Nigeria’s nationwide trauma has a long history, and it was initiated at different times of colonialism, military and civilian rules, and the traumas haveagain been exacerbated in recent years and months.
Different military heads inflicted an onslaught of interconnected traumas, and the traumas were also seen during the presidencies of ex-military dictator’s especially now. Nigeria generally has become a malignant dysfunctional land. Let’s navigate the phases of traumatic events in Nigeria’s history.
Nigeria served as a so-called sovereign state under a foreign monarchy from 1960 to 1963 in a multi geographical environment where African black traditional leaders once retained enormous influence and good quality relationship with the people.
From 1963 to 1966, Nigeria was in the hands of civilian type government. From 1966 to 1979 military government was in place and within that period, a bloody civil war pierced the body of a young nation. Between 1979 to 1983 a constitutional democracy was experienced by the people. From 1983 to 1999 for the most part,military rule was in place.
From 1999 to 2007 an elected civilian system was in place under a former military dictator. Beginning in 2007 to 2015 a civilian leadership was in place, only to be followed by a so called democratic civilian system that is now in place under a former military despot.
It is fair to admit that the devastating nature of military dictatorship in Nigeria for the most part, took hold of the environment from 1966 to 1999.A long time of traumatization. To complicate the lives of the citizens these military despots in leadershipcarved a 1999 Constitution that represented their personal, religious, and ethnic interest instead of the will of the people.
As a result, a poorly standing and dysfunctional Constitution was dumped on the people, further traumatizing our relationships andfunctioning.
Certainly, the people have been traumatized for decades under the direct influence of direct military dictatorships, followed by ongoing exploitation type traumas, and deepened domestic terrorism of all types.
While today, there is no direct military dictatorship,despotic and authoritarian type rulership remains in place.
Under these distressing histories and chronic troubling backgrounds, the country remains sickly conditioned by the deep deficiencies of rule of law and basic freedoms, poor transparency, and accountability, and little or no inclusivity, and general fairness.
These noted deficiencies are continuously aggravated by an atmosphere of authoritarianism, and the lack of public trust in government institutions,distrust of NGOsand the mistrust of the media.
Under the ongoing burdensome influences, patronage leadership, bad governments, and lack of public trust in public institutions our traumas deepen.
The citizens, under these conditions have become so normed, losthope, and many have come to see the status quo as normal. And the ones in power continue to act even more autocratically with vainglory, knowing that the citizens have come to accept things as they are.
The citizenry under these noted conditions is faced with conflicting emotions; while continuously seeing and believing that true democracy, good governance, and good elections are almost notpossible.
For many Nigerian citizenry, a line of daily worry, hopelessness, dread, has become its own form of lingering stress that have turned to symptoms of divisions, uncertainty, and dependance. To keepdenying our painful histories is a denial of out traumas.
What I theorized as the Oshodian Psycho political therapy or Oshodian political therapy, isa participative/citizen to citizen-based approach to long-term traumasinduced by society in the African settings especially.Citizen to citizen societalexpressions in an intermixing manner.
From the point of human psychology or psycho africalysis, meaning African oriented psychological expressions, let us approach political therapy as a way of reconditioning the sick body of institutions and the nation, into some degree of normality. All hands are needed to help in our traumatic situations.
In an environment of political therapy, there is no need for a therapeutic type of session between a therapist or psychologist, as it is a practice between citizens which deals with problems of a civil and national nature that could lead to and create conditions to help develop a true democratic environment.
Very often due to apathy, exhaustion, and anxiety about a government, many citizens struggle internally and externally about things political that bothers or preoccupies them.
Our current traumas are continuously enabled by threatening institutions that act with impunity and indifference. To reduce these traumas, it helps to address it in an interconnected manner.
Psychopolitical therapy as defined here in the African context should help produce transformational changes and guide towards empowering citizens to positive action and enduring strength.
Political therapy helps those who realize that their trauma has something to do with the society around them and any knowledge gained could open them to a new outlook.
Political therapy help address:nation-based extremism, authoritarianism,deception, denialism, poverty,tribalism, reprisal, nepotism, cronyism,brutality, inequity, sexual harassment, child abuse, unfairness, irrationality, thuggery, corruption, mistreatment, family, healthcare/mental health issues, and work. Political therapy shows how these challenges and politics are interconnected.
Psychopolitical therapy engagers which should span from students, workers,clerics, protesters, and community members should fill the Nigeria space to uncover stories that others have tried to hide or deny. Which will inevitably allow bad leaders and persons to face prosecutions followedby accountability in institutions, with the peoples voices at the ballot box becoming real.
Political therapeutic solutions can only come from good families and decent communities, principled teachers, civil society, entrepreneurs, good quality leadersand honest reporting media.
Political therapeutic work should drive against elections that focus on personality instead of critical issues such as poverty, hardship, pollution, unemployment, inflation, and lack of health care.
Political therapeutic engagement should plant in us not ever to personally praise and hailan ex-dictator or a discredited leader the way it has been through talk, songs, and media,to enable our psyche and environmentsto heal properly.
Political therapy and objective media can help hold the candidates accountable, ensure that citizen voices are heard, and this approach can reduce the people’s apathy.
Political therapy opens ways to help leaders and institutions accept the truth pertaining challenges.
Political therapy should drive political issues to end up reinforcing personal responsibility in regard the betterment of institutions, corporations, and society.
The health of the nations’polity and leadership,due to accumulated traumas,has dramatically worsened these days.
Here is how to manage the nation’s trauma and cope with current crisis. Nigerians like neverare living in fear under a silent and distant leadership. The people are continuouslyretraumatized as they never dealt with their foundational traumas.
Psychopolitical therapy or citizen to citizen therapeutic discussions could help raise insights, allows citizens to reflect on their own as to where they are actively playing their roles towards the ongoing project of an ongoing democracy called Nigeria.
In all political type therapy, as indicated here could result to society-basedtrauma healing and adjustment, since it is a citizen-to-citizen form of talk therapy aimed at treating or addressing the long standing and current consequences of traumatic events that continues to fall on Nigeria.
As we all know politics is personal, as such,should our citizen-to-citizentherapeuticengagementsfail to cut down our false sense of security, the spirit of narcissistic leadership,poisonous divisions, as a people, who have lived in an uncomfortable, exhausting, and overwhelming marriage, let us amicably separate, reasonablysplit or go our ways,hoping it does not turn ugly.
John Egbeazien Oshodi who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government Consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional and Career Development. A former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at the Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African settings. In 2011, he introduced the State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and the Nasarawa State University where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. The Development Professor and International Liaison Consultant at the African University of Benin, and a Virtual Faculty at the ISCOM University, Benin of Republic. Founder of the Proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, Openness. Author of over 40 academic publications/creations, at least 200 public opinion writeups on African issues, and various books.
John Egbeazien Oshodi wrote in via transeuniversity@gmail.com
