Adam Grant made an interesting observation in the Telegraph on authenticity. He referenced an author, A.J. Jacobs, who spent a few weeks trying to be authentic about 10 years ago. After experimenting with speaking his thoughts as bluntly as possible, he came to this conclusion: “Deceit makes our world go round, without lies, marriages would crumble, workers would be fired, egos would be shattered and governments would collapse.” The Nigerian government may have mastered this rule a long time ago, and have become so skilled at denial, even when the evidence suggest otherwise.
Yesterday, it was announced that the President would be out of the country for ten days to seek medication for a persistent ear infection. According to Femi Adesina, his spokesman, his decision to travel abroad is at his Nigerian doctor’s recommendation. It’s quite fascinating to note that the same Mr. Adesina, on Saturday, denied that the President was ill.
Earlier, news sources claimed that President Buhari was diagnosed with Meniere disease, which is a disorder of the inner ear that causes fluctuating hearing loss and a vertigo sensation. The disease is allegedly the reason why the President cancelled his visit to Lagos State and to Ogoni, for the commencement of the cleanup. Adesina, who serves as the Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, denied the report saying Buhari’s illness is a “figment of the person’s imagination.”
In an interview with the Cable, he said “Didn’t you see pictures of him receiving Anglican bishops on Friday? Did he look sick? The president is as fit as a fiddle. Anyone who says he is sick is telling lies.” He concluded by saying that Buhari is hale and hearty and that the imagination of whoever dared to spread the rumor was “on overdrive.” Call it selective truth or not, one should wonder how Adesina feels, now that Buhari has commenced his ‘sick leave’ and if he is ashamed, at all, to have been caught in a lie.
Maybe Nigerian leaders are way past shame and do not care about insulting our intelligence because the culture of deceit in the present administration is unwavering. Femi Adesina, with his blatant denial of reality, bridges the gap between Lai Mohammed’s ridiculous remarks and Buhari’s silence. Pius Adesanmi, a political analyst, argued that a haughty arrogance and unbridled contempt for the Nigerian people are the fundamental requirements of his job. However, this style and ease of untruth by the President’s spokesmen has the potential to hinder the change he so earnestly campaigned for.
Also, if Adesina keeps up this pattern, Buhari’s administration is set to failure and, as Adesanmi wrote, “here lies the ruins of an administration that took the gold of change and turned it to the cold ash of more of the same,” may be the inscription on their tombstone.
