Success Adegor and stoicism in the Nigerian personality

  By Chukwuemeka Otuchikere

Nigerians are a tenacious set of people, they are an embodiment of traditions and contradictions. Suffering and smiling is a classical Nigerian behavioral trait which defies logical characterization. The country is so rich, it ranks amongst the major oil producing nations of the world, yet the populace is at the bottom rung of world poverty.

Success Adegor, the now famous school pupil of Okotie Eboh Primary School Sapele, (OEPSS) Delta state summarized this attitudinal disposition in one sentence succinctly put ‘Dem go flog, dem go tire’. Most Nigerians seem to be born with an inherent tolerance for pain, which is literarily well beyond elastic limits. Like Miss Adegor, they believe that they can wear out their tormentors’ sadistic resolve to inflict more pain. You can hear her conclude thus ‘they think they are stubborn, but I am more stubborn’ I think language failed her here she actually meant to say she is resilient and cannot be brow beaten into submission.

Just like little Success Adegor knows, the tormentor is a most brutal and determined system programmed to destroy the will and the determination of the most ambitious in society. It portrays the fact that our people are acquainted with pain in a most uncanny manner. Nigeria is the ’new’ headquarters of poverty. She ranks higher than all other nations on the poverty index. Hunger, illiteracy, and squalor is the new reality.

‘E go better’ is another popular Nigerian saying, implying that there is some kind of light expected at the end of the dark tunnel. However, this light appears imaginary most times and is only real in the imagination of the common Nigerian. Maybe for Miss Success Adegor, that light is flickering brighter than ever since her video went viral on social media.

The self-confidence of this little school girl has won her many admirers and patrons. Overnight many people are offering to sponsor education even up to tertiary level. The offer of help is all a composite part of that Nigerian spirit that never says-die even in the face of daunting challenges. A sense of community has once again been ignited by the travails of Success Adegor in her inborn instinct to survive a system designed to frustrate her most vulnerable without much provocation ‘Dem go they flog!’ another question is raised, what about the other Success’ at schools like OEPSS nationwide? Will they keep enduring the floggings?

Chukwuemeka Otuchikere, a geologist and entrepreneur is based in Calabar, Cross River state.