The recent visit by Catholic bishops to the President is no longer news. What remains significant, however, is the courage with which the religious leaders spoke truth to power.
They did not visit the seat of government to flatter the President, shower him with praise or participate in the sycophancy that has become an unfortunate feature of Nigerian politics. They went there and told him, plainly, that Nigerians are suffering and bleeding.
The cardinal and other Catholic leaders did not conceal the harsh reality confronting millions of Nigerians. They spoke about economic hardship, insecurity and the daily struggles of ordinary citizens. In doing so, they gave a voice to people whose cries are often ignored by those in authority.
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And what followed?
Instead of listening, reflecting and addressing the concerns raised, some presidential spokespersons reportedly resorted to attacking and disparaging those who dared to express uncomfortable truths.
What a shame.
Since when did telling the government the truth become an offence?
The Catholic bishops are not politicians seeking elective office. They are not political job seekers competing for appointments. They have no reason to participate in the sycophancy that has become so common in Nigeria.
As religious leaders, they have a moral responsibility to speak for the people and defend the principles of justice, human dignity and good governance.
If those in authority cannot tolerate criticism from respected religious leaders, what does that say about the health of our democracy?
A government that is confident in its achievements should not be afraid of criticism. A government genuinely committed to serving the people should welcome difficult questions and constructive criticism.
Truth should not be treated as an enemy; it should be regarded as a compass.
Nigeria, however, appears to be witnessing a dangerous trend in which those who speak truth to power are attacked, insulted or labelled enemies of the government.
This is dangerous.
The challenges confronting Nigeria are not imaginary. Hunger is real. Unemployment is real. Insecurity is real. Kidnapping and banditry remain serious concerns. Millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive, while many families find it increasingly difficult to afford food, healthcare, transportation and other basic necessities.
These are the issues the government should be addressing.
These are the problems that deserve urgent attention.
The messenger should not become the target simply because the message is uncomfortable.
If the government spends more energy attacking those who draw attention to national problems than it does solving those problems, then something is fundamentally wrong.
A government that fears the truth ultimately fears its own people.
When those in power begin to treat every criticism as an attack, every question as an act of hostility and every dissenting voice as an enemy, democracy begins to lose its meaning.
Democracy cannot survive on praise-singing. It cannot thrive on sycophancy. It cannot be sustained by surrounding those in power with people who tell them only what they want to hear.
A healthy democracy requires disagreement. It requires criticism, a free press and an active civil society. It requires religious leaders, professionals, intellectuals and ordinary citizens to be able to express their views without intimidation.
Nigeria must resist every attempt to create a political environment in which only one voice is permitted to dominate.
There are already concerns about a growing appetite for political dominance and the gradual movement towards a one-party political environment. If opposition voices are systematically weakened, critics are demonised and citizens are discouraged from questioning those in authority, then we must ask a fundamental question: What kind of democracy are we building?
Democracy without dissent is an illusion.
Democracy without accountability is merely political theatre.
Democracy without the freedom to speak truth to power is democracy in name only.
Those in government must understand that Nigeria does not belong to the President, the ruling party or a privileged political class. Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians.
The people have constitutional and democratic rights to question their leaders, demand accountability, protest against injustice and speak out when things are going wrong.
No government should become so powerful that it develops an allergy to criticism.
The Catholic bishops should not be condemned for telling the government what millions of Nigerians are already saying in their homes, workplaces, communities and places of worship.
The government should listen.
The real embarrassment is not that the bishops spoke. The embarrassment would be if those in power refused to listen.
Nigeria does not need more praise-singers. It needs truth-tellers.
It does not need leaders surrounded by sycophants who applaud every decision. It needs leaders who are courageous enough to confront reality and humble enough to accept criticism.
Those in power should remember that the truth may be uncomfortable, but it is never the enemy of good governance.
If the government has nothing to hide, why should it be afraid of the truth?
Written by Festus Edovia, ANIPR, FICM
