Here we prove our righteousness by branding everyone else a thief or corrupt, especially if he’s anywhere near public office.
I truly feel that as Nigerians, we lose more when we approach all things with the implicit assumption that our leaders are inherently wicked and terrible.
I feel we should assume ignorance or incompetence first and not malice, dishonestly or corruption, I think we shouldn’t always assume evidence-taking, a lack of it as even more evidence. Once there’s an allegation, the court of public opinion concludes the public official is guilty and thus no one pushes for a true investigation that would give the law court the evidence to throw him to jail. We give up our checkmating role because we assume he’s guilty-if he’s not immediately thrown to jail, it only proves everyone is complicit.
Begin by assuming ignorance or incompetence. It focuses energy on problem-solving and capacity building rather than on conspiracy hunting or paralysis. It helps you listen with an open mind, which helps you find out inconsistencies or identify areas that need tightening. It reduces corrosive cynicism and social polarisation, making cooperation, training, and incremental reform more possible. Believing all to be incurable thieves paralyzes us all and shuts our brain off. The problems remain unsolved while adults wring their hands and look for an external saviour.
The new approach will give less social tension and preserves social capital and institutional working relationships that Nigeria badly needs for service delivery.
Why “assumed malice or wickedness, or corruption first” can look attractive and may even heighten vigilance, stronger oversight, earlier investigations and deterrence we know from experience that none of these happens here. It doesn’t make use demand more accountability, it only leads to conformation bias-once there’s an allegation we assume hes guilty.. Weare appeased just by ranting-the most powerless form of anger because fear does not allow for effective anger.
And when the assumption that all public officers actions are with corrupt intent- it breeds cynicism, demoralises public servants, discourages honest officials, shrinks cooperation, and fuels social fragmentation.
They ask “then why should I care in doing what’s right since they expect me to only do what’s wrong?”
Trying the new way does not do any politician a favour but it helps us keep our sanity to really ask questions, not in malice but to really know – and this is how we can provide concrete evidence, for corruption, when one exist or for reforms.
Dr. Samson Abanni, MBA, is a business consultant with over a decade of experience in helping startups navigate the changes of business childhood. He’s also a member of the Board of Editors of Pacesetter Frontier Magazine.