By Chris Curtis
*Introduction*
There comes a time in the life of every nation when truth must be spoken plainly — not to condemn, but to awaken. That time is now. The hypocrisy that has taken root in our national character must stop.
We have mastered the art of pointing fingers while standing knee-deep in the same mud we condemn. We criticize others for failing to do the right thing, yet we deliberately ignore the very solutions we know could mend our collective brokenness. When you accuse others of faults you are guilty of yourself, you are not just mistaken — you are a hypocrite.
*The Mirror of Leadership and Followership*
We often chant that our nation’s problem is bad leadership, but that’s only half the truth. The other half — the one we conveniently ignore — is bad followership. We know where our problems lie, yet we feign ignorance. We say, “When I get there, I’ll take my share,” and the cycle continues. We complain bitterly when our tribe is not in power, but suddenly go mute when “our person” assumes the same position. This is not patriotism; it is hypocrisy dressed in ethnic loyalty.
*The Contradictions of Our Faith and Values*
We preach peace but secretly fan the embers of division. We gather in places of worship to proclaim love, yet our love ends at the borders of our tribe, dialect, or religion. We accuse the white man of racism, forgetting that tribalism and religious bigotry are our own homemade cancers. To despise your own fellow citizen simply because of where they come from or what they believe is hypocrisy of the highest order.
*A Society of Double Standards*
Everyone says they want a better country, but in our own small corners, we exploit the weak, cut corners, and justify corruption. The so-called “bad leaders” did not descend from Mars — they emerged from among us, molded by our collective greed and moral compromise. Leadership is often a reflection of the led.
We cry for truth, but when confronted with it, we recoil and label it hate speech. What we truly hate is not the message, but the discomfort of being exposed. We demand freedom to protest, yet we suppress others when they try to do the same.
Why must citizens seek permission to speak against injustice, while public officers freely waste taxpayers’ money without permission? Why must the poor justify their anger, while the powerful justify their excess?
*The Disregard for Human Dignity*
We demand respect from citizens but show none to our senior citizens who gave their youth in service to the nation, only to retire into hardship. We beg the youth to join the security forces, yet we make those uniforms a burial shroud for many, sacrificed on the altar of greed, incompetence, and hidden agendas.
How did we descend so low that a public official could boldly claim a cow holds the same worth as a citizen — and still retain his position? This is not just moral bankruptcy; it is a psychological collapse of values.
*A Nation in Moral Freefall*
The person who coined the word hypocrisy may well have had our generation in mind. Today, hypocrisy and corruption walk side by side in broad daylight — not as shameful acts, but as professions proudly practiced by many.
We live with the illusion that one day, magically, things will change — forgetting that change demands deliberate effort, not wishful thinking. We need an implosion before a rebirth — not a violent one, but a moral, spiritual, and institutional reawakening.
We must hit the reset button:
• A moral reset to restore conscience,
• A psychological reset to reorient our mindset,
• An institutional reset to rebuild trust,
• A societal reset to revalue human life, and
• A spiritual reset to reconnect with truth.
*A Call to National Rebirth*
The elders who once held the torch of wisdom now dance to the rhythm of shame. But even so, all hope is not lost. A new Nigeria — a new nation — is possible. Yet it cannot be born out of hypocrisy, deceit, or pretense. It must be born out of sincerity, collective purpose, and a genuine desire to rebuild what we have destroyed.
The change we seek will not come from empty slogans or recycled promises. It will come from every citizen deciding — truly deciding — to live by the truth they demand of others.
Until we make that conscious choice, this hypocrisy will continue to be our greatest national religion.
But if we choose sincerity over pretence, honesty over tribal loyalty, and truth over comfort, then — and only then — will a new nation rise from the ashes of its hypocrisy.
*Author: Chris Curtis*
He can be reached via
📩 Email: chriscurtiswrites@gmail.com
