3 things to learn from Bayo Onanuga

In this social media age, where anyone can become truly infamous at the click of a button, here are three things we have learned from the ongoing gaffe:

1. Common sense is truly not common

When I first read the piece written by Onanuga, there was a part of my brain that said, “This man is being sarcastic; surely, no human being is this ridiculous.”

Alas, the man was serious. He claimed that people who are complaining about Nigeria's current situation are all lazy, fuelled by the rants of irresponsible bloggers and a lying media … because his daughter (poor child) was able to travel to London on a full Virgin Airways flight. He also opined that he was able to buy a meal for seven hundred Naira, and a lot of fruits for 'just N1000'- while castigating people for not buying home-grown goods.

Let's just pretend to forget that his daughter (according to him) flew to a foreign nation, via a non-Nigerian flight (doesn't Arik fly to London any longer?) to be taught by lecturers who are not Nigerian. Let's pretend to forget those for a second … if he is telling the truth, Bayo Onanuga has actually robbed the sellers.

How is it even fair that you buy 50 oranges and two water-melons for 'just N1000'?

2. Money and power do not change people; these things just expose a person for who they really are

You know how some governors perform well in their first term, get re-elected, and display their true colours in their second term? Kinda how some chics are angels to undiscerning men who get easily carried away and marry them, only for them to show their true colours – different hues of black – as soon as 'dem enter house'?

Bayo Onanuga is the same person who reportedly resigned from his editor role at a magazine, over his refusal to withdraw a (scathing?) piece he had written on then-dictator (sorry, president) Babangida. Now, that he has 'chopped belleful', his real self is showing. And it is the very definition of 'irredeemably hella-ugly'. Looks like NAN is on a long thing …

3. Age can be deceptive

I read something recently by Onyeka Nwelue (Google or Facebook, please) in which he said that when older people talk about how things should be, he just looks at them because if they know so much, why are things so crappy? OK, I paraphrased that.

But my point is – the likes of Bayo Onanuga (as proven by his continual arrogance on Facebook) are the ones that ruined Nigeria for this generation. Yet, they want to be thanked because they are labouring under the delusion that they are entitled to respect, 'because they are older'.

The people who benefited from scholarships, grants and free tuition, who had the nerve to demonstrate because their meal-time ration was reduced to half a chicken per student – these are the same shameless, heartless people using this generation (who are more acquainted with 0-1-0) as stooges.

These are the people whose children cannot return to Nigeria after their studies, because despite their fancy education, they know nothing and like their parents before them, are pathologically incapable of contributing to the country that their parents raped and destroyed; whether it's genetics or karma, who knows?

That is why they need to be hired via back-doors and windows; they bring nada to the table. Yet, we're not supposed to spit, because 'in every white hair and wrinkled face, lies wisdom'? Seriously? Na only us waka come?

Chioma Nnani is an award-winning author, who also contributes to business, lifestyle and literary publications. One of Africa's most fearless storytellers, she is a 2016 CREATIVE AFRICAN Awards finalist in the category of “Best Fiction Writer”, and a DIVAS OF COLOUR 2016 finalist.