Yoruba proverb says “Take the monkey to the bush, in order for monkey
not to take you to the bush.” Believe me it is a wise saying.
No one feels the devastation of lies than the victims. The consequences of
it have multiple implications, the height of it can lead to death.
Imagine a situation where you are a generous giver and you accommodate
indiscriminately; should two of those who are beneficiaries of your kind
gestures die in quick succession, in this part of the world where even those
who are educated are ignorant, you could be tagged a ritualist and it may stick
and spread like wildfire.
Jonathan Swift expresses the havoc of lying thus; “Falsehood flies, and
truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too
late; the jest is over, and the tale hath had its effect…”
Ever since he came into the political landscape in Nigeria and his successes
and popularity started to soar, Bola Tinubu, the Asiwaju of Lagos and Jagaban
Borgu, had had to carry a stigma of a highly corrupt person.
He governed Lagos for eight years and had been succeeded by three governors;
he had been a gadfly of some governments as an opposition and he had had
enemies within his own group.
Public opinion and perception matters but public opinion is not legal
opinion. In legal, if you allege you must prove, however in public opinion,
blackmail, lies, gang ups can become a stigma and a dangerous one for that
matter.
An example still glued to memory is that of the outgoing President of the
U.S, Donald Trump, when he contested against Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Trump stigmatized Hillary to a pulp and she a potential winner, lost an
election to an individual who blackmailed and bullied her with lies,
distortions and assumptions.
In the yet to be fully resolved presidential election 2020, Trump as an
incumbent whose lies’ lid and deception got blown off the eyes of a multitude
who fell for his demagoguery and shenanigans with Hillary, and a trend which
characterized his presidency for four years, have had to reject him and
embraced Biden. Mind you he tried blackmail and conspiracy theories to weaken
Biden’s quest but Americans saw through the smokescreen and fired him.
But for the grace of God, Lagos would have faced a total economic wreckage
just mainly because of the misgivings that had over the years, been maliciously
attached to Tinubu’s public persona mostly born out of hatred, jealousy and
bitterness simply because there has been no convincing actionable evidence from
his traducers.
Some of the distortions,disinformation and outright falsehoods are thus
itemised:
- Certificate forgery; yet he worked in a corporate organisations like Arthur
Andersen LLP a company based in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A Mobil Oil Nigeria.
- He was accused of mortgaging Lagos economy by weight of the state’s
indebtedness to some Banks hence his adoption of Femi Pedro as his deputy who
was assumed to be the eyes and ears of a major bank Lagos was hugely indebted
to, but he fired Femi Pedro and heaven did not fall.
- Tinubu’s unrelenting pursuing masquerades doubted his birth, his birthplace,
his names, the schools he attended etc.
- He was not even spared the insinuations of complicity in assassination of a
prominent opposition politician yet no single evidence was put forward neither
by the security agents nor the amateur accusers.
- They made their blackmail so loud and laughable for intelligent people, but
credible to the ignorant.
No wonder when hoodlums hijacked the “endSARS” protest, businesses
he is perceived to own were torched and by extension of the anger, most public
utilities and the revered ancient Oba’s palace in Isale Eko were either razed
or looted, all in an attempt to hurt him.
But for providence, Oriental Hotels now revealed to be owned by the Lung
family would have been destroyed and all workers thrown into a quandary.
Lies of his flee and stage-managed telephone calls purporting to be his
voice in remorseful and uncertain manner were fed to the public.
Silence at times connotes acquiescence. It is therefore very important and
wise that the doctrine of all is fair in love and war should be adopted.
Counter false allegations, confirm that which is true, correct which is not
accurate and scapegoat some mischief makers.
I have on several occasions been a victim of lies, blackmail, distortions
and I know how it hurts and haunts.
It is high time Bola Tinubu comes out to correct wrong impressions that had
festered for so long and capable of causing harms.
by 
