The Silence of the Scribe
I had taken a back seat in writing for some time. This hiatus was born out of a deep internal conflict. I found myself trapped between the perceived inefficacy of my thoughts in shaping actual policy and politics, and the blatant facade presented by many contemporary writers. Shockingly, many who pick up the pen today exhibit characters far worse than the very individuals and systems they criticize.
However, I have chosen to break my silence and join the narrative of the “Olodo Uprising.” I cannot remain a bystander because my personal and professional experiences speak volumes on this matter. Three decades ago, I founded the Benin Writers Society. Through the sheer tenacity and unwavering support of a few exceptional individuals, we have kept that intellectual flag flying. Yet, looking out at the current landscape, the terrain has drastically mutated.
Entertainment Over Enlightenment
We are currently witnessing a societal shift that aggressively prioritizes entertainment over enlightenment. The modern collective consciousness values viral sensations over intellectual depth.
This cultural decay is characterized by specific systemic failures:
Intellectual Bankruptcy: Society celebrates fleeting online trends while libraries, writing societies, and debate hubs gather dust.
The Death of Substantive Critique: Social commentary has been reduced to clickbait, leaving no room for policy analysis or rigorous debate.
Rewarding Fluff: Financial and social capital flow toward low-effort “razzmatazz,” while serious creative and academic endeavors go starved of funding.
Institutional Neglect of the Youth
At the heart of this uprising is a government at all levels that completely lacks intentionality. There are no structured, sustainable programs designed to discover and nurture the millions of talented young people scattered across this country.
These youth are not asking for handouts; they are willing, ready, and capable of putting our nation permanently on the global map. Instead, they are met with systemic indifference. By failing to build creative hubs, provide grants, or protect intellectual property, the state actively suppresses its greatest asset: its human capital.
The Illusion of Governance: Grammar vs. Substance
Nowhere is this institutional failure more evident than in the leadership of our cultural sectors. The Minister of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy seems entirely focused on blowing grammar wrapped in an exotic, foreign accent. Unfortunately, that is exactly where the performance ends.
[Exotic Accents & Razzmatazz] <– The Focus of Leadership
VS.
[Policy, Infrastructure & Grants] <– The Reality Needed by Creatives
There is a profound lack of understanding when it comes to harnessing the massive raw talent waiting for direction in our grassroots communities. Leadership has been reduced to:
Catching Up with the Joneses: A obsession with high-society gatherings, international trips, and elite photo-ops.
Superficial Public Relations: Launching aesthetic social media campaigns that look grand online but yield zero impact on the streets.
Alienation of Local Creatives: Prioritizing Westernized concepts of art while ignoring the indigenous writers, painters, and performers who form the bedrock of our cultural identity.
The Triumph of the Olodo Culture
The “Olodo” (dunce) culture leaves citizens with a tragic ultimatum: patronize substance-free showmanship or be left behind entirely.
When leadership values optics over outputs, mediocrity becomes the standard. The Olodos are not just coming; they are taking over the boardrooms, the political appointments, and the cultural narrative. If we do not intentionally pivot back toward intellectual rigor, structural empowerment, and substantive policy, our society will soon be completely governed by the loud, the flashy, and the empty.
•Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq. (douglasogbankwa@gmail.com)