By Alade Rotimi-John
In local Nigerian parlance, stratagem or the plan for deceiving
otherwise trustful people is rendered euphoniously and even metaphorically as
“lie, lie” or “connie, connie” (both of them amusing and melodious phraseology
for graphically depicting the foible of cunningness, craftiness or guile). The
Nigerian political or governmental practice has been largely characterised,
particularly these four or so years, by an observable trend in posturing or cunningness
by officials of state. These ones have perfected the art of refusing to take
personal responsibility for their bumbling, blundering trajectory even as they
lament or heap their failures on some extraneous or exogenous circumstance,
situation or personage.
As is normal with the nature and manner of a facile or
convenient resort to lie-telling, every excuse or reason for the happening of
one event or another, embarrassingly conflicts with an earlier expressed
position taken on the same subject matter. Two or three clear indications are
visibly discernible. The actors are not unanimous in their explanation of the
occurrence of the event for which they speak for the same principal; they
operate at cross purposes; and they betray their lack of co-ordination in a
situation where coherence is key. For them, to begin to take personal
responsibility is also to begin to recognise or admit that Nigeria is on
the verge of a self-annihilating precipice even as they are in charge. Courage
is up-turned as integrity no longer counts and little store is set for accuracy.
