By JS Okutepa, SAN
Frankly speaking, falsehoods have become the most thriving institutions in every facet of Nigeria national life. The institutions that are meant to represent and project truth for the good of all have all become institutions infested with the virus of incurable falsehoods.
Almost everyone in authority at all levels, including the least public officers and office holders, has mastered the incurable arts and acts of falsehoods to earn a living. Politicians, security agencies, leaders, and the followers have all mastered the arts and acts of falsehoods in governmental affairs.
It is these arts and acts of falsehoods that have landed us where we are today. Even in justice, we see falsehoods being stamped in judgments, and those who produced these falsehoods celebrate victories of falsehoods over truth that is so notorious for all to see. People are just tired of the sacrilegious falsehoods as policies in governance in Nigeria.
The foundations of institutions of truth have been laid and are being laid and contaminated by agents of darkness who are the apostles of falsehoods. That is why those who represent light are bye passed in all departments of our national life. In appointments, promotions, and what have your those with sycophantic spirit of falsehoods are preferred over those with honesty and integrity to speak the truth.
When I see the statement below this morning, as sent to me by a friend, I began to ruminate over many things of life in Nigeria, including our politics, justice, ecclesiastical life, the values and orientations of most Nigerians, the policies and programmes of government, the way and manner legal profession has become something else and the manner judgments are delivered in most cases with blind eyes to the truth I now discovered why those who speak the truth are always and invariably looked upon as rebels.
Those with the spirit of truth are maltreated and mistreated to be forced to join the apostles of falsehoods. Things are just not going on right in our society, Nigeria, because even the governments at virtually all levels are products of falsehoods. When leaders emerge through manipulations of the will of the people, they see those who speak thuth as rebels. Truly, “when falsehood becomes an institution, truth looks like rebellion.”
Today, many who speak the truth and those who deliver justice in judgments are looked upon as rebels and anti-establishments by the apostles of falsehoods at the helms of affairs. In saner countries, truth, intergrity, honesty, and nationalism are poducts sort after for good governance and development. Not in Nigeria. In most cases, we preferred to field our worst eleven to play and Lord it over our best eleven in the field of governance. That is why we can not win the gold of sustainable development.
JS Okutepa, SAN
