less financially fortunate than they are. What can be seen as cruise can have far reaching consequences if care is not taken. For example, the whole iPhone vs android debate on social media spaces although funny, reeks toilet elitism.

Furthermore, people compare clothes, housing, food, jewelries and cars in such an unhealthy way, it is hard to be ignorant that this has itself become a problem. The pursuit of material things, trying to “meet-up” has created a vacuum that can only be filled by “doings” for many. Young Nigerians now favor morally repulsive occupations, while others warmly cuddle criminal vocations.

It is also imperative to highlight that workplace bullying is under reported in Nigeria. Many Nigerians continue to wrestle for their mental health and physical well-being from bosses who play god. It goes without saying that many Nigerians are made to work in subhuman conditions, without a single care about how they are and feel. While it is not wrong to chastise suicide attempts, I feel it is an evidence of a lack of emotional intelligence and intellectual pubescence to harp about a person’s suicide from a perspective that the person was not closer enough to God, or that the person was greedy or foolish.

Yes, the victims should have held on, and sought help, but what incidence like these should inspire is an awareness of mental health issues, and workplace legislation by the government to make workplaces conducive for the average common Nigerian.

Let the dead breathe.