Why fake news will never end in Nigeria

A few days ago, the whole world was treated to the hot coffee of the news of (the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister) Boris Johnson contracting the lethal and deadly disease christened coronavirus! After it was broadcasted to the whole world, he also came on air to tell his people and all of us that he would start to work from home. And when his state of health got worse, his people and the whole world were told that he had been moved to—Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of St Thomas Hospital, London. And when he was later discharged from the same hospital, we all saw it. There was nothing hidden about it. There was no comedy about it. This is what happens in saner climes!

Nothing was shrouded in secrecy about the state of his health and how he was treated and nursed back to his feet, so no one could write any fake article on it! But if it was in Nigeria and something happens to the president, his whereabouts would not be known, let alone his state of health! It was in this country that a whole president was smuggled and trafficked out of Nigeria like foreign rice and was brought back home, switching every light off at the airport, before he finally passed on as told by all the actors involved in the drama that lasted for some months. Fake news thrives in a nation where everything about governance is shrouded in secrecy!

When Buhari first took ill after climbing to the pinnacle of political power in Nigeria, having his home in Aso Rock, I thought the fad would change, because he promised us all—that he was coming to change Nigeria and that he was not coming to maintain the status-quo. But today, we do know better. It was first denied that he took ill, as if he is not a human being that can take ill. And when everything about his whereabouts and his state of condition were shrouded in secrecy, people began to fabricate fake news about his state of health and where he was. As far as I am concerned, fake news is appropriate in a nation—where every-thing about governance is shrouded in secrecy!

Also, when Dr. Goodluck’s wife took ill and was flown to Germany, those who were feeding from the Aso Rock’s table came out to deny it, taking everyone on, saying she was fine. When people did not know anything about where she was and what was happening to her, they started cooking up fake news about her state of health and where she was. But when she returned, she made a mess of those speaking for her and her husband—when she either mistakenly or deliberately told the whole world what was wrong with her and where she was coming from. Did those who lie to our people apologize? No! It is not in our culture to apologize, we only bald-facedly move on as a people without asking questions and demanding for apologies from those in the corridors of power.

On the condition that you charge those flying the kite of fake news for treason, then those who are running a secret-cult-administration should be charged for something worse! In Nigeria, we are fond of parading our political leaders—as if they are super-human beings who can never take ill. I am sick and tired of leaders who do not want to appear as human beings, who can take ill on any day and at any time. Away with leaders—who pretend to appear as if they are superhuman, so that our people can be worshipping in their fabricated shrines!

And because everything about it was shrouded in secrecy, there were a lot of fake news flying everywhere! It was not clear whether PMB was in Saudi Arabia or London. Some said baba was dead. Some said he was on a life-support machine. And till today, a lot of fake news is still being peddled about what transpired in those days in London. Remember, when everything is shrouded in secrecy, you are indirectly empowering fake news peddlers to feed the whole nation with what they are selling.

As I begin to coast home, I want to sincerely commiserate and empathize with the family of late Abba Kyari and Mr. President. Do we have some lessons that we need to learn as an effect of his sudden death? Yes! One, we need to stop fooling ourselves and start building world-class hospitals in every State in our country. A nation without word-class hospitals is a disaster waiting to happen. Two, the way Abba’s issue was handled was shrouded in secrecy, aiding a lot of fake news to thrive! How do I mean? Late Kyari traveled to German on a national assignment and returned to Nigeria through London. When he got home, he could not tell exactly where and how he ended up contracting the dreaded disease, covid-19. After it was announced that he contracted it, he disappeared and no one knew where he was! And because the Federal Government of Nigeria was not transparent about it, fake news began to fly everywhere that he was flown out side Nigeria. In fact, some people said that it was because of him that those Chinese medical personnel were flown into the country. Can we blame them? No! Even the government of Babajide Sanwo-Olu first denied that it did not know where he was in Lagos! When everything is being done in the dark in a context of governance, expect fake news to become common like dust!

What then can stop fake news in Nigeria? DSS? No! Police? No! Army? No! SARS? No! The only thing that can stop fake news in Nigeria is transparency in how Nigerians are being daily governed. As long as Nigerians are being daily governed in the dark, no one should expect fake news to stop thriving! For the umpteenth time, do not blame fake news peddlers; blame those who are fond of governing Nigerians in the dark!