We love lies

WHY is it that Nigerians have embraced lies as a national past time, from the governed to those doing the governance itself. Lies are told about electricity, the whole government is filled with filthy lies; lying about education, lying about health and the lies of the opposition is even filthier.

The cost of lies to our national development cannot be quantified. Telling the truth is just unthinkable, it has simply become a defiant attitude to being truthful. In fact, as a matter of rule, you learn to lie by default on becoming a leader in Nigeria, whether in politics, administration or faith.

 A liar is a person who tells lies, who has previously told lies, or who tends by nature to tell a lie repeatedly, even when not necessary. The three definitions suit the current group we call leaders, particularly the third one. I really do not blame them so much because as a people we have become accustomed to accepting lies as statements of truth.

 The fuel subsidy is a classic big lie. All the stories about a growing economy out of recession is a lie, all that stories on rice farm, cockroach farming are staged-managed with half-truths, misinformation and falsification.

 For all the noise, when the chips are down, the Adeosun NYSC exemption certificate will die away, if at all there is anything like that, and we will do nothing. Government at all levels lie, it’s simple logic, who is government, you, them and me. Them; they are there. You; aspiring to be there and me; hoping to be there, to eat, you must lie or be lied to.

 When we want to be truthful, we suddenly realize that we are Igbos, Hausas, Ijaws, Urhobos, Yorubas, Idomas, Muslims and Christians, then we continue lying. There is simply no truth in us, our tales by moonlight is exactly what it is…tales.

Only in climes like ours are such absurd lies are told with our knowledge and we know it’s a lie, but it is delivered with boldness. What can we do?

When our leaders in various spheres are not lying directly to us, they are being economical with the truth, a popular euphemism for deceit, whether by volunteering false information or by deliberately holding back relevant facts. But literarily; a careful use of fact in order not to reveal too much information because we either cannot handle the truth or we are allergic to it is a norm in Nigeria.

•Prince Charles Dickson PhD,

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