TheCable

I really would not like to rake up dust which would mostly lead to the Desmond Elliot’s type treatment. I can barely survive that kind of treatment were sordid details of one’s life is dug up and splashed all over the net for people to read all because one has taken a contrarian view or dared to be in the minority on any issue.

The most dangerous thing to do in public discourse in Nigeria today is attempt to stand true to facts and logic. You will be made mince meat and lynched digitally. You see like I always have said, the most dangerous thing that can happen to any society and sadly is happening in this society is access to a powerful medium like social media by barely literate or outright illiterate denizens. Then it would be like lighting a cigarette near a fallen tanker laden with fuel. What you get is what we just came out from.

The digital mob has grown much more ferocious than their physical cousins. At least the fear of being caught can serve as a limiting force in the physical realm even though that is hardly the case. On social media there are no boundaries as abuses, invectives and all sort of misfacts and outright inanities are hurled and thrown at targets without any fear or respect.

Have you bothered to go through the comments sections of these posts or blogs. You will weep. Responses to very serious comments or observations are often met with things like ‘your father, see him head and God punish you’. Any position that runs contrary to the vast position of the loony majority is usually met with the worse kind of abuse and not with any constructive engagement that should sue for an argument based on logic and facts.

It is no wonder that the Government in desperation is pushing for the ill advised regulation of Social Media. Even opposition to this has not been met with strong arguments even as legion as they are but are met with further abuse – like Lai  Mohammed na bastard, Bubu neck wey be like ostrich God punish am.

This is where I blame the Government. They have superintended the wholesale destruction of the educational sector. This has bred a huge society of barely literate adults who really do not understand their role in a Social Contract or the processes and institutions that are expected to govern interaction between all stakeholders in a modern Nation state.

This morass permeates all parts of society including government, because these zombies also find themselves in Government and public position hence the kinds of policy we get to see and the kinds of comments and actions from Government even at the highest levels.

The solution is a robust change in the narratives from all. Deliberate policy initiatives that would push for better enlightenment of all stakeholders should immediately be pushed not only from Government but also from society. When the masses begin to understand the logic of engagements then we may begin to see the advent of self-regulation and there would be no need for the draconian attempt to muzzle discourse.

The truth is that, it is wild out there. Really sad for right now we are in a digital state of anarchy. Scary.