Sometimes I wonder how the people closest to me: friends, family and colleagues would react if I was appointed a Commissioner or elected to the House of Representatives. I suspect that the first reaction of some people would be that I should celebrate my appointment or my electral victory by 'washing it' for them. Many people who know me even through a third party would be delighted that their man is in power and it is now our time to benefit from the system. I can imagine how my election or appointment would elicit expectations of favour and everywhere I go, I'd be ask to 'drop something'. The truth is that, in Nigeria, many people expect that having a friend or family member in power is an opportunity to get a piece of the national cake. On the other hand, I have met many people across all walks of life from students to working professionals who beat their chest and boast of how they would take thier own share if they ever occupied public office.


For a long time I have addressed my thoughts to how we got so parochial as a society. Is it because the average Nigerian has lost confidence in the institution of government and sees personal relationship to a politician or direct access to public treasury as the only means of benefiting from the society? Is the problem with the politicians or we the people? Why do we treat public office as if it is a free for all? How did government become a no man's land?

I was searching for answers when I stumbled upon the concept of Amoral Familism proposed by an American political scientist, Edward Banfield.
Amoral Familism basically describes a "me and my family" or "all man for himself" mentality where the interest of the wider society is disregarded and sacrificed for the sake of yourself and your family. It refers to an unwritten rule that when you hold public office, you take care of your own people and assume that others will do likewise. As a result of this extreme family-centeredness, the people cannot come together for the common good since there is little or no loyalty to the wider society.

There are many examples that support the theory of amoral familism in Nigeria. Just imagine for a second that one of the top politicians we often accuse of corruption was a close family member of yours. Would you still be as critical especially if you were benefiting from him? I once heard the story of a man who held an important public office but never became rich. He eventually became an object of ridicule in his neighbourhood when he left office.

Our collective attitude to public office explains why even the creation of new states or local governments may not solve the problem of unequal distribution of wealth in the country. It is not about the federal, state or local governments, it's not even about the current set of politicians. It is because as a society we have not developed "social capital" — that is, the habits, norms, attitudes and networks that motivate people to work for the common good."

Many explanations have been given for the paradox of Nigeria's persistent underdevelopment. And it really boggles the mind that a country which boasts some of the most highly skilled and accomplished professionals in the world remains a disorganized third world nation. To this end, the theory of Amoral Familism offers a fresh perspective into the root causes of our social backwardness. Whenever we discuss the state of our nation in offices, buses, bars etc we tend to blame the politicians, years of military rule or colonialism, but maybe all these factors do not tell the complete story.

Perharps as a popular saying goes: "We have met the enemy and he is us".


To be continued.