Is It Possible That AG Malami Suffered From Unconscious Bias? If So Forgive Him

By Prof. John Egbeazien Oshodi

Even if the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Abubakar Malami do not consider himself to be prejudiced,
his recent behavior and conduct, showed otherwise. All humans show
signs of implicit bias—unconscious bigotries that power our
actions. An implicit bias is an unconscious association, belief, or
mindset toward any social group.

The fact that Malami made undesirable and impractical
statements, does not mean that he is necessarily bigoted or
inclined to discriminate against Southern people. It simply means
that at the time his brain was working in a way that makes such
generalizations, discriminatory in output. As a result of implicit
biases, people may often attribute certain qualities or
characteristics to all members of a particular group, a phenomenon
known as stereotyping.

Unintentional bias on the part of Malami could have influenced
the way he treated certain religious and ethnic groups especially
as it relates to southerners. Most of us are unaware that we hold
such biases, which can unknowingly contribute to statements or
actions of prejudice and inequalities.

His bias became very explicit when in a disproportionate way he
showed more favor towards the Fulani and Cows, leaving himself to
be regarded as a closed-minded, prejudicial, or an unfair Minister
of Justice.

It is important to understand that one’s implicit biases can
become an explicit bias, and this happens when one become
consciously aware of the prejudices and beliefs he or she possess.
That is, they surface in your conscious mind, leading you to choose
whether to act on or against them. This is where AG Malami got into
big trouble.

As the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Malami tried to fault the ban on open grazing by some
State governments, asserting it violates the constitutionally
guaranteed right to freedom of movement. As I recall freedom of
movement is for human beings, and not for Cattle or Lions.

During an interview granted Channels Television, while
condemning the recent resolution of Southern governors, who banned
open grazing, in one of his troubling responses, Malami compared
open grazing by the Fulani with the selling of motor spare parts in
Northern Nigeria, asking how Nigerians will react if Northern
governors also ban those who sell spare parts in the North.

For many in Nigeria this way of talking was a veiled reference
to the Igbos of south eastern descent, who dominate in trading
motor spare parts. These words are directly wrapped with
stereotypical judgements and, negatively affects his own capacity
to be seen as an objective and impartial judicial officer.

Malawi assumptions about a social group in the South and
generalizing it to all Southerners as informed in his language,
specific attitude, and actions although in subtle ways, makes him
look like a tribal arbitrator.

The fact that he appeared engrossed in evoking ethnic/regional
descriptions that are particular to one tribal social group makes
him seen as a tribalist.  Due to his explicit and implicit
biases he looks like an Attorney General who, is with unconscious
ethnic biases, overt tribal bias, unethical manners, and a force of
fear to persons who are not of his ethnic and religious experience.
He is now seen as a Minister of Justice that pushes unequal
treatment based on ethnic, religious, and commercial affiliations.
An Attorney General who ethnically profiles certain social group in
Nigeria, especially when a chief arbitrator of the people and the
justice system is supposed to be neutral in ethnic and regional
disputes and remain an enforcer of the rules of the game equally
while ensuring that he is always in service of all people.

An Attorney General cannot be seen as siding with businesses of
cattle and prejudicial to motor spare parts trading, just because
each business invokes different tribal customs. He cannot be viewed
through his public statements as one taken actions that are so
plainly ideological, so nakedly tribalistic and deeply
inappropriate for Nigeria’s chief law enforcement official. He
cannot be seen as an Attorney General who because of unconscious
and explicit biases support rampant illegality such as destroying
of farms, trespassing, killings, and raping due to the menaces of
open grazing of cows.

I have had indirect professional contact with the Attorney
General who from my way of reasoning is a person of professional
diversity and progressive values, and a believer in a free society.
He and others could gain from some training on this issue.

So, I will suggest that next time he should focus on seeing
people as individuals, not tribes. Rather than focusing on
stereotypes to define people or what they do for a living, he
should spend time considering them on a more personal, individual
level. He should work on consciously changing his stereotypes. He
should take time to pause and reflect. To reduce spontaneous
reactions, he should take time to reflect on potential biases and
replace them with positive or neutral examples of the stereotyped
group. Next time, if he recognizes that his response to a certain
tribe or persons might be rooted in biases or stereotypes, he needs
to try to consciously adjust his response, especially on TV.

He must remember, as long as he is in that position as the chief
law enforcement officer, and the Minister of Justice for Nigeria,
and the central public servant of the people, he should lead with
fairness and impartial administration of justice on behalf of the
Nigerian people.

Prof. John Egbeazien Oshodi, an
American-based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal
Psychologist. A government Consultant on matters of
forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA;
Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and
Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal,
Professional and Career Development. The Founder of the Dr. John
Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and
Behavioral Change in African settings especially. In 2011, he
introduced the State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria
through N.U.C and the Nasarawa State University where he served in
the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. The
Development Professor and International Liaison Consultant at the
African University of Benin, and a Virtual Faculty at the ISCOM
University, Benin of Republic. Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi is
the Vice-Chancellor and President, of the proposed Transatlantic
Egbeazien University Of Values And Ethics 100% virtual (TEUVE).
Author of over 36 academic publications/creations, at least 200
public opinion writeups on African issues, and various books.

Prof. Oshodi was born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria to
parents with almost 40 years of police/corrections service,
respectively. Periodically visits home for scholastic and
humanitarian works. Jos5930458@aol.com

By Prof. John Egbeazien Oshodi

Even if the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Abubakar Malami do not consider himself to be prejudiced,
his recent behavior and conduct, showed otherwise. All humans show
signs of implicit bias—unconscious bigotries that power our
actions. An implicit bias is an unconscious association, belief, or
mindset toward any social group.

The fact that Malami made undesirable and impractical
statements, does not mean that he is necessarily bigoted or
inclined to discriminate against Southern people. It simply means
that at the time his brain was working in a way that makes such
generalizations, discriminatory in output. As a result of implicit
biases, people may often attribute certain qualities or
characteristics to all members of a particular group, a phenomenon
known as stereotyping.

Unintentional bias on the part of Malami could have influenced
the way he treated certain religious and ethnic groups especially
as it relates to southerners. Most of us are unaware that we hold
such biases, which can unknowingly contribute to statements or
actions of prejudice and inequalities.

His bias became very explicit when in a disproportionate way he
showed more favor towards the Fulani and Cows, leaving himself to
be regarded as a closed-minded, prejudicial, or an unfair Minister
of Justice.

It is important to understand that one’s implicit biases can
become an explicit bias, and this happens when one become
consciously aware of the prejudices and beliefs he or she possess.
That is, they surface in your conscious mind, leading you to choose
whether to act on or against them. This is where AG Malami got into
big trouble.

As the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice, Malami tried to fault the ban on open grazing by some
State governments, asserting it violates the constitutionally
guaranteed right to freedom of movement. As I recall freedom of
movement is for human beings, and not for Cattle or Lions.

During an interview granted Channels Television, while
condemning the recent resolution of Southern governors, who banned
open grazing, in one of his troubling responses, Malami compared
open grazing by the Fulani with the selling of motor spare parts in
Northern Nigeria, asking how Nigerians will react if Northern
governors also ban those who sell spare parts in the North.

For many in Nigeria this way of talking was a veiled reference
to the Igbos of south eastern descent, who dominate in trading
motor spare parts. These words are directly wrapped with
stereotypical judgements and, negatively affects his own capacity
to be seen as an objective and impartial judicial officer.

Malawi assumptions about a social group in the South and
generalizing it to all Southerners as informed in his language,
specific attitude, and actions although in subtle ways, makes him
look like a tribal arbitrator.

The fact that he appeared engrossed in evoking ethnic/regional
descriptions that are particular to one tribal social group makes
him seen as a tribalist.  Due to his explicit and implicit
biases he looks like an Attorney General who, is with unconscious
ethnic biases, overt tribal bias, unethical manners, and a force of
fear to persons who are not of his ethnic and religious experience.
He is now seen as a Minister of Justice that pushes unequal
treatment based on ethnic, religious, and commercial affiliations.
An Attorney General who ethnically profiles certain social group in
Nigeria, especially when a chief arbitrator of the people and the
justice system is supposed to be neutral in ethnic and regional
disputes and remain an enforcer of the rules of the game equally
while ensuring that he is always in service of all people.

An Attorney General cannot be seen as siding with businesses of
cattle and prejudicial to motor spare parts trading, just because
each business invokes different tribal customs. He cannot be viewed
through his public statements as one taken actions that are so
plainly ideological, so nakedly tribalistic and deeply
inappropriate for Nigeria’s chief law enforcement official. He
cannot be seen as an Attorney General who because of unconscious
and explicit biases support rampant illegality such as destroying
of farms, trespassing, killings, and raping due to the menaces of
open grazing of cows.

I have had indirect professional contact with the Attorney
General who from my way of reasoning is a person of professional
diversity and progressive values, and a believer in a free society.
He and others could gain from some training on this issue.

So, I will suggest that next time he should focus on seeing
people as individuals, not tribes. Rather than focusing on
stereotypes to define people or what they do for a living, he
should spend time considering them on a more personal, individual
level. He should work on consciously changing his stereotypes. He
should take time to pause and reflect. To reduce spontaneous
reactions, he should take time to reflect on potential biases and
replace them with positive or neutral examples of the stereotyped
group. Next time, if he recognizes that his response to a certain
tribe or persons might be rooted in biases or stereotypes, he needs
to try to consciously adjust his response, especially on TV.

He must remember, as long as he is in that position as the chief
law enforcement officer, and the Minister of Justice for Nigeria,
and the central public servant of the people, he should lead with
fairness and impartial administration of justice on behalf of the
Nigerian people.

Prof. John Egbeazien Oshodi, an
American-based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal
Psychologist. A government Consultant on matters of
forensic-clinical adult/child psychological services in the USA;
Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and
Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal,
Professional and Career Development. The Founder of the Dr. John
Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and
Behavioral Change in African settings especially. In 2011, he
introduced the State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria
through N.U.C and the Nasarawa State University where he served in
the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. The
Development Professor and International Liaison Consultant at the
African University of Benin, and a Virtual Faculty at the ISCOM
University, Benin of Republic. Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi is
the Vice-Chancellor and President, of the proposed Transatlantic
Egbeazien University Of Values And Ethics 100% virtual (TEUVE).
Author of over 36 academic publications/creations, at least 200
public opinion writeups on African issues, and various books.

Prof. Oshodi was born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria to
parents with almost 40 years of police/corrections service,
respectively. Periodically visits home for scholastic and
humanitarian works. Jos5930458@aol.com