As the Nigerian President and several State Governors mark their second year in office, the atmosphere is charged with claims of achievements — from the strengthening of the naira to the price of fuel and rice, road construction, regular salary payments, job creation, and poverty alleviation. These narratives are aggressively pushed to convince citizens of commendable performance within the time frame.
Yet, beyond the official scorecards, the reality experienced by ordinary Nigerians at home, at work, and on the streets tells a more complex — and often contradictory — story. The growing public frustration is unmistakable, and the noise surrounding the true state of the nation is deafening. Rather than constructive dialogue, we witness a fierce war of words: government spokespersons and opposition voices locked in relentless cyber battles, with each side more interested in scoring political points than solving real problems.
Amid this chaos, Chief Eze, an APC chieftain from Rivers State, cuts through the noise with an unflinching truth: “In saner climes, truth is noble, but in Nigeria, honest critique attracts the wrath of bootlickers, sycophants, and self-seeking agents of propaganda, desperate to defend their paymasters.” His statement reflects a sobering reality where sycophancy often trumps accountability, and even incomplete projects are commissioned with fanfare — a bewildering and all-too-familiar spectacle.
One cannot help but ask: When will we as a nation demand sincerity over spin, and delivery over drama?
–Dr Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu writes from Ibadan
akeredolubetty@gmail.com
