ON THE CLEVER AVOIDANCE OF CONTEXTUAL
INFORMATION BY POLITICIANS
In the Nigerian political arena, there exists a tendency among politicians to refrain from utilizing comprehensive statistics in public administration, primarily due to concerns that such data may unveil inconvenient truths. These individuals often excel at presenting numerical data without accompanying contextual information, which is essential for the public to grasp the full implications of their initiatives.
For example, when a government asserts that it has created 5,000 jobs for youths without disclosing the total number of unemployed youths, it fails to provide a complete contextual framework.
On the other hand, just as a student’s report card that states they achieved “3rd position” among “30 pupils” offers sufficient context, the government should clarify employment statistics by stating, “This administration has employed 5,000 youths out of 2,000,000 unemployed youths.”
Currently, the omission of such critical contextual figures in various government assertions appears to be an attempt to divert attention from the pressing realities that exist. This practice undermines the public’s ability to accurately assess the situation.***
