There is a dangerous hour in the life of a nation when those entrusted with telling the truth begin to fear its consequences more than the consequences of falsehood. At that hour, public office becomes a shield against accountability, citizens become casualties of deception, and leadership forgets that authority is a responsibility, not a licence to mislead.
The commandment in Exodus 20:16 declares, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” This is not merely a private instruction about personal conduct. It is a moral boundary against the deliberate distortion of truth, the destruction of innocent reputations and the manipulation of facts for personal advantage. No office, title, political party or national boundary makes that obligation irrelevant.
To every president, governor, legislator, minister, public servant and political aspirant in Nigeria and beyond, consider this: the people you govern are not instruments for your ambition. They are human beings whose livelihoods, security and future depend partly on the decisions you make. When you misrepresent reality, conceal failures or make promises without a genuine commitment to fulfil them, you place political convenience above public responsibility.
The danger is greater when falsehood acquires institutional protection. A misleading statement can be corrected, but a system that punishes honest disclosure and rewards convenient silence makes correction difficult. Where citizens cannot obtain reliable information, scrutinise public expenditure or question official explanations without intimidation, accountability weakens. Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act 2011 recognises the public’s right to access government records, establishing an important legal foundation for transparency.
Yet the demand for truth must begin with every individual who speaks in its name. No allegation becomes a fact because it is repeated by a respected personality. No accusation becomes righteous because it targets an unpopular leader. Those who publish, preach, govern or influence public opinion must distinguish evidence from rumour and conviction from proof. Otherwise, the language of righteousness becomes another instrument of deception.
Leaders must understand that the suffering of citizens cannot be erased by polished speeches. A family struggling to survive needs policies that address its circumstances, not assurances that deny them. A community threatened by insecurity needs effective protection, not declarations that substitute for results. Public communication has value when it helps citizens understand reality, not when it attempts to manufacture a more convenient version of it.
The response must be practical. Tell the truth about failures. Correct false statements. Preserve public records. Explain decisions involving public resources. Investigate credible allegations fairly, and protect the right of citizens to ask difficult questions. These obligations are not signs of weakness; they demonstrate respect for the people whose trust sustains public institutions. The same standard applies to religious organisations, private institutions and anyone who exercises influence over others.
One day, every office will be vacated, every political title will lose its significance, and every carefully constructed public image will become part of history. What will remain is the human consequence of the choices made under that authority. Let those who lead Nigeria and the nations beyond its borders remember that truth does not become false because it is uncomfortable, and falsehood does not become truth because the powerful endorse it. The enduring question is not how long a leader can control the narrative, but whether that leader has the courage to live by the truth.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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