IN A WORLD WHERE THERE IS NO TRUST.

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Yesterday I was reading the Turni, and the first post talked about COVID 19 and the situation in India. It also talked about people's response to government directives and conspiracy theories about the virus.

I had read posts on here last year by people of high standing who thought the virus was a hoax--some still do. There were various theories flying around and even at some point I began to doubt the existence of the virus

Here in Nigeria, there is a total disregard for the virus. If you walked on the streets of Lagos today it is business as usual. A large percentage of the populace believe the virus is a hoax. They believe the government is using it as a means to steal public funds.

We can't deny that there is a big distrust of authorities across the world. I won't blame this entirely on the conspiracy theories. As much as I don't like them, I feel the government dug their own grave by perpetually lying to the people in the past.

For example, in Nigeria, there is zero regard for the government and their institutions. The average Nigeria likens a politician to a liar and thief. Every day we keep hearing how billions of naira have been stolen by the political elites who are basically running the country to the ground.

Also, during the pandemic, there was a huge scandal about politicians hoarding palliatives made for the masses. Things like this eat deep into the system and cause a lot of friction between the masses and the government.

The media houses are not left out of this. They have been instruments for political propaganda. It is almost impossible to get accurate news that does not have an undertone to it. Now it's a case of narratives, not facts because people care more about the former.

It has become a very difficult task to verify information these days. Previously the masses relied on sources we trust. Most of those sources/institutions are no longer trustworthy. This is why people are in a constant state of confusion and seeking other media for credible information.

The onus is on the government to repair the damaged relationship between it and the people or the state will disintegrate in a matter of time. With the growing use of social media fake news is becoming much rampant.

Censorship has been one of the ways used to curtail fake news and hate speech. That hasn't turned out well, as these same tools have been weaponized and used against the masses.

Indeed it is a huge task ahead for the government to restore the trust they have broken. To be honest, this seems unlikely. As more people build systems outside the government jurisdiction that work, I believe the end of the government is near and we are moving towards something unseen in the past.



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