Photo credit: antwuanmalone.com
I have always marveled at how pretentious and hypocritical our society is but the recent survey carried out by the Pew Research Center which revealed that the most homophobic countries ranked highest in the search for gay porn on Google just reaffirmed my belief. According to Google trends, Nigeria ranks 4th in the world after Kenya, South Africa and Pakistan for volume searches for gay sex pictures! 3 African countries in the top 5 countries of the world who google gay porn? It’s almost unbelievable! What with more than 99% of the Nigerian population claiming to be anti all things gay and a rather stiff penalty for anyone caught in the gay act, it would seem unimaginable that this could be true! But Google search engines don’t lie! So who are the people who are so interested in gay porn?…are they ghosts? Since many of us claim to abhor gay and lesbian relationships. This is just a clear reflection of our hypocritical society.
Many years ago, my brother boarded a commercial bus in Lagos, sometime into the journey a Pastor/Man of God began to preach. After a while the bus conductor said something that obviously rubbed the preaching man the wrong way and according to my brother, to his shock and to the shock of the other passengers, the preacher said “F^ck you”…the conductor replied by saying “You call yourself a man of God and you’re using the F word” ( I am trying to avoid desecrating my blog by using the exact word) and to everyone’s surprise again the Pastor retorted “Yes, If I am angry I can use the F word!” And he continued preaching! When I heard this story I laughed so hard and till this day, each time I remember it still cracks me up. But, beyond being funny, it is pathetic and a true picture of what our society represents, or how does one reconcile the fact that someone who is urging people to jettison bad behavior and repent from their sins also sees nothing wrong with the use of foul language which even atheists find offensive. If that is not hypocrisy then I don’t know what is!
Just yesterday, I was reading the interview of a DNA expert here in Nigeria where he revealed that 3 out of 10 Nigerian men are not the biological fathers of their children! A whopping 30% out of a 100%! Yet it is generally seen as almost inconceivable for women (especially the married ones) to cheat! Often times, we act all pious and sanctimonious, claiming to respect and adhere to our culture but in our closets we do the opposite of what we profess publicly. Hypocrisy has become second nature to us. A man who claims not to fancy women who wear makeup, long weaves and trousers and discourages his wife from wearing them would be found ogling and cheating with the same women who wear these things. Another one claims to be the husband of one wife and will look down on a polygamist as a sinner and even though he is truly legally married to one wife, he keeps several concubines aka side chicks outside his marriage. I have heard of fully covered, hijab wearing muslim sisters who Allen prostitutes can’t compete with in the commercial sex business. Who’s fooling who?
I will not mince words in saying that Nigeria is a country of hypocrites… only 2 days ago many openly mourned the death of someone (albeit an important personality) who died in far away Bahamas, USA while barely acknowledging the gruesome killing of 48 boys in Potiskum, Yobe State which hit right at home! If those boys were related to us biologically I doubt if we would display the same reaction. 6 months down the line our Chibok girls are still missing, yet some of us are more concerned about the activities of ISIS in Syria! Most swear that they want the best for our nation, yet cast their votes based on tribal and religious sentiments and not on the competence of the aspirants. At the end of the day when we are back to square one, we all start lamenting afresh. Our hypocrisy as a people is partly responsible for where we have found ourselves today. Our hypocrisy is sickening and the sooner we mend our ways the better for all of us!
LOLO ON POINT AGAIN. I HIT THIS FIRST.
Lool, Yes o! You sure did. Thanks dude.
You’re very right. We seem afraid to admit what we feel and live who we truly are. May God help us to be bold enough to deliver ourselves from this self imposed lifestyle of fear
Well said. Thanks babe.
Hmm! Well said and on point. Welldone and keep it up.
Thanks a lot.
Most Africans are hypocritical. We act like we are holier than Jesus just because some culture expect us to live a certain lifestyle different from we truly want. I am not saying we should throw caution to the wind but I believe in living our lives according to who we truly are.
Pretence is a burden. God help us.
Honestly, I couldn’t agree with you more! Pretence is surely a burden. Thank you so much.
Lolo I just copied from ur blog to emphasize my point on hypocrisy. God help you, bless and hone your writing skills. It articulates what I couldn’t express but felt about the good pastors’ death. His death is unfortunate and a tragedy, but it was an accident. These people here died. A tragedy. But no accident. The deaths in Yobe, was a deliberate act to destroy and cut lives short. I guess we are just desensitized as a people.
No problem babe. I’d love as many as possible to read this. And I feel the same way too about the Pastor’s death vis-a-vis the Yobe killings. Thank you.
Setting aside the point blank manner at which this piece hit the nail right on the head, I will like to dwell a bit on the Munroes’ tragedy relative to the Nigerian “BBM mourner”. No sooner had the news hit the airwaves, “DPs” of the couple popped up on several of my contacts’ BBM profiles. While I must admit that prior to this time, the name Munroe isn’t one I am quite familiar with (probably because I’m of a different faith), I was extremely shocked to see display messages such as “your books moulded my life”, “you inspired me through your teachings”. . . Bla bla bla . . Yada yada yada. .from a number of my contacts! And I could not recall ever hearing that name or seeing books written by the deceased with any of these people that I had known for a good number of years. Goodness! It is sad how some of us can so “attach” or “famz” with popular figures even in death! Yet a good number of these people claiming to have been immensely inspired by the late Munroe are living lives no where modelled after his teachings. Its only the Almighty that can help us all. Consciously or unconciously, we are all probably guilty of hypocrisy in varying ways. . However, the level at which this vice is found amongst a large number of us and sadly some of our “leaders” is astounding.
Lool @ “BBM Mourner”. Actually, the deceased is quite popular and an inspiration to many but even those who never read his books will pretend that they do so. Trust Nigerians to famz even in death. Thanks Abayomi.
GBAM!!! True talk
Thanks Vic!
“3 out of 10 nigerian men not biological fathers of their children”.O girl dat research correct so.they better do a re-search to confirm.This kind thing can scatter homes
Abi now. I was very shocked too when I read it. I think it’s on 234next if I am not mistaken. Thanks for commenting.
Another thought provoking one Lolo. Hypocrisy is the order of the day in this country and it’s so sickening. People can’t just be real @ all. I recall waking up on Monday to see most of my bbm contacts had the picture of Myles & Ruth Monroe as their dp. It’s indeed sad and I felt touched, however, we lost some of future leaders in Yobe in a very mean and premeditated circumstance, now that was very gruesome. As expected, not even one person could relate with that. We are our own problem…..guess one of our core strengths is paying lip – service.
Well done Lolo, you just keep getting better at this…..I must confess that I’ve missed reading your blog but trust me, I’m back (smiles).
Charity really does begin at home and we really need to start addressing our own issues at home before that of others. Thanks girlfriend. Glad to have you back.
This is one issue that i find common to us all. There was a discuss btw i and some friends concerning a guy we all know who is considered to be sex addict. One time he was ask if when he get married he will not patronised his other ladies, his answer was he can promise that because his wife to be is aware of his ways and he never promise her 100% him, although his answer was shocking but i saw,the true,in the answer which is to always be truthful no matter what people might think. Ever since then, i tell people not what tgey what to hear but what i believe is right not by culture,or religion dictate
I can only imagine what will happen when they eventually get married. God help this generation. Thanks for your comment.
Nice article. Well. Written and on point. While I agree. With the reality of hhow. Much of a hypocritical society we may be, I would want to make a case 4 us (Nigerian) as also being people who are very sympathetic and “loving”. So that. DP weren’t changed might not be a right measure.
Thank u 4 sharing sis.
Thank you so much