Bottom Power is a social pandemic. It ia not believed to be a problem because it hides as women liberation or even feminism. But this is an erroneous concept because people who are involved in Bottom Power are after power grab. In popular lingo, they are control freaks and want things done their way. This is different from feminism, which is more interested in getting things right not necessarily who’s in charge as long as the work is done right. It is often difficult to tell the difference but it’s not going to be hard nut to crack. Practice makes perfect and it’s the same with eradicating, tackling or identifying Bottom Power. I believe that the key word is discipline, which is really very hard to do. In Nigeria, the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) was a great war opposed by many Nigerians who argued that ‘we no be oyinbo,’ meaning that Nigerians are different from Whites. Despite the Herculean task associated with eradicating Bottom Power it is still possible tackle it doing some of these things.
1. (Self) Discipline: Discipline, like
many words in the dictionary has many meanings. In this context, it means
controlled behaviour. It is self control. Avoid giving or receiving from
unnecessary favours from people especially people who aren’t members of your
family. I’ve learnt that such favours would lead to pay back and many take back
even without asking for your permission. It’s ugly and I’ve found that to be
prevalent among people with Catholic upbringing among Igbos whether or not they
still profess the faith. They know no kindness. Everything is business to them
yet they tell you that it doesn’t matter and still use the favour against you. It’s
still them who would use your favour against you. I’ve learnt the hard way.
While an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan, I had to run and have
people run errands for me. I don’t know which one is the crime – sending or
going on errands. This is not normal behaviour. Unfortunately, both parties
appear to enjoy authoritarian immunity. It’s a shame and it isn’t Igbo culture
to be so ambiguous. Decline such help and avoid giving such help. It’s
important that you limit sexual favours. Don’t be lured, impressed or
compensated with and/or rewarded for sex and/or its paraphernalia. Enforce
discipline whenever it’s necessary. Tolerance comes from knowledge and not
assumption of knowledge. Practice discipline always and avoid egoism and vanity
in you and others. Discipline your use of phones and phone calls. Avoid
malicious gossip and other Bottom Power enabling vices. Hate avarice even with
your ability to cure other people of their bad behaviour.
2. Courage/Bravery: One must have courage
and exhibit bravery in order to tackle Bottom Power even in the midst of
difficulty including blackmail. Shame and stand up to a bully. Why are they in
your life? Chances are you haven’t challenged them enough. Refuse to grant them
immunity or amnesty. A problem allowed to fester grows into a disaster. Have
the courage to report a bad mannered person to the appropriate authority when
it’s not up to you to make the final decision or judgment call.
3. Humility: Use humility when you are
confronted with the decision to act in your position or authority. While
humility is self effacing, it isn’t indulgent. It doesn’t mean not being able
to assert your right. It means understanding your limits and being able to use
prudence in your decision making.
4. Transparency: I got into trouble when I
didn’t report an over aged roommate during the National Youth Service Corps
(NYSC). I didn’t register her at the NYSC camp at Iseyin nor did I give her
garb/uniform to her. If I had at least gone to the commandant of the place of
primary assignment where I served at least I would have cleared myself of
complicity. However, I had lived and let live. Don’t do the same when you are
battling people who do wrong and hang it on others. Call all the parties
involved in a quarrel. Never speak behind anybody’s back. The commandant did
that when I was reported by a Muslim who was angry that I took a Quoran out of
a schoolgirl’s desk. The girl had left the book in her open desk against the
school rule during examination. A male corps member collected it from me and
reported the matter to the commandant. However, the commandant offended me by
opining that my act was offensive to him and Northerners. I didn’t steal the
book. I only brought it out of the desk so that the girl would comply with her
classmates. I didn’t believe she was the only Muslim in her class. Transparency
shames the devil. Of course it just allows everybody to speak their mind while
in front of the other or opponent. It’s not the end of the conversation as individual
sessions are still necessary to address individual differences in handling
disputes. Be transparent. It goes far and saves the day.
5. Fortify Systems: The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
was very porous during my service year 2004/2005. There were no identity cards.
Even the National Identity card introduced by the Obasanjo administration in
2003 wasn’t even ready at the time. There was no way to tell if people engaged
by the corps were actually Nigerians, only the mobilizing academic institutions
said so. Unfortunately, the NYSC serves as a window into many government
offices. It’s even a sure way of getting out of immigration trouble. All they
would do was move from one state to another and get into the NYSC camp of their
choice. Camp commandants are of course at the centre of this national sabotage.
That’s why courage is important because people are afraid of vendetta and
backlash. It’s unfortunate that the Nigerian Immigration Service is going to be
at blame for such lapses but all systems must be fortified including the
military. I believe that the recent use of biometrics must have done it
differently. Now, there’s NPower. That’s the new place that has been porous to corrupt
Nigerians and their friends due to issues of funding and manpower.
6. Expose Alibi/Alias: Doers/users of Bottom Power are chronic and pathological liars. Verify and expose any false alibi or use of aliases by people known to you. Criminals hide under aliases. They change from one town or city to another and go by different names committing heinous crimes in their wake. It’s terrible. Pseudonyms are different from aliases. The former is used by satirists to hide their identity, while criminals use the latter to commit atrocities. Aliases are employed by artists in movies or as a stage name. For instance, Kenneth Okonkwo was known more by his movie name Andy Okeke in the movie Living in Bondage by Amaka Igwe. That’s different from using a different name to avert arrest by law enforcement. We are accessories to their crimes when we don’t have them arrested for crimes ranging from identity theft, murder, prostitution and job/election rigging. Doers of Bottom Power are seamless in how they ask for help. It’s a culture and lifestyle. They are guru in their act and it gets better by the day. Burst their bubble. Otherwise, as the Igbo say, ‘nwa ngwii puo eze o tagbuo onye muru ya.’
7. Eschew Secret Cults: Eschew involvement
and commitment to secret cults. There are many cults in the universities and the
larger societies. JAMB or UTME is a trap that has got and even killed many
young Nigerians. Beware of brings who pride themselves in complex associations.
It’s even safe not to join any campus club because many of them are seemingly
harmless on the outside but they provide people with information about your
school and social life. This is for the young Nigerian student. They have lured
young people with promises of wealth and connection but many become murderers
and prostitutes, which unfortunately run deep in the society. If you aren’t
involved with those godfathers and power mongers you are likely to stand up to
Bottom Power. See help from authorities and if terrible leave the scene. There
are even female cults that get young women and older women hoodwinked into
lesbianism. This is wrong and counterproductive even if it brings great success
in the time being.
8. Women’s Leadership not Prostitution: Feminism
is women liberation which engenders women’s leadership. It’s not bottom power.
It’s not emasculating male authority or indulging bad and wayward women. It’s
the ability to train women in the right skills and capacities to take up
responsibility which helps them to get things right. It’s not enough to get
women into important position. It’s about empowering them wherever they are,
bottom or top position. Women should support other women in their various
endeavours when it’s appropriate to do so. Prostitution rings have powerful
women called madams at their head. These women are matriarchs and not feminists
except their acts reveal it. They are all interested in taking charge or being
the one to call the tune. This mustn’t be so. A woman leader can cheer others
even from the sidelines. It’s also important to steady the boat when it’s rocky
but let it be. Don’t sink a ship when you aren’t the captain. Mentor young
women in leadership skills not in racketeering and global prostitution
syndicates.
9. Polygraphs/Lie Detector Machines: I
don’t know much about lie detector machines formally called polygraphs. They are
used by the police to tell when somebody is lying. I don’t know how effective
those are but it’s possible that they have proven their usefulness. If they are
accessible and available, employ them when a critical matter is being
harnessed.
10. Patronage/Greek Gifts: Need I say much
on Greek gifts, which are Trojan horses that aren’t what they are purported to
be. Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, Sallah rams, and what are they for? Are
there hidden requests attached to those pagan gifts? It’s hard to resist a gift
especially one as big as a car. But what have you been gifted to do? Haha…It’s
also good to be careful with promises. While demands hide in gifts, some people
also go out of their way to make promises that are hard to keep. Think
Herodias. Again, discipline pays in the long run.
11. Criminals: Avoid harlots, prostitutes,
sluts, parasites, drug dealers, fake pastors and imams, schemers, scammers,
predators and syndicates. These are criminals whether the courts and the police
think so or not.
12. Paranoia: Avoid being paranoid and
paranoid people. Avoid those people who know every important man on earth
including the president. It’s not that he isn’t human and known to other human
beings, just keep away from people who want you to do their bidding because
they will connect you to any important authority. Or that brag about punishing
people who don’t let them get away with crime or their pride.
13. Checks
and Balances: When we all arrived from the camp, everybody brought their
place of primary assignment post letter. If anybody didn’t bring this letter
that meant that they were touts who wanted to steal other people’s education.
The NYSC is NOT an educational institution. It doesn’t award degrees and
diplomas. But people come to the camp with lies, demands and threats that get
them into people’s lives. One of my flat mates didn’t have a uniform for six
months of the service. She claimed that the camp had exhausted uniform and had
to wait for hers. It was a barefaced lie. How was I to know that she was a
fraud? I would have gone to the secretariat that was a long distance from Ile
Igbon in Ibadan. Failure of leadership together with corruption was responsible
for this lapse in detecting a doer of Bottom Power. Oh, and she was Igbo and I
probably thought I was covering up for one of my own. Haha….too bad. I have since abhorred the NYSC since my
participation in 2004/2005. It has been the most significant indication that
Nigerians enjoy and enjoin corruption. If you are a leader, use these checks
and balances to ensure nobody is setting a trap for you. Beware of Delilah.
It’s not enough that people get what they want; they often like to hide their
tracks and eventually even eliminate their benefactors. Be guided.
14. Call Their Bluff: If you are sure that
you have done nothing bad and someone threatens to punish you, call their
bluff. If you are right, chances are that they are just trying to steal the
show from you. Don’t disappoint people who believe in you. Don’t condone Bottom
Power in any way. If you aren’t disciplined it becomes difficult to stand up to
a blackmailer.
15. Judiciary: Use the courts. Nigerians
don’t go to court enough because they are afraid of repercussion, don’t have
the means or don’t want to sit through hours, days, weeks and even years of
court sessions that end up striking out their case or giving them endless repeat
dates. However, when appropriate and necessary use the courts. I tried using
the court against a sibling in 2020. What happened? The police woman, Officer
Doris, in charge of the case at Abayi World Bank police station, and the
prosecutor began to talk from both sides of her mouth. She probably advised my
sibling to counter the accusation by taking me to Area Command where they
initiated and forced a psychiatric test. This was a self proclaimed paranoid
person who threatens everybody in the family with bodily harm. I couldn’t
believe my ears. Even the IPO, a Mormon woman treated my matter with levity
despite me wasting meager resources in going to the hospital for eye treatment.
In the long run, the police station was burnt down and the case was abandoned.
So, the devil does look after his own. Even the woman causing all these trouble has never gone to the police for
questioning. Nobody has enforced it due to corruption enabled Bottom Power in
high and Mormon places. Shameless Nigerians who now run brothels out of homes,
families and marriages.
16. Networks not Syndicates: Most Nigerians don’t know the difference between networks and syndicates. In fact, they play up the nuances to get people into trouble. When you know a plumber who can fix toilets and sinks and recommends him to your neighbour or family, you have a network. When you need to fake drugs and know the right man for the job, you are aware of a syndicate. In many places, syndicates engage in illicit activities. Arms trafficking, gang banging, prostitution rings, WAEC and name rackets and racketeering happen out of syndicates and not networks. It’s important to note the difference and not be caught in a web of lies, demands and threats.
17. Think Global: Most syndicates are
global nowadays. Due to globalization and the advent of the global system of
telecommunications and the Internet, most people have foreign influences. Don’t
be lured by the beauty of fame, clout and compensation that come with treats
abroad. Imperialism cloaks in whatever apparel it likes. History has a way of
repeating itself. In the case of colonialism, it was trade, missions with
grants in aid, administration and later colonialism or forced administration.
Is it any different today? I went abroad to work for a church I had been a
member for several years. I would find them to be very different when I got to
the global offices. At the end of the day, I decided to leave because I didn’t
think that every endeavour of mine had to be political. Bottom Power can hinder
one’s progress because you never knew how much you are known even abroad. Those
who employ Bottom Power also have pen pals may be part of syndicates abroad.
Don’t be caught unawares some have gone abroad and belong to mafia
organizations or criminal or Muslim entities in MENA – Middle East and North
Africa - no matter how much they pretend
to be Christian. Remember, the tripod of lies, demands and threats holds the
pot of B ingredients emitting the
fragrance of Bottom Power.
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