Whenever I walk past a status, if it is unclear to me why such status was molded there, I do ask questions, but some answers that I get are chilling, while others are just there with nothing symbolic or heroic about them. Although sometimes if I don't see anybody to ask a question, I do assume the person has done something great because why not? Why would he or she be a monument if not for a good reason? But what now happens when we later discover that the same person who built schools and hospitals or funded a university also caused serious harm? What then do we do on finding out that our so-called hero is deeply flawed or cruel?
Let me give an example. Sani Abacha was Nigeria's head of state from 1993 to 1998, and although during his time some people say there was development and that he strengthened certain sectors of the economy, he is widely known as a dictator, someone who abuses human rights, suppresses democrats, and imprisons his political opponents. He was the one who executed the environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and others. Plenty of money was looted during his regime, so much of which has been recovered years later. To date, Abacha is viewed as a dictator. Yet in some places in the north he is considered a hero; he has roads named after him and public spaces named after him.
This question is very emotional, especially if we only have deep admiration for this person, although in Sani Abacha's case, no admiration for him, because truth be told, a monument is not for decoration. Wherever a statue or monument is built, it reflects our values. When a building or anything is named after someone for all to see, we are saying that this particular person has done great things or this person represents the best of us. Imagine the disappointment when it turns out that this person was racist, violent, or responsible for injustices. Keeping their tribute or status untouched can feel very uncomfortable, especially for the community, families, or individuals that have been affected by this person. The monument will never feel like history, but it will always be like a wound to the affected person.
At the same time, history is rarely simple. Very few historical figures were completely good or completely bad. Some people made major contributions to society while also holding beliefs or committing actions that we strongly disagree with today. If we remove every monument connected to someone with flaws, we might end up pretending that the past was cleaner and simpler than it really was, but it wasn’t. Human beings are complicated.
In the end, monuments are not really about the dead; they are about the living. They show what we admire today. History will always remain in records, archives, and stories. But the question each generation must answer is this: Who deserves a place on our pedestals?
Images are Ai generated.
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