A cursory look at THE TORMENTONE!

BY OMOSEYE BOLAJI

It is always a heart-rending sight and spectacle – familiar not only in Nigeria but all over West Africa. The phalanx of the unfortunate, with horrifying diseases – terrible afflictions that have to be seen to be believed

This unfortunate corps of people do not lie supine in their private houses or hospitals – they are right there in the open with mind-boggling injuries, gaping, festering sores, diseased veins or arteries patently visible from the outside, incredible tumours, medicine defying growths on the body etc. In public places, these people can be seen begging for their living, part of the talakawa (very poor), bringing tears to the eyes.

They can be seen by the roadsides, around bus termini; and just like in the old ancestral days they can often be seen at the King’s palaces even now – knowing that people will often give them gifts and alms, often heart broken, stricken with disbelief that such stunted, suffering people could exist.- stunted

Because the sight of this phalanx of afflicted people is so common in West Africa much of the horror that one would normally feel whilst seeing them apparently has vanished. I remember whilst growing up in places like Ibadan, Lagos, Kano how horrified I constantly was upon seeing what is no doubt the wretched of the earth – with their unedifying afflictions. Sometimes, such beggars would actually come very close to one so that one could see, eg the bloodstained holes in their gaping, ravaged chests – and this would have a vicarious empathetic effect, resulting in one giving them some money

It used to pain me that some people, especially the comfortable ones, would just dismiss such beggars by saying things like “This is blackmail. these people are pests” I used to think it was exceedingly unsympathetic of such people – as it is understandable that these beggars would have to survive one way or the other since there was no real, institutionalised buffer against their suffering “Pests, pests, tormentone – as they say in Italy” a former employer of mine used to refer to these beggars as they besieged his car regularly.

Strangely enough in South Africa such people – with extraordinary injuries, afflictions, patent eyesores – cannot be seen en masse in public places. It can even be argued that one can hardly see them at all. So it is not easy to paint the grisly picture in west Africa for many South Africans. What one intermittently comes across in SA, whether black, white or coloured, is a solitary beggar, blind man, or “half crazy” element; and this is VERY tame whilst juxtaposed with the army of the unfortunate in west Africa

Many might ask: why aren’t such horrific sights available in South Africa? Does it mean people with heart-rending diseases prefer to stay at home? That there are special homes for such people, so they do not constitute grisly sights in public? That such people are anyway limited in number in SA? The most accurate observation, I can state from experience, is that there are a number of special homes for such people in South Africa.

In any event the tormentone come across as very limited in public places South Africa. What is more common here are the so called street kids, the tsotsis, the skelms who are also tormentone in their own way – but often in a polite, meretriciously harmless way.

And they are almost always friendly, well-spoken, courteous, even if potentially dangerous. They often ask for money and other items from vehicle drivers, from the general public, and some of them confess to horrific crimes they have committed, once they become somewhat close to you. These pests also have their ways of vandalising things like public phones (for the money – coins - !)

Anyway let us just congratulate South Africa for preparing to host the world now, re the latest edition of the Fifa senior World Cup. It is a gargantuan achievement which goes with a myriad of responsibilities. South Africa has been pulling out all the stops to ensure that the event is a stellar success – from the infrastructural innovations, to the logistics. Here’s wishing all the African teams at the fiesta – Nigeria, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria and Cameroon the best of luck as the event gets underway!

A TALE OF TWO CROOKS

By OMOSEYE BOLAJI

“Each thing that goes away returns and nothing in the end is lost. The great friend throws all things apart and brings all things together again. That is the way everything goes and turns around. That is how all living things come back after long absences, and in the whole great world all things are living things. He will return”

Ayi Kwei Armah, in Fragments


I have a confession to make right from the outset – by using the word “crook” I am exceedingly guilty of euphemism; and some might even go as far as saying I am being disingenuous. Because these days “crook” has rather weak connotations, and I do have in mind the quintessential criminals!

I am talking of dyed in the wool, ruthless, unconscionable criminals. Those who take reprehensible things like murder, mayhem, bloodshed and rape in their stride. Think of legendary crooks like America’s Al Capone, and you begin to get the picture.

Alas, it is unfortunate, but true enough that over the decades such criminals have emerged in Africa and intermittently become a law unto themselves until the powers that be - via the police services, or even the military in certain cases! - finally manage to bring them down. But whilst their “reign” of terror goes on, for many, horror, undiluted fear and sleepless nights is their lot.

But let us cut to the chase, as I want to briefly focus on two notorious criminals, one based in Nigeria and one in South Africa. In Nigeria, the name of Lawrence Anini has become synonymous with vicious gangsterism; in South Africa a few years ago a criminal named “Chicken” terrorized many and achieved a larger than life reputation of his own.

Just as in the case of Anini, incredible rumours spread all over about the exploits and devilry of “Chicken”: many believed these men were not only invincible, but could also make themselves invisible; strange or unusual events were attributed to the evil and macabre machinations of these criminals. Children were exhorted to be careful always, and many even ensured their children did not go to school whilst these criminals were on the rampage.

In the case of “Chicken” in South Africa (Free State) his notoriety and fame reached a peak when virtually everybody began to display palpable fear and churn out stories of his latest macabre feats; when “Chicken” somehow temporarily managed to escape from prison (after being arrested) his notoriety reached a crescendo!

And both Anini and “Chicken” loved publicity. Anini, it was reported, believed he was some sort of “Robin Hood” whilst jumping from one woman to another. “Chicken” also loved the fairer sex and reportedly had his way with many of them in ruthless, despicable fashion. Anini and “Chicken” loved being the centre of attention, goading the media with both criminals believed to have actually phoned media houses, introducing themselves with élan, and reiterating their invincibility. This of course precipitated panic!

Yet in the end both criminals were exposed as mere mortals when they met their ultimate waterloo; in the case of Anini sentenced to death, having had a leg amputated upon arrest (Gone was his smugness when even then President Babangida could say something like “where is Anini?”) to law enforcement officials). And many still remember Anini’s pathetic: Erie a gbon ye? In fact both Anini and “Chicken” turned out to be rather frail looking and quite attractive; with the world wondering what all the fuss was about!

But what makes a man to become a ruthless criminal? This is the province of psychiatrists and sociologists, perhaps. But some will state that in the end what we are inundated with are largely theories being churned out; as sometimes an individual will just branch out on his own into crime despite a good background and relative comforts. I know a few of these in South Africa!

It is also claimed in some circles that even if one is “destined” to be a criminal, the individual can fight the urge and take the path of the straight and narrow. Socrates (the great Greek philosopher) for example was reportedly told early in life by a fortune teller that his destiny was to be a most accomplished criminal! But yet he fought it and went down in history as a profound man of wisdom…though some would still say that he was still killed by society in the end! (forced to commit suicide via hemlock)

Law enforcement agencies are doing their best all over the world to nip a medley of proliferating crime in the bud. Their task is not helped when the likes of “super-crooks” like Anini or Chicken emerge from disparate societies and throw their societies into panic. But at least history continues to show that nobody in fact is super-human or invincible…