Freedom of Speech Is Stifled and Some Public Office Holders Do Unnecessary Eye Service

It is not any exaggeration or over generalization if one comes out to say that in a country like Nigeria, we have public office holders who are just only good in doing eye service in order to please their pay masters. It is a truism that those in power have shown the domineering attitude of doing everything possible to suppress freedom of speech from the common citizens of the country. The evidences are not far-fetched, they are everywhere. They are things we have been seeing how they are happening repeatedly.
One may begin to wonder what the hell has taken up the conscience and hearts of these people who are in power that they don’t want to get any criticism from the public domain.
In a fair society, public figures should always expect some criticisms of their lives and performance. Some of the honest opinions and comments made by some citizens who for the sake of public interest criticize the poor performance, unreliable and uncaring attitude of those holding public offices should be welcomed. Those who have the courage to voice out what the people in power are not doing right should not be intimidated.
Unfortunately, Nigeria has turned to a country where public figures are so bent on using their power and influence to silence criticisms, oppositions and corrections. They forcefully want the people under their leadership to believe and accept anything they do or say without questioning them for accountability and transparency.
As a writer of this post, it annoys me so much when i see the Personal Advisers, Special Assistants and Media Aides of these public figures coming out to shamelessly lie and defend their pay masters while failing to convey to their pay masters the true situation of things like the sufferings, insecurity and pains that the ordinary citizens are going through. Also, i hate it when i see or hear some persons in any office or field of career who goes the path of doing eye service or saying things in order to please those in power and to get favour from them in return.
There are so many examples of those in power trying to suppress freedom of speech and those holding some office positions doing eye service to please their masters at the top.
To take few of those examples, let us throw light on the ones that happened recently.
Firstly, you can recall the event that happened in Delta State College of Nursing Sciences where the students refused to sing in agreement to the song which the Emcee(Master of Ceremonies) sang and expected them to sing along with him.
The emcee while trying to hype the wife of the President Mrs.Tinubu, said “Na Our Mama Be This ooo” and the nursing students replied him with “Na Your Mama Be This ooo”. The issue of the eye service started with the emcee that formed the song “na our mama be this ooo” in order to please Mrs.Tinubu without minding if other people would be happy with such narrative. The bigger eye service in relative to that matter was the action of Mrs.Evbodaghe Rita Ogonne (Provost of the Nursing College) who quickly issued a query to one Ms.Edobor for posting the video of the event on social media.
If not for eye service and maybe to get favour from Mrs.Tinubu or even President Tinubu, why should she issue such a query to that lady?
It is good that the Governor of Delta State Sheriff Oborevwori and the Honourable Commissioner for Health Dr.Joseph Ongjaeme ordered Mrs.Evbodaghe Rita Ogonne to drop the query against Ms.Edobor.
Secondly, the case of a serving corps member in Lagos State who criticized President Tinubu’s government as she stated the level of hardships in the country and as well called the President a reckless leader, we heard how NYSC officials and even the Presidential Media Aide threatened her for making such post on social media. The NYSC officials and the Presidential Media Aide were just focused on doing eye service to please their pay master even when everything the lady said was the true reality of the situation of things in Nigeria due to poor performance of the President.
Thirdly, the case of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) placing unlawful ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s song “Tell Your Papa”. In my own opinion, that act of banning the song by Susan Obi(coordinating director and broadcast monitoring) of NBC is an eye service done by her in order to gain praises and favour from both Seyi Tinubu(President’s son) and President Tinubu. Everything Eedris said in that song was nothing but the truth and they decided to ban the song before it will go viral.
I can go on and on to expose some other examples where you could see public office holders hiding the truth and covering the pains that the ordinary citizens are going through just because they want to please their pay masters.
Also, in the larger scheme of things, it is obvious that the politicians in power are doing everything within their power to stop freedom of speech. They don’t want to do the right things why they were elected, they don’t want to be criticized but they are always ready to witch-hunt and intimidate the people that criticize or oppose them.
If nothing is done about these misplaced priorities where public office holders are not concentrating on the problems that are pressing so hard on the country but are rather more focused on stopping freedom of speech and telling lies and doing eye service, things may never get better anytime soon in Nigeria.
In conclusion, it will be nice if all of us as a people will do the right thing and allow our conscience to be alive.