Last week, the Nigerian social media world witnessed an intense albeit not really intellectual debate on the propriety or otherwise of airing Big Brother Naija. It was not intellectual because we had some pastors who preferred to rain curses on the sponsors – and not also on the participants – rather than address the heart of the matter. The most viral post which ignited this nationwide discussion and call to ban was that of Dr. Uju. Her post began with this powerful introduction: “There’s a notorious programme currently going on called The BIG BROTHER NAIJA, the winner of this notorious show is expected to walk away with a whooping N25 million and a breath-taking car. All that is required to win this show is to be live with a bunch of fellow crazy, irresponsible people, do all sorts of immoral things and viola, you’re the winner. Next thing, you’re called a celebrity, winning big advertisements contracts and becoming the face of multinational companies”.
In a similar vein, an NGO began a petition on CitizenGo wherein they sought to get signatories to also support the ban. As at the time of writing over 15,000 people have signed the request.
In this debate there are abnormally 3 sides to the coin. There is a group that posits that BBN is inappropriate and should not be aired at all (I belong to this group). The second group posits that although they don’t watch it probably because of its unsuitable content, it should not be barred for others who may actually like it. The third group posit that BBN is an entertainment programme, which necessarily must not have a positive effect on society, and thus it can and should be aired. Persons that have objections to it should either use the remote control or parental control to effect their objection.
This brings once more to fore, the notion of morality, its role in national building, its relationship with law and which view, moral or immoral, should dictate the tune of behaviour.
I and my friends had a similar discussion last month about “Pretty Mike” who was arrested for putting chains on girls who allegedly consented to be chained and paraded. While some applauded the government for its prompt action, some others argued that Pretty Mike committed no legal wrong aka crime and the government acted based on morality which it ought not to.
Less than a month after we are discussing this same issue. It’s a hard debate to tackle amid a decline in decency. A fog of decadence is polluting the country’s moral ecology. From the celebration of the return of Ibori, to the publicity and celebration of divorces and infidelities, to baby mama’s, sexual objectification in films, novels, cartoons and adverts to sexual exploitation and harassments in work places and religious houses. My friends question if it’s not hypocritical to campaign for the ban of BBN? My response to this has always been that because immorality is becoming prevalent in our communities doesn’t prevent the same community from disallowing the promotion and encouragement of such activity nor is it an excuse to allow such immoral activities to thrive. For example despite the prevalence of corruption, we haven’t legalised nor encouraged corruption, we’re fighting it and the fight is bearing some fruits. This is the least the community can do. In an early dialogue of Plato’s, the Protagoras, Socrates asks Protagoras why it is not as easy to find teachers of virtue as it is to find teachers of swordsmanship, riding, or any other art. Protagoras’ answer is that there are no special teachers of virtue, because virtue is taught by the whole community.
I haven’t watched BBN, the most I know of it, comes from friends’ posts on Facebook. From the titles I have seen, they talk of house inmates who are either married or have kids engaging in amorous affairs, kissing competition, house inmates engaging in random sex etc. In summary it encourages idleness, immorality and infidelity.
Many commentators have argued that a major source of concern is the children. Since children are gullible, easily impressionable and influenced, they have to be prevented from “adult entertainment” until they are 18. It doesn’t make sense to me. Why should something inherently harmful have a threshold? It doesn’t make sense to me, why below 18 something is bad and after 18 that same thing becomes good and permissible? If the whole community is responsible for teaching virtue, why should adults be dispensed from their duty to act uprightly?
The loss of the sense of what is appropriate is bamboozling us into indifference. The confusion of licentious behaviour for freedom is falsely peddled as progress. Morals matter.
Morals and virtues are wrongly associated solely with religion. Atheists and secularists connote such concepts with Islam or Christianity. They are not. Rather it is part of what it means to be human. Aristotle and Plato who both existed prior to Islam and Christianity discussed morals and virtues extensively. Aristotle pointed out that all rational thinking is ultimately ordered towards some perceived good, and its function is to help us discern between good or bad, an essentially moral purpose. Plato insisted that man’s nobility lies in his desire for ultimate truth, goodness and all these are really facets of the same reality, making the pursuit of truth (rationality) impossible to divorce from the purist of good(morality).
Morals and virtues are necessary for the smooth running of a country and that is why they underpin many of our legislations. Their importance and indispensability has been stressed from time immemorial. W. Cleon Skousen said “Man is a mixture of sunshine and shadow, the sunshine consists of the perfectibility of human reason. This makes government and civilization possible. The darker side of human nature is the imperfectability of human passion and man’s faulty sense of judgement that makes government necessary.”Benjamin Franklin said “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” John Adams was equally explicit, “The American Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
In his Politics, Aristotle describes the role that politics and the political community must play in bringing about the virtuous life in the citizenry. That’s why many of our laws have moral foundations and the Constitution have empowered the government to be mindful of morality when acting. In this line, I commend Honourable Olusegun Olulade of the Lagos State House of Assembly who has taken the uncommon stand to also call for the ban of BBN.
On the other hand, it’s good to ask ourselves, as a nation what are our priorities? In an era of unemployment and economic woes, we have institutions like Heritage Bank and Payporte sponsoring this programme. What positive effect or common good do they think this programme will bring to the youths in the country? How willing will these same companies be to sponsor activities which will add value to the lives of people? We hope their sponsorship of BBN isn’t part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) otherwise it would be corporate social irresponsibility. As Dr Uju asked “Why can’t we sustain Dragon’s den, where people like Madam Folorunsho Alakija, Madam Ibukun Awosika, Oga Aliko Dangote, Oga Femi Adenuga and others, would be invited to invest in the potentialities of our youths? Why can’t we copy The Apprentice, where a man like Oga Femi Adenuga would organise a 12 week-long gruelling business selection to educate and inspire youths all on National TV?”
From the crisis of today, the Nigeria of tomorrow will emerge. We are aware of the decline of the Roman Empire. It had many causes, but one major cause was the disintegration of the fundamental attitudes that had protected peaceful coexistence among peoples. Immorality is inimical to the growth of any civilisation because its spread and promotion affects every thread of society’s fabric. Where virtue is disdained and vice is glorified, corruption and demagoguery are the harvest.
B. Nwachukwu
Nwachukwu is a lawyer and a writer
