What Fear Can Do By Elochukwu Nicholas Ohagi

Fear is a propellant to slavery. In the three hundred or more years of slavery in Africa, the slave dealers of about one or two white men can take slaves across many African communities without any interference from the people. Anyone that sees them coming will run away. No confrontation from a people that have already been swallowed by fear.

Fear have destroyed lots of people. Fear is a dangerous disease who gradually eats up the entire body.

Fear is the reason things are the way it is today in Nigeria. The people have been inflicted with fear, that they can't confront the system that is enslaving them. Yes, slavery is still on in Nigeria. 

An online dictionary defined fear as 'a strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.'

The Nigeria government have already established this threat using the Army, police and DSS. They are agents of the government that inflict pain on the people. They have been proven to be above the law and can kill at will. The people knew this and every body now lives in fear.

The fear has reached every doorstep. The influential people have been cowed. The poor have their tails already in between their legs. The pastors have chosen to talk about un-existent peace at a time hundreds are dying in Kaduna. They are ready to embrace the President and congratulate him over a massively rigged election that is still in Court.

Fear is very dangerous. The influential who fears the government have also taken advantage of the unpleasant emotion to inflict pain on the people. Those of them that have companies have turned fellow Nigerians to slaves. They are paid very low with a pitiable working conditions. The workers takes whatever comes their way simply because they are afraid of losing the job.

I have worked in a place the owner of the school always remind the workers that he has hundreds of CVs on his desk. That if you are tired of teaching, you leave. Very arrogant principal. But when I resigned, it actually took them 1year to get a replacement.

There is nothing fear can't do.

Fear is the reason Nigerians are humiliated every day by the military and police. You are blamed if by resisting intimidation and you are killed by the police or soldier. 'Is he the only person it has been done to?' 'Why not swim the dirty gutter and remain alive?' Nigerians would say.

With fear they have created the largest prison yard in Nigeria. This is exactly the reason lecturers are lords in our universities. Lecturers sleeps with students for mark. Some intentionally fails a girl they want to sleep with and force her into their rotten beds. The students will be afraid to confront the lecturers. And if anyone does confronts, the defeated Nigerians will blame the student. They will ask if she is the only one lecturers have slept with. Why not quietly sleep with the lecturer and move on. There is nothing fear can't do.

For now, it's only IPOB members that have conquered fear. Until others rise above fear, there will be no change!

Elochukwu Ohagi.