By Remi Sonaiya
The truth, it is commonly said, is bitter; and yet, nothing seems to resolves an issue more quickly and more effectively than the truth. Or else, why do people have to swear in court that they would speak “the truth, and nothing but the truth”? However, it would appear as if certain societies are more tolerant of the truth than others, even though all might give intellectual assent to the fact that speaking the truth is indeed a positive quality to possess and encourage among the populace.
The immediate cause for the writing of this piece is the recent happenings in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where mayhem broke out among some Hausa and Yoruba dwellers in the ancient town, resulting in the killing of – tens? hundreds? – of people. And that is the point. How many people lost their lives during those two days of anarchy? We don’t know. And why? Because the authorities won’t tell; there seems to be a clampdown on reporting the matter in the media. Furthermore, what caused the trouble? All one can go on are recycled accounts, presumably originating from eyewitnesses; but now, there are a hundred and one versions of them! However, it is clear that something serious occurred in the town, given the presence of so many policemen as well as the constant coming and going of VIPs, heralded by sirens and even more police presence.
This is not unusual for us, however. We are a people who apparently cannot handle the truth, especially when it involves some public dignitaries, or when the matter under discussion is deemed to be too sensitive or volatile; for instance, if it brings into confrontation different ethnic groups and/or religions. We are afraid to get to the root causes of issues, presumably for fear of “further heating up the polity” orof bringing about even greater social disturbances. So, we think it better to sweep matters under the carpet, wish them away, or offer temporary palliatives to some aggrieved group or the other. As such, for example, most of our murder cases never get resolved: Who killed Dele Giwa? Bola Ige? Funsho Williams? And we continue to deal with age-old problems which have pitted communities against each other. They will not go away, because we have not tasked ourselves to unearth the truth of the matter and be able to judge it rightly.
Getting to the truth of a matter is the first step towards justice being done. Of course, that is such an obvious fact, and we are aware that the entire legal system rests upon this foundation: until the truth is (believed to have been) established, no sentence is passed by the judge. All accusations must be substantiated – as in the ongoing call on President Donald Trump to present evidence of his claim that the former United States president, Barack Obama, ordered the wiretapping of Trump Towers during the presidential campaign. Even members of his (Trump’s) party are demanding that he present the necessary proof or recant. Indeed, one wonders whether Mr. Obama could not actually sue Mr. Trump for defamation of character.
Societies like South Africa and Rwanda have had to deal with these issues of truth and justice. The atrocities of apartheid and genocide could not be easily smoothed over and swept under the carpet; the people (that is, the survivors) needed to be helped to make some meaning, somehow, or at least attain closure, out of all that they had suffered – and getting the truth to be openly acknowledged is an important step in that process. Indeed, organisations like the USAID that work with victims of such grievous acts of injustice acknowledge that knowing the truth about what they have suffered is a fundamental right of the victims. For example, they have a right to know the identity of their abusers and those who planned to commit acts of violence against them or their loved ones. Also, how the violence was allowed to happen in the first place could equally be a crucial issue for some victims.
Should we all not care to know why the violence which occurred in Ile-Ife on the 7th and 8th of March, 2017 took place? Why did a simple argument between two individuals (if that was the truth of the matter) escalate or degenerate into a veritable killing field, consuming (based on unverifiable reports) the lives of over three hundred individuals? What pent-up ethnic animosities did a simple argument ignite, and what could be at the root of such animosities?
The USAID’s Strategy on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance seeks to promote national dialogue on human rights violations through the support and encouragement of truth-seeking. Truth seeking will lead to proper prosecution of criminal behaviour, the making of appropriate reparation to victims and the opportunity for deep wounds to be healed. This, in turn, will advance development as societies become more peaceful and just.
Nigeria needs to be bold to pursue truth-seeking at this critical moment in our history. We continue to move in circles, never truly advancing to attain our well-acclaimed potential. Why? There are fundamental issues to be addressed and resolved. And it is in that regard that one may consider the announcement of the 2019 election time-table by INEC as premature. We cannot continue with the current system which obviously has failed us. The path to our development requires that there be truth and justice in our affairs.