Rumour mongering seems to have become a pastime in our clime recently as people will wake up to fabricate stories against government, individuals and even society.
The advent of the social media has worsened this unwholesome situation. Social media that are used for beneficial purposes in other climes have unfortunately become a source of malignant pursuits and nefarious adventures in our society.
Commenting on this ugly development recently, the Press Secretary to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Mr Christian Aburime, lamented that Anambra State had been unfairly and provocatively plagued by unrelenting rumours of phantom insecurity and artificial atmosphere of scare mongering that nudged residents into needless panic. He said the disruptive trend was apparently being orchestrated by anarchists and sponsored naysayers who were not comfortable with the prevailing public peace, adding that such people would rather want to bring back the dark days of lawlessness.
Mr Aburime would wonder why anarchists would dispense false rumours of unknown gunmen invading some parts of the state while the truth was that some Anambra State vigilante operatives were on patrol, stating that before unsuspecting members of the public would discover the truth panic had spread in some communities. He said the mischief-makers would exploit the orchestrated public confusion to post isolated videos, including old videos, of people running for safety.
He said others, apparently faceless would resort to fabricating anti-government propaganda stories about communities, cities and markets being held immobile and coming under attack and so on. He said these baseless tracts of scare mongering have created unnecessary panic and fear among Ndi Anambra while painting a patently false portrait of a state of insecurity.
Studies have shown that there is a natural thrill some people experience in peddling rumour. They truly enjoy the euphoria, the pseudo-power, the cheap feelings and the sadistic pleasure the act causes.
The dangerous thing is that rumour mongers cloak their actions in falsity, as if they are concerned. These people live shallow lives, have unsuccessful careers, suffer bad personal lives, hence find a reason for mudslinging and gossiping about other people who are better off. They have a constant desire to explore others’ lives, to find intimate information, and to add their own conclusions, unconcerned about the concomitant results. Rumour mongers ruin relationships, friendships, hurt sentiments and damage social fabric. Rumour peddlers’ ravenous hunger to destroy if not checkmated can ruin a whole generation of society like an autoimmune disease.
Sometimes rumour-mongering starts quite harmlessly but can become such an addictive habit and spread like a whirlwind. A wise sage gave a very important advice that one must make the words one plans to utter pass through three gateways – the first one being are the words true? The second being, are the words necessary? And the third, are the words kind?
The sage concludes by saying that if the words pass through the three gateways, you need not have any fear what the result of your speech can be. If everyone follows this, how canker-free the world would be.
Written by TONY OKAFOR
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