The deeply corrosive and damaging practice of sycophancy (unbridled praise of another person for perceived favours or returns-Bonano’s definition) is endemic in our society and permeates structures, institutions, organisations and the whole societal framework. To build a modern society based on precepts and tenets of equality, mutual respect and due recognition for each individual’s humanity and abilities, it is absolutely fundamental that the causal factors of this cancer of society are identified and cured.
In our social fabric, loyalty has a very twisted meaning. It is commonly understood as, “standing with the person, with whom you are loyal, whatever he/she does, no matter if he/she is a criminal, no matter if the person is a hypocrite”. In a shell, irrespective of moral values and law, you have to support and defend the person you are loyal to. Or simply put, ‘Sycophancy is now Loyalty’.
The reason for this can be attributed to our own self-centred personalities, as we expect the same loyalty in return or at least some tangible gains. We tend to sacrifice the innocence of society on the altar of materialistic gains. Our Society is so designed or has evolved that only people with wealth or power are regarded as role models or successful people. The result is a society engrossed in self and full of sycophants, and it is unaware of the cliff that they are heading to.
This phenomenon has permeated all sections of society, whether political, social or professional. The irony is that the majority of these sycophants are unaware of their own strength as upright individuals. If the majority of our society were morally upright and called a spade a spade, the shackles of oppression would disintegrate like a house of cards.
Some might say that it is easier said than done. To an extent, Bonano would agree, but not completely, as Bonano believes no oppression can succeed without the assistance of sycophants. Tyrants are always dependent on the army of sycophants; you take away that army, and the tyrant loses his capability. Initially, it would be like swimming against the tide, but as you tread along and more join ranks, you become the tide. It is all about self-belief and faith in the overall good in humanity.
Bonano will contend here that the clearest implication of sycophantic salvation in practical terms is the intrinsic and innate worth of all human beings, regardless of status, power, academic achievement, social class, or any other differentiation or distinction. The ethic of sycophancy in our culture is a fundamental breach of the value and humanity of every individual.
Among this vast army of patriots are also found a significant section of this community who profess their passion for positive change. More than that, they have also joined in a few mass protests and have, in fact, lent their voice and effort to the condemnation of corrupt leaders currently at the helm of affairs in Nigeria. The big puzzle to consider is that they have also lent their brains and their voice in the passionate defence of corrupt or controversial individuals who at least have questions to answer with respect to their previous performance in government.
The natural state of man is characterised by crude self-centeredness, and the tendency to self-interest is present, even when it is not active, in the best of patriots. Enlightened self-interest, as opposed to crude self-centeredness, is cultivated, and for the patriot, this is not necessarily opposed to, but is superimposed with, altruism.
In other words, the true patriot can be self-interested in an enlightened manner, but this self-interest is subsumed, necessarily, in the altruistic commitment to collective good. To take one example, the fellow who joins a neighbourhood vigilante effort is as interested in his own safety as he is in the well-being of his relative or friend next door.
The interest of one is inseparably interwoven in the interest of the others, and the same can be said for national liberation struggles. Thus, even in terms of material and financial return, sycophancy at its best is most unsatisfactory. More importantly, freedom and dignity, weightier and far-reaching than temporary material satisfaction, are the very things sycophancy does not deliver.
Now, do not get Bonano wrong. Human beings are social entities, and positive affirmation plays an important role in our individual formations. But two things are different with the sycophant. He passionately discounts and dis-countenances the positive affirmation of ordinary citizens and reaches only or mostly for the recognition and affirmation of the ‘big man’. Then he cultivates the company and goodwill of the big man at the expense of moral rectitude. He lies to himself to be lied to. Bonano calls that double jeopardy!
Years ago, Bonano encountered people on the internet who were passionately defending a man who participated in the previous Nigerian administration and had lots of questions hanging about his neck, some of them unsettled in the law court. Now make no mistake. The same people passionately defending this fellow were actually, a few weeks before, part of mass protests in London and Nigeria demanding accountability from a corrupt and inept Nigerian leadership.
They can not, of course, see the obvious contradiction, because, for them, their patron, their ‘big man’, must not be touched! Any criticism of their ‘big man’ is often met with abuse, with the attendant dismissal of critics as ‘haters’ and ‘disgruntled elements’, the same lines employed by the cabal they were protesting against.
The more tragic part is that most of these persons defend their ‘big man’ not for any material benefit, but merely, or mostly, for personal recognition and praise, sometimes just by e-mail, from the big man. They forget that the critics are not even saying their corrupt patrons are irredeemable, but simply that they should be held accountable for their past misdeeds before contemplating a possible second chance.
Bonano hope they can discern their errors, and come to the realization of the truth that their freedom and dignity, as well as material security, is not, and does not have to be, at the mercy of those ‘big men’, most of whom are, quite frankly, morally and intellectually unworthy of the respect and loyalty they are accorded by adoring sycophants.
A sycophant is a ‘servile flatterer’. So a sycophantic community would be a community in which leaders and followers tell each other what they want to hear. In a religious sycophantic community, we call such leaders “false prophets”. And we call their followers “hardened sinners”.
Bonano will submit that processes must be instituted starting from the seat of government, which will overtly and clearly distinguish between the office, position, stool or skin and the office holder. Presently, it appears that holders of public offices are entwined and indistinguishable from the positions they occupy. This state of affairs creates the personality cult and the concomitant sycophantic syndrome. Rules and regulations which govern all public institutions must be strictly complied with and enforced.
There has to be a proper system of accountability by individuals at all levels of society. This must include public servants, traditional rulers, religious leaders and political rulers. Proper measures have to be in place to ensure that our nation is emerging from the tentacles of traditional society into the modern era. The destiny and evolution of the nation ought to be firmly in the hands of Nigerians. The best cultural values and practices must definitely be retained, but we must exercise courage, prudence and determination to cultivate positive values and practices and eliminate dehumanising sycophantic traditions.
One of the serious signs of sycophancy in our society is the continued retention in employment of inept, incompetent and inefficient public officials who occupy public positions regardless of performance and betrayal of trust. Invariably, the intervention of highly placed people in positions of influence often intrudes into the smooth working of bureaucratic applications.
Public resignations and stacking because of incompetence are a rarity in our society. Institution building and development, like pressure groups, think tanks, patriotic clubs, civic organisations, etc, as well as real. Genuine and sustained initiatives and action by the government will ensure that the affairs of the nation will be managed to fulfil the total aspirations, welfare and basic needs of each individual.
Every society evolves with the passage of time. It is imperative for the governors and managers of society to seriously evaluate institutions and practices of society to ensure that the needs of the current generation are being properly met. Any failure to do this will be a gross abnegation of responsibility on the part of the rulers of the society. Self-interest and the placing of an undue value on personalities rather than building enduring and timeless institutions which will serve the total well-being and welfare of our citizens seems to be at the core of the problem.
Our nation does not have to be static and stagnant relative to building long-lasting systems and institutions which will serve the total welfare, interest and well-being of all Nigerians. We must develop and seriously think about homegrown ideas to resolve particular issues and problems. Our society ought to actively disengage and disentangle itself from anachronistic practices which militate against the appropriate development of a modern society.
