By Denrele Animasaun

“We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own. The Igbo, always practical, put it concretely in their proverb Onye ji onye n’ani ji onwe ya: “He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down.”– Chinua Achebe

What is it with some people that they believe their own lies and feel compelled to ram it forcefully down the throat of others even when these people know that it is not in the collective peoples’ interests? The pathology of such people is simply they lack conscience and thrive whenever there is mistrust and hatred.

I mean, what is it to them that many of our young have no job, no training, or in education. What is it to them that our old and vulnerable are without support, that thousands of Nigerians are displaced and are refugees in neighbouring state or in the neighbouring countries? That Nigeria has the highest number of people with Diabetes in Africa. According to WHO, Nigeria has the highest mortality rate for the disease and 1,218,000 people are affected and 3.85 million have impaired glucose tolerance and in Nigeria there is over 6 million Nigerians with full blown diabetes mellitus and WHO has warned Nigeria that it will be a major threat to public health beyond the year 2030.

That Nigeria accounts for 14% of the world’s total maternal deaths and 11% of deaths of children, shockingly, that is 2.5% of the world’s population. That it means that one million children under five dies in Nigeria every year. Every day or so there is more massacres by the insurgency and the girls from Chibok remain missing and many more since have been killed or kidnapped. That the general hospitals are dilapidated; people cannot have access or the means to procure medical intervention. Yes, I know, GEJ has now signed the National Health Bill into law but it will be a long way before the people can receive a good quality health care. And call me a cynic, at this eleventh hour? Why not earlier? Peoples’ lives do not matter before?

This is a country where 22 governors have not paid their civil servants their salaries as it is believed that the salaries will be used for coming election.

These men (and women of valour) have an aversion to the truth and even when the wiring is legibly on the wall, they spurt out more of their diatribe diarrhoeic verbiage.

Every time they open their mouth, a big whopper comes out and you wonder who buys their lies, in the age of information. Only the ignorant would swallow their lies hook, line and sinker. Disturbingly, most people do.

There are so many comical Alis parading as presidential publicity, spokesperson. These, people would hope that more people can dispense the truth but that they continually stare down the lens and drop another whopper bigger than the last.

The trouble is when you believe your own lies then your reality and fantasy becomes blurred even to the point of ridicule. They are constantly lying that Houdini has nothing on these sleaze conjurers. In the age of information, I believe ignorance is a choice. And every Nigerian should make up their mind on what to believe. I honestly don’t believe anyone would want the same of the last years for their children and family. This is exactly more of what people will be experiencing with these men of Valour, they simply are morally vacuous and with no integrity, they have sold their principles long time ago. The longer they are given the power, the more they will continue to deliver their brand of truth and damage the fragile peace. They do not know how to build. They destroy and put one tribe or religion against another.

What people are fed and exposed by bamboozling people with outright lies are wrapped like important information and threats. This is simply not the way for people of clout only to abuse their position with a multiplication of infractions.

One such mighty men of Valour, Asari Dokubo has been up to his buffoonish bluffing, he said ; “I will destroy Yoruba land completely and proceed to finish the North if Jonathan is not returned to Aso rock” Only in Nigeria can a man of no significant talent or achievement be given airtime. So, he and his army want to take on all Yoruba in Yorubaland and then he will proceed to the north and deal with them. He should tell that to the marines! He and whose army?

This man has a very over inflated image of himself. Pardon me, the last time I looked, Nigeria was still a democracy and people can vote for who they want. So in order for peace, the man threatens people with war. How oxymoronic! Where are the police or the security agents when this man publicly made these threats? They say that the apple does not fall far from the tree. GEJ through his deputy, Namadi Sambo, declared “that GEJ’s administration had managed the country’s economy to become the greatest in Africa and one of the largest in the world”. And he went on that his government had changed the course of history in the country. Which country?

According to the president, he had fulfilled all his electioneering campaign promises he made to Nigerians during the 2011 presidential election.

When it comes to truth telling it seems there are so many versions of the truth and a lot of what was said does not resemble the reality of peoples’ lives.

For instance ,GEJ went to church for Christmas and in his speech he was more concerned with the statements made by other politicians and how they were ” setting the country ablaze”. He did not mention the spirit of Christmas or peace nor compassion. He was more concerned about politicians that he urged them to “desist from sowing the seeds of discord, saying that the country does not belong to politicians alone”. Well, it seems the man knows where his priority lies.

Oh and the GEJ described the security challenges as “temporary and asked the church to continue to pray”. Wow, what an understatement! This version of the truth is akin Emperor Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burns or Comical Ali convincing everyone but himself that Iraq had fallen into the hands of the Allied troops.

There is a lot of disconnection and liberal dose of exaggerations when it comes to their version of what is happening to Nigerians under their watch. In fact, they believe and are convinced that they are not to blame for the rot,epidemic of corruption, insecurity and structural demise of institutions and societal degradation.   But they are quick to lay claim to everything that has been good or been a success including the eradication of Ebola.

The intensity of their insolence and alacrity has grown exponentially now that the election is round the corner there is so much name calling and disrespect when it comes to the court scribes.