WHEN THE STATE SIDES THE POWERFUL

VICTOR C. ARIOLE argues that justice ought to be on the side of the weak

Forcible touching. Sexual abuse in the first and third degree. Unlawful imprisonment. Attempted rape. Criminal sexual act in the first degree…Dream Count of Adichie

To avoid being charged for libel Adichie  decided to use Kadiatou in place of Nafissatou, a Fula allegedly sexually abused by an IMF Boss. A big and notorious case that happened in the District of Columbia (DC). It was real but the intrigues that follow the case are what Adichie tries to magnify and extrapolate in other spheres in her book as she paints events from USA, through other countries to Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria is facing seemingly a likely case; and even USA is not spared. In effect the dream of human beings differs from what each individual’s traditional base intends for them; but as they leave their traditional base and foray into other spaces that turn strange or queer but expect them to adjust and fit in both comfortability of such adjustment and its requirements, incompatibility could set in.

The initial dream of Kadiatou in life from her traditional knowledge perspective is very simple: Have a Fula husband with children within Futa Djallon and raise a home with no much outside influence. However, her dream man found himself in USA and promised to get her to USA for them to live their life there. In USA dream changes, his dream man who took her to USA came when her parents had forced another Fula/Peulh man on her and a daughter was born before the man died; and her new dream is how to secure a better life for this daughter who has been Americanised. That dream came suffering as her job as hotel maid is threatened with the IMF boss mishap.

IMF boss himself had an utmost dream, to become the next president of France then, and that also was shattered as he was stopped from boarding a plane so as to face charges as stated above in the quotes. The State prosecutor or Attorney General had to play the game of saving the IMF Boss, hence attention was paid more to how to make Kadiatou a persona non grata in USA, and consequently enter a nulleprosequi case. Assassinating Kadiatou was attempted while journalists and detectives visited her place of birth in Guinea, to attempt at muckraking to bring her to disrepute, and some people in Guinea were even ready to help tender pictures that gave her out as prostitute and a liar and so, such pieces of evidence were gathered to give the impression that she was a serial liar, a con artist, as most of what could be termed as her misfortune in Guinea were related as acts of prostitution and unfaithfulness to previous marital and routine duties, in and out of her traditional base. Hence, after a long and harassed months by the prosecutor and the acolytes of the accused, the case was struck out for lack of merit. According to Adichie “ his arrest reminded me of what I admire, about America… the case has been dismissed, not because the prosecutors are certain that Strauss – Kahn – the boss – is innocent but because Diallo – Kadiatou – is not a saint”.

Nigeria is currently in that mood, many cases, not necessarily that of Natasha and Godswill alone; or even that of Fubara and Nyesom. “A victim needs not be perfect to be deserving of justice”, and it is said that justice must be on the side of the weak to an extent that even if it takes one person’s innocence to free 99  people from alleged collateral infraction, let it be.

State’s prosecutor against the weak could be a great challenge to collective humanity. In making America great, USA is expected to tamper justice with equity and pause a bit in deporting poor immigrants or asylum seekers who are not criminals but are seeking to survive in USA with new found dream like Kadiaotu found out. After all, you don’t send back someone to where they are to be persecuted or to be killed in the name of deportation. Collective humanity is in question.

Japa syndrome is what it is in Nigeria and many youths who are not ready to question the big men and rulers are finding their way out to seek for new dreams as the supposed collective humanity in Nigeria seems not holding to equity any more.

In Dream Count, Chiamaka, Omelagor and Zikora are characters enjoying great migration status and they are also Nigerian youths, distinct from those who could be harassed in the Japa phenomenon. They are privileged Nigerian youths. In an equitable society their wealth or that of their sponsors could be brought to judgement; but it is not so, as they are vicariously supported by the State against the majority of the youths who see hopelessness in Nigeria. Just the expensive and luxury life of Omelogor can build a 2000 – hotel rooms for Nigerian students in Nigeria. Such children of politicians are everywhere abroad as the greater numbers of youths suffer in Nigeria.

Chiamaka is a daughter of one of the state resource plunderer; and who says they are not available in the current Nigerian politicians’ houses; almost all Nigerians politicians have their children schooling abroad. Omelogor is a “great” banker who helps most of the politicians to launder money abroad, mostly governors,  to an extent that she could herself initiate an American course for herself and it is approved without qualms by her CEO to undertake a postgraduate course on pornography. You start wondering what is a course in pornography going to contribute in a banking profession. This is Nigeria and such attempts are not lacking and their back – end has an oppressive tone that contributes further to the hopelessness of the Nigerian youths who cannot afford a meal schooling in Nigerian schools.

Zikora is well established professional in USA who couldn’t stand her father’s treachery and mother’s churcheouspretences as both are not exempted from the plundering that goes on in Nigeria; and she must adapt to the new dream that America offers with some regrets.

Like Kadiatou from Guinea, like Luuk from Holland whose dream is also faltering in becoming CEO, like the three ladies respective dreams; their dream count gets so elongated as events make life not any longer saddening but “slapstick comedy”.

Slapstick comedy seems to be the patriachal back – end that is flipping and flinging à la marionette and majorette the ladies Adichie sets on stage – and it seems unintended. They are not fat cats like the US VP Vance refers to die – hard feminists. They are also not like Natasha or Ann-Kio Briggs, on behalf of Fubara, who are laying down charges against the patriachal-encumbered Nigerian justice system – forcible dismantling of democratic rights, sexual abuse in the first degree, rape of the goose that lay the golden eggs – Rivers State, etc.

Will Daniel ever appear in judgement for the weak in Nigeria?

Ariole is a Professor of French and Francophone Studies, University of Lagos