A lying witness is unconvincing; a person who speaks the truth is respected. Watch your words and hold your tongue, you'll save yourself a lot of grief.
Why do men and women who write history always seem to write out their sins? “Heroes”, many would call them. In their defense, “they uncompromisingly stood their grounds against a status quo”. Despised by others, which in their opinion, stood, but quaked as they compromised the original plan for justice and truth. I often wonder, about such conclusions. Heroes or villains, who are they? Hence the inspiration for this piece. However, I am certain that they were at some point in time unpopular, renegades, outcasts, and at worst alleged terrorists. A Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela wrote brilliantly in his memoir Long Walk to Freedom and I quote:“At the end of the day, I said, violence was the only weapon that would destroy apartheid and we must be prepared, shortly, to use that weapon”. Before this statement, he despised violence, and he believed in a South Africa without violence. Unfortunately/fortunately, Apartheid and other forms of discrimination against black Africans had other ideas. Consequently, he was labeled the number one enemy of the state. Interestingly, his position on creating a perceived better future is shared by many nationalist and freedom fighters all around the world including those who failed. It is critical to say, that Mandela paid a huge price for his beliefs for a new South Africa. He is today celebrated all around the world as a hero. If history were a woman, she would be the most beautiful one that I’ve ever seen. She is the fact, she knows the lies hidden in facts. This makes me love even more. This piece is not written to discredit anyone, but it is written to prompt questions about today, yesterday, and tomorrow. A wise man once said, “If what you see, is all you see, then you do not see all there is to be seen”.
If history were a woman, she would be the most beautiful one that I’ve ever seen. She is the fact, she knows the lies hidden in facts.
It's amazing how the European version of Africa's history was for the longest time believed, taught, and upheld as the most correct factual piece of history. Yes, the same Europeans whose civilization only began much recently, or long after the collapse of many great African empires, suddenly feel indomitable. Sometimes I wish rulers like Musa Mansa were alive to read the history books, written by some of the white supremacists about his beloved Africa. Amilcar Cabral an African intellectual and revolutionary in his book Double Consciousness argued that presently, Africa is plagued with an identity crisis, a dilemma resurfacing in every area of our being- this means that they have a dual identity, both as a colonized person, and as a member of the colonizing nation. This dual identity leads to a sense of confusion and divided loyalty. If Africans are to judge from the history books, to what extent can they say with their full chests that what has been publicized as facts remains infallible? I beg to differ without allowing an answer to ask, can it be that when we apply the lying fact hypothesis to everything cultural and traditional, we wouldn’t see a connected lie, facts, truths, and patterns? Be that as it may, the central idea is that the lying fact hypothesis cuts deep into the fabric of what we hold as unquestionable and factual. As a student of Platonic philosophy, Questions are as good as the answers. If this is the case where is the place of absolutes?
I remember my first months as a religious agnostic, I would observe the tiniest of details and I would question everything that relates to the worship of a deity. I reduced all religious postulations to poetic brilliance, and God to a made-up myth. For me, facts proving that indeed a deity exists were hilarious and lacked an objective angle to make a big deal. (Abelit, a billion unspoken facts exist). Sometimes, I would laugh at the Bible and share my pity for members of any religion. This takes me to my most fundamental question: The facts of God, where is the lie or truth in that? What do I know about God, who validates my assertions, and disproves my beliefs with superior pieces of evidence? Atheism (science) claims to have the answers, but I hold that atheism is the deeper version of agnosticism. They don't know Jack about God and they are honest about it. They are also in my opinion, asking the most important question- who is God? Why should I believe in your God? How do I know that he/she is real? Sadly, the only thing I am left with is a direct with him (God), which if discussed undermines my premises, but it is real to me. It can be validated in the Bible, but by whom? To what audience? Hence, I have come to conclude, that facts are man-made, God's truth may not be facts to men, because they are divine, and remain undiluted, and infallible. On this note, even religion stands to be tested, and judged before approved.
facts are man-made, God's truth may not be facts to men, because they are divine, and remain undiluted, and infallible.
In Nigeria, there is always a meeting point between politics and religion. They are perhaps inseparable when looked at with criticality. However, the fact in display is that they are oceans apart, even the most sane and brilliant politicians uphold such binary lies. Because I am not a conspiracy theorist, I would cite examples from the 2019 and 2023 general elections respectively right here in Nigeria- the former was keenly contested by Muhammadu Buhari (APC) and Atiku Abubakar (PDP). These gentlemen heated the Nigerian polity at that time, they campaigned hard. However, the detail always overlooked is the religious factor that eats deep into the very born of Nigerians- religion. Funny enough, these gentlemen are both muslims. There shouldn’t be room for contention or alarm. But to the surprise of some Nigerians, their commitment to their religion became the centerpiece of their campaigns. Consequently, the outcome of the elections proved who according to the people was more of a Muslim/Fulani as it were. The latter was again keenly contested by Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Bola Ahmad Tinubu (APC), and Peter Gregory Obi (LP). I hold that this election was the most interesting in the history of Nigeria. Because, it vividly, paints my point. For the first time in a long time, the lies in the history of Nigeria were revisited, questioned, and as usual, accepted. For one, the election showed that Nigeria is a country but far from being a nation, far from being united, far from political objectivity. Secondly, the elections revealed that people do not care about the lies in the history books. A fraudulent candidate, who doubled as a drug lord, with no actual qualification emerged as the president of the most populous black nation in the world. It is absurd, but the fact remains that Nigeria is a lie.
For the first time in a long time, the lies in the history of Nigeria were revisited, questioned, and as usual, accepted.
We are entitled to our opinions, but what if your opinion is influenced by chains of historical lies? I wish this were my concluding thoughts but they are not. Nigerians, you know the truth, even before the previous elections, the recent hardship, and the unending complaints. You had always known that our facts lied, but we hate the truth, it is the truth! I recalled David Hundeyin’s mindblowing investigations on corrupt politicians, Religious leaders, and individuals who sponsored terrorism, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and corruption among other crimes. But Nigerians paid no attention, gave zero fuck, and crowned the criminals kings over them. As a Christian, the Bible says, “The truth shall set you free”. On this note, I ask, with all your prayer and fasting, to what end? The God you accused of being daft, has answered your prayers a very long time ago. He is not to be blamed. My final thoughts are, “Whoever wanders off the straight and narrow ends up in a congregation of ghosts. Also note, that whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself- glorious life” Proverbs 21: 16, 21.
You had always known that our facts lied, but we hate the truth, it is the truth!
The truth is bitter, we don’t always want to hear it so we keep running/avoiding it.