OPINION

Posted Sunday June 1, 2008

The secret of Vanuatu’s happiness

The South Pacific country of Vanuatu has been voted the happiest place in the world. So, what makes its inhabitants such a happy lot?  Huw Cordey of the BBC reports from South Pacific.

Jean Pierre John is living the dream. That popular fantasy of owning one’s own island, complete with swaying coconut palms, coral sea and tropical forest, is his for real.

On the island called Metoma, in the far north of Vanuatu, Jean Pierre can look around and truly say that he is master of all he surveys.

This single fact would put Jean Pierre in an exclusive club, you would think, one made up of billionaire businessmen, royalty and rock stars.

But Jean Pierre is none of these things. In fact, he could not be more different.

On Metoma, Jean Pierre and his family live in thatched huts.

They have no electricity or running water, no radio or television, and their only mode of transport is a rowing boat, which pretty much limits them to trips to the neighbouring island.

On top of that, they have little money and few opportunities to make any.

No money?! Suddenly their island life does not sound all that glamorous. But here’s the thing, the Johns really are happy.

This may sound surprising but living on their island they want for nothing.

Local produce

All the family’s food comes from on or around Metoma. Coconuts, yam, and manioc - their staple diet - are all grown on the island and then, of course, there is a sea full of fish to harvest.

And if fish protein gets boring, there is always the occasional fruit bat, from a colony that roosts on the island.

Indeed, food is so easy to gather that the family appears to have a lot of relaxation time.

When the Johns do have money - perhaps when they sell one of the few cows they own - they will buy soap powder and kerosene for their lamps.

But if not, they are just as happy to make do with island solutions - sticks which can be crushed to make soap and coconut oil in place of kerosene.

Some useful items are even washed up onto their island - buoys from boats are cut in half to make bowls and old fishing nets are recycled as hammocks.

It may sound like a Robinson Crusoe existence, and in many ways it is, but the Johns are not castaways. They live on Metoma out of choice.

It is not as if they have not experienced some of the trappings of a more modern world.

Jean Pierre grew up on one of Vanuatu’s larger islands and still makes the occasional visit. His eldest son, Joe, even went to school in the nation’s capital.

In fact Joe, a very easy-going 28-year-old, had recently returned to Metoma to live full time and he told me that the only thing he missed was hip hop music, but that it was a small price to pay for living on the island.

No money worries

Jean Pierre had not heard that Vanuatu had been voted happiest country in the world but, when I told him, he nodded in a knowingly happy sort of way.

So what is his secret of happiness?

“Not having to worry about money,” he immediately replies, while picking his nose in an uninhibited way.

If you asked the same question in the UK, you would probably get the same response. The only difference is that, in Jean Pierre’s case, it means not needing any money, rather than having bundles of it.

We can all repeat the mantra “money can’t buy you happiness” until we are blue in the face, but deep down, how many of us in the West really believe it to be true?

But I can see that Jean Pierre’s happiness is more than just a question of money. It also comes from having his family around him, and there is undoubtedly an enormous respect between them.

Absence of materialism

His children - and this includes those of adult age - do anything their father asks, not out of coercion but because they genuinely want to please.

Forget the Waltons, the Johns are the real McCoy: one happy family.

While talking to Jean Pierre, I find myself wondering whether he is the most contented person I have ever met.

But he is keen to know whether I am having a good time on his island too. Every day he asks me if I am happy. When I tell him things are great, his eyes light up and he replies in pidgin, “Oh, tenkyu tumas.”

Whether happiness can truly be measured is a debatable point, but there is no doubt that Metoma - or indeed Vanuatu as a whole - has the ingredients to encourage a greater sense of happiness.

The twin pillars of a classically happy life - strong family ties and a general absence of materialism - are common throughout this island nation.

The simple things in life, it seems, really do make you happy.

Re: Zagi: Disappointment of a radical initiative (I)

For the people of Southern Kaduna State, the return to democratic politics in 1999 has served as a period of renaissance in terms of political awakening, infrastructural development and the steady growth of a crop of political heavyweights which has played a defining role in the reshaping of the political space in both Kaduna State and the nation in general.
These political heavyweights have depended on a vibrant and educated youth vanguard to press for relevance and influence for the people of Southern Kaduna. Isaiah Balat, Charles Ali Madaki, Charles Bonet, Felix Hyet, Caleb Zagi, Stephen Shekari (late), Esther Nenadi Usman, Patrick Yakowa, Haruna Zego Aziz, Woje Yayock, Emmanuel Maisango, Gideon Gwani, Ruth Jummai Ango, etc, are leaders thrown up within this period and have represented Southern Kaduna in positions that were hitherto denied the people of the zone. They have served as ministers (four ministers in ten years), Secretaries to State Government, Deputy Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, and Representatives at the National Assembly.
It would be naive, however, to assume that these sons and daughters of Southern Kaduna have lived up to all the expectations of their people; but it would be disingenuous, completely idiotic and out of tune not to thank Almighty God for these leaders who have given Southern Kaduna a ray of hope; a new identity: something to dream about; something to hope for; something to celebrate. Southern Kaduna has indeed seen the light at the end of the tunnel of marginalization, irrelevance and political naivete.
These leaders who have brought us this far have been businessmen, technocrats, teachers and professionals who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of endeavour through hard work and perseverance, which in turn, have given them the necessary experience and exposure to lead their people in the struggle for self­ actualization and the creation of a distinct identity for the people of the zone. For this struggle to have meaningful continuity, the youths of the zone must be ready to follow the footsteps of their leaders in order to draw from their wealth of experience and wisdom.
But this does not seem to be the case. And here lies the tragedy! Judging from the springing up of phantom forums such as “Kaduna patriotic Front” and the likes, there is a new but unfortunate ill-wind blowing through the zone. These forums formed mostly by some quasi - intellectuals and failed young politicians in the zone, have become ready tools for the discrediting of some leaders. From the discordant and hardly coordinated thoughts issuing from these forums, one begins to sense the emergence of a new breed that may not successfully receive the baton from the old generation of Southern Kaduna leaders. The reason is simple. They are in hurry to stamp their presence but lack the necessary tools, ideas and experience to move the zone forward. They are greedy and have placed material acquisition above altruistic values and thereby have created a new crop of quasi-intellectuals and political speculators that have no solid foundation whatsoever. In fact, they now work at cross-purposes with the general aspirations of the people whom they pretend to represent. Having failed to get a foothold in the political space in the zone, they resort to cheap blackmail, mud-slinging, name-calling and empty sloganeering. They discredit the leaders whose large shoes they should hope to occupy. Instead of drawing from the wisdom of age, they are now foot-soldiers of those who wish to pull the zone back. The pages of newspapers have provided a ready avenue to bring down their leaders.
This very long fore grounding is done to fully situate one of such newspaper ramblings that have been churned out of recent to set Southern Kaduna back on its journey to self-fulfillment. In “New Nigerian on Sunday” of 30th March, 2008 John Danfulani, an adviser to Governor Namadi Sambo of Kaduna State; churned out such trash titled: “Zagi: Disappointment of a Radical Initiative “. (see p.8).
This article has been picked for closer scrutiny in order to demystify this pretentious posturing by some young political Turks from Southern Kaduna who have been infested by a new disease one many uncomfortably term the over-bloated ego syndrome. This syndrome has given them a new penchant to discredit in unsavoury terms their political godfathers (whom they might have fallen apart with) on the pages of newspapers - speculating half­ truths, gossip, rumours and falsehood in order to cast these leaders in bad light.
This penchant has caught the eye of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) so much so that the union has issued a warning to all youth organizations in Southern Kaduna to seek clearance from it (SOKAPU) before going to press on any issue that concerns the zone. I suspect this warning is borne out of the need for the zone to resolve its disagreements internally and not resort to washing its dirty linen in public.
This seems to have escaped the attention of Mr. John Danfulani who literally took distinguished Senators Caleb Zagi and Haruna Zego Aziz and Hon. Hassan Hyet, Minister of State (Aviation) to the cleaners, using in his own words, “nasty, devastating, uncomplimentary and carefree phrases and words... his darling venoms (sic) poured without caution on opponents”.
But wait a minute! Before analyzing his rambling, disingenuous write-up critically, it behoves us to situate the persona, John Danfulani, within the context of Southern Kaduna political space in order to isolate his relevance and perhaps to see if he enjoys a pedigree which accords him the self-delusion to speak so derisively and dismissively on these worthy sons of Southern Kaduna. From my investigation, Danfulani has nothing to show other than his frustration for his failure to attain the level of our great leaders that he has been castigating have attained.

If you count safety and do not think of danger, if you do not know enough to be wary when enemies arrive, this is called a sparrow nesting on a tent, a fish swimming in a cauldron – they don’t last the day — (Chuko Liangad, 181 - 234).

There is no gainsaying that People’s Democratic Party (PDP) experienced upheavals and internal rancours after the December 2006 gubernatorial primaries and the run-up thereof. The variables associated with the hazy atmosphere are out of our scope in this discourse. A plan was marshaled out to mop up this freezing development. Much of the hue and cry and hullabaloo emanated from people of Southern Kaduna who hitherto viewed PDP as a huge multi­national or transnational conglomerate - with them as co-investors.
Senator Zagi, then Honourable Zagi who won Senatorial primaries in Zone III was contracted to reassemble his gallant foot soldiers to diffuse, stale and repulse the elephantized threat to PDP in the zone. At that time, a flick knife has already been placed on PDP’s neck and pushed to the wall. Senator Zagi shaped in (as a survival strategy) because of two incontrovertible reasons: firstly, to insulate his own senatorial seat from possible protest votes and secondly, to prove to the grey haired old brigade in the zone that the wind of change (apologies to Harold Macmillan and George Bush Snr) has produced a sole mover and shaker of politics in Southern Kaduna or better put, there is a new kid on the block.
The first “marshal plan” (this time not to liberate European allied economies after the Great War) designed by his strategic high command to de-escalate and freeze the dwindling popularity of PDP - was sending 28 “so-called Caleb boys” to tour the eight local governments in the zone. Their sole mission was to cool frayed nerves arising from the December primaries. The dust and brouhaha was so thick and awesome that Zagi left nothing to chance by personally attending some sessions in person. Throughout their tension-cooling and diplomatic shuttles, one or two massages were evangelized: the need to remain in the mainstream of Kaduna State politics; and the wisdom of remaining focused in the struggle. All the sessions were expectedly tense because of the renegade loyalists of people who lost out in the gubernatorial primaries. These die-hards and rescuers got some little bashings and were branded agents and traitors (a popular chorus in the choir of the disgruntled). To a larger level, the aim was achieved (Kwalliya fa biya kudin sabulu.) because many grey areas were explicitly and abundantly explained and cleared (with a pool of tears). The videotapes of these visits and a written report were turned over to Senator Zagi. What transpired thereafter is beyond our wildest imagination.
Despite promises by PDP members to stay with the party until the last dog dies, the cloud of uncertainty was still looming thick in the sky. Against this affordable and available reality, Zagi opted to pilot PDP campaigns in the zone. This was a smart move by Zagi who could not afford to gamble. Some people who represented other shades of interests were also conscripted, which culminated into a rainbow zonal and local government campaign teams.
His joyous acceptance to man the commanding height of his and all other seats at the zonal level was his greatest undoing and the genesis of his present travails and tribulations with politicians and the party at all levels. It runs counter-logic and common sense for a man to head his own campaign. James Carville and Paul Bigala, world renowned campaign strategists and managers are lucky not to have Zone III as their catchments area, they would have been jobless. If he had surrendered that noble role of directorship to his wife, it would have been close to decency. At least someone else will be seen heading the war room. The people who gave him this advice only set up a booby trap like the one set up by the Vietcong and he fall prey like the American soldier.
Within a few days of his activities as the commander of zone III PDP fleet of vote hunters headquartered in Kafanchan, the senator started behaving like the crown monarch of Lesotho, Jordan, Central Aftican Republic or the Sultan of Brunei; with everybody in the team as his subject. Yes, it is said power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. I have never seen where this iron law of oligarchy was strictly adhered to like this. Our senator was a dedicated and loyal student of this theory.
The structures that were created at the state level to accommodate visible and invisible interests were intransigently and arrogantly panel-beaten to make seats available for some of his “infant terrible.” All attempts to dissuade him from such counter-productive ventures fell on deaf ears of this new assuming political sheikh. His dogs and jackals of thuggery were ready and handy to take senseless orders from their chief priest. They littered in and around the campaign headquarters like bees on honey. It became crystal clear that Zone III was on the verge of electing an unprincipled and cheap thug as senator.
The number of fracas and skirmishes ignited by his dishonourable and domineering manners ran in dozens. He combated teammates on how to share posters, wrappers, t-shirts and caps. He tried to institutionalize regimental mentality in a purely democratic organization charged with votes catching. As expected, he received fierce resistance from some of the officers who do not believe in hero worship and messianic postures and detest dictatorial tendencies of a person who is still looking for their mandates. Majority of the people swallowed his terrible and horrible manners, but a few others fell by the way. Despite his squeezing, smashing and hard knocks, many geared to the end.
As the story of his unpolished and less than decent dispositions sank down to many local governments and the threat from other candidates thickens, he moulded the ideal of a zonal rally (of which he lacks the financial solvency to back). The itinerary was drawn but the train was too heavy to move because of the financial draughts faced by this Sheikh Yamani of Southern Kaduna. This was due to activities of the financial locust that invaded and consumed his savings before and during the party primaries. After some shuttles between Kafanchan, Kaduna and Abuja, the programme was set in motion. Each local government in Zone III was partitioned into three zones. Those who knew Distinguished surely know that he is not a good talker and a crowd mover. This intractable weakness was “magically” addressed by an import in a keg from Kagoro.
Throughout this zonal votes chase, he made outrageous and laughable promises and entered into multi-faceted social contracts with people; most especially youths and women. In Geshere, Kauru local government, he told thousands of expectant youths at sunset that he will take footballers amongst them to Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester and Barcelona FCs for professional soccer career. The cheering that accompanied this fallacious and bare-faced lies of a (red devils or Manchester United FC supporter) was thunderous that many feared that a nearby standing hill (despite looking like that of Gibraltar) would erupt. Throughout that zonal tour, youths and women were served with such bogus, chilly and spicy plates of his lies in their tables of hope.
Ten months after taking their mandates, King Kong is far from the mark. He seems to be telling them that their investment was a bad one. In fact, it is a zero returns one. Can wonder ever end? Certainly no. This is a man who sees everything in life from a business concept but falls short of his billings. At a point, he held the state government by the neck for not observing his golden rule or rule numero uno. He believes in setting standards for others and dodging same like some self-acclaimed puritans who will say do as I say but don’t do as I do. Now that people have realized they have swallowed the bait of a chronic, conning and a slippery betrayal, they are up for a showdown and everybody can see clearly how nemesis is fast catching up with him.
Southern Kaduna people are now behaving like a bull in a China shop in search of justice from their senator. Their search is limitless. It will involve all legal channels and political avenues available. Vengeance dish, it is said, is best served when it is cold. The same road that took him to Abuja will ply him down home in an undignified fashion on or before 2011. I doubt if they will be patient to wait till 2011 before doing their worse or take a go-to-hell decision. A fire can be quenched with water, but if a fire starts from an ocean, what will extinguish it? Only divine intervention can miraculously solve that problem, without which, I see a caravan of masses armed with his promises as their weapon on vengeance mission moving with a bull-headed determination and resolve to observe an eye-for-an-eye principle. To avoid a head-on collision with a people’s might - which is deadlier and stranger than any bomb, be it biological or atomic, conventional or otherwise, patriot or scud, I admonish distinguished to cast his lots and go, if not run.
A tail-between-the-legs or Paul and James turn-trial and run strategy will not help. He is in a political desert where he is viewed from far range. The thick political Amazon or Democratic Republic of Congo forests are not in sight for a refuge. Even if he makes it to the forest, he lacks basic guerilla warfare tactics of maneuvering like Sylvester Stallone in his award-winning film, Rambo III.
The people’s monks (not those of Bwangum, Tibet or Vatican) are out of their monasteries on a holy and great liberation march. They are willing to walk for millions of kilometers like Chinese peasants in the 40s. They have removed the safety pins from their vengeance canisters of unfulfilled promises and ready to throw them at Senator Judas. Emotions are high, and performing this duty is a scared duty that must be done without minding the consequences now or later.
They are all out to liquidate rank opportunism, unproductive representation, hyper cognitive deceiver and professionally certified dodger.
There is a time for everything under the sun (so says our Lord); there was a time for campaign and promises (outrageous or real). There was a time to refuse to fulfill campaign pledges (betraying people); and there is a time to fight back and hold representatives accountable to their promises (a people’s resolve to fight back). Doing nothing is no option. It is either you are brought to justice or justice is taken to you (apologies to Bush Jnr). The people shall take their reprisal gospel to the last unit of the zone and guess what will happen to the mighty? They shall collapse like a pack of card. Concluded.
DANFULANI resides in Kaduna.
 
 

©2005 New Nigerian Newspapers Limited.