By Promise Adiele
Hypocrites are subliminal enemies to humanity. They are everywhere – in churches, mosques, communities, and work environments. They usually present a misleading façade, sometimes an upright mien to disarm the gullible. Their serpentine, guileful attitude borders on the possessed and demonic. They know everything, yet are so knowledge-deficient that they are daily celebrated in the clan of ignorance. They adorn the garment of hypocrisy without realising it. That is why they are hypocrites. They are double-faced and consistently commit to the external display of piety, while inwardly they ooze with putrid convictions.
The Master, in the Holy Book, calls the Pharisees hypocrites. “Hypocrite” occurs many times in the Bible, but two instances stand out for me. First is in Mathew 23: 27-28. Second and more related to the topic of this essay, is in Mathew 7:5 where the Master admonishes the people to remove the log from their eyes and see clearly to remove the speck from other people’s eyes. It takes a discerning mind to identify a hypocrite, no matter how grand such hypocrites may appear. Hypocrites can’t hide for too long. One occurrence can expose them in all their vile demeanour.
The recent outbreak of hostilities between the US/Israel, and Iran has exposed the veiled culture of hypocrisy in Nigeria. Many of the hypocrites in the country are disgruntled persons hiding under an intellectual guise to pontificate over a matter that bears little or no consequence, either on their immediate families or on the collective lives of their fellow citizens. So today, you hear such statements of alignment like “I stand with the US.” “I stand with Israel.” “I stand with Iran.” Daily, they surf the internet to harvest the latest developments in these warring countries.
Many social media platforms are agog with debates and arguments over who is at fault between the US and Iran on one side and between Israel and Iran on the other. Some people have taken the joke too far by embarking on public demonstrations to show solidarity with Iran or Israel, as the case may be. Sometimes, these exchanges take a religious bent between Christians and Muslims. These are Nigerians living in a country where killings and the massacre of innocent people have become a routine. So when it is reported that terrorists in Nigeria have killed large numbers of people in different parts of the country, everyone keeps mum with a cowardly disposition.
When it is reported that terrorists and bandits have kidnapped a large number of school children in Nigeria, our hypocritical culture surfaces. We turn to the next page and move on, regarding the news as if it were normal. When it is reported that terrorists have murdered Nigerian soldiers, innocent breadwinners defending their country, we move on as if the death of mosquitoes has been reported. When it is reported that government officials have embezzled large sums of public funds, we move and reconcile ourselves with the oddity.
When we read that the Nigerian government allocated N17 billion to install solar panels at Aso Rock after promising an uninterrupted power supply, we smile, shake our heads and move on. When we see irrefutable evidence that the recent election was massively rigged through vote buying, ballot box snatching, rigging, manipulation of results and other electoral infractions, we move on because we think it is normal. When we are confronted by narratives which document the rascality and criminal tendencies of government officials, we shrug our shoulders and quietly go about our daily business. It does not concern us.
When it is obvious to mortar and pestle that unconscionable demagogues daily plunder our country, we feel powerless and pray to God for divine intervention. We watch as public institutions are eroded and destroyed by a government that cares so little about the people’s well-being. It is the same attitude that Nigerians display when banks criminally deduct money from different accounts every weekend under one pretence or another. Thus, we play along and become what the legendary Fela calls Mr. “Follow Follow” in one of his songs. Even though Iran has been bombarded in the last few days, the electricity there is still constant. It is the same situation in Israel. But in Nigeria, we have a case of a man who promised uninterrupted power if elected. He clearly stated that Nigerians should NOT vote for him again if he failed to provide 24 hours of electricity. Today, the electricity supply is shameful and the same government is already asking Nigerians to vote for it again in 2027. Shameless hypocrites.
But it is a fair game for Nigerians back home to be murdered in hundreds and thousands. It doesn’t matter. The lives of Nigerians do not matter. The government’s irresponsibility at home is fit and proper. The recent attempted assassination of some politicians in Edo State is fine and normal. What should ordinarily provoke a national outcry, public opprobrium, and angst is accepted as part of the country’s DNA. However, we bare our hypocritical fangs and bleed from all pores when the same conditions happen in other countries. Some Nigerians have condemned the killings in Iran. Some have also condemned Israel and the US. Some have condemned Iran for keeping nuclear weapons. Some Nigerians have expertly analysed the implications of the current global hostilities on the world economy. Very intelligent and insightful analysis. These Nigerians don’t want Iranians killed. They are opposed to the killing of Israelites. They don’t want Americans killed, either. Some have criticized Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
The global community knows that Nigeria accommodates the largest number of hypocrites in the world. We accept these things at home but are quick to condemn them in other countries. It testifies to our collective wickedness and short-sightedness towards our country. The brutal truth is that Nigeria is an orphan and no one believes in it, not the politicians, the citizens or leaders of thought. Everyone is marking time to get an opportunity to plunder the collective purse. Yet, the country inexplicably makes progress, even if laggard.
I have no problem with people sharing their ideas or engaging in discussions about world affairs. Far from that. The world is a global village and what happens in one part of the world will inevitably, remotely affect other parts of the world one way or another. I discuss world affairs, whether political, economic, entertainment, sports or other events. But it becomes a problem when people display a maniacal interest in what is happening in other countries, when the same occurrences are decimating their own country. The Nigerian culture of hypocrisy is laughable. Once there is a development in the country, the condemnation does not last more than three days. After that, everyone moves on and waits for the next breaking news.
Recently, the Nigerian newsreel was inundated with reports of a coup d’état. After the initial feeble reactions, Nigerians have moved on. No one is demanding to know what happened to the alleged coup plotters. Was there really a coup? What is the fate of the accused military officers? No one is interested. But let there be a rumoured coup in another country, Nigerians will dissect it, discuss it and quarrel over the issue. They would write epistles on the coup, interpret the causes, and advise the people on what to do. When the same thing happens in their own country, they are hit with mute paralysis.
The current US/Israel and Iran faceoff has exposed two categories of hypocrites in Nigeria. The first category consists of those benefitting from the rotten system in the country. Therefore, they do not want to offend the system or appear to be attacking the government of the day. In this category are big men, politicians, contractors, political jobbers, hangers-on, turncoats and many people looking forward to enjoying one benefit or another from the government. So even if they know the truth, they refuse to say it because you cannot fight or criticize a system that benefits you. This category of people turns a blind eye to the killings in the country, the economic meltdown, the mindless nepotism, and all manner of decay. The channel of their bread must be maintained even if it means the death of their mothers. They will keep quiet.
The second category of hypocrites in the country consists of those scared of the consequences of speaking truth to power. They may not be benefitting from the system but are timid and fainthearted. They consider their jobs, families, careers, and well-being over speaking truth to power. But they speak truth to power when the same conditions in their country are replicated in another country. They are all hypocrites. The insecurity and killings in Nigeria deserve everyone’s attention. The recklessness in the corridors of power at every level must be identified and condemned. Charity must begin at home.
Dr. Promise Adiele is of the Mountain Top University. He can he reached via promee01@yahoo.com; X: @drpee4
