The Rivers State Government has been asked to import lie-detectors for use at the ongoing Truth and Reconciliation Commission because some of those who testify are rather more afraid of their village juju than The Holy Bible or The Quoran.
Rivers governorship candidate of Action Congress in the last gubernatorial election, Prince Tonye Prinewill, told the press in Port Harcourt, yesterday, that �people have become callous and heartless� so much that they lie easily.
�I would suggest a lie detector be brought to the commission and administered on all witnesses. Unfortunately, we have become so callous and heartless that even the sight of the Holy Bible or Quoran does not phase the evil mind. A lie detector test on the other hand would.
I believe this suggestion should be taken very seriously even if it is optional to the witness. Those that are ready to take a lie detector test versus those that are not will in itself speak volumes.”
He said the state government earlier planned to set up a judicial commission of inquiry as demanded by some leaders of the state but decided on the truth and reconciliation commission for many reasons.
One of such reasons was that certain people�s freedom would have been truncated and some thrown into prison, an action which would not ultimately be a catalyst for dialogue.
Princewill was of the view that peace would have eluded the state and the fallout from a judicial panel would have been devastating on the socio-polity.
Princewill drew attention to the South African option for reconciliation, stating �Mandela and the ANC could have adopted inquiries and probes but instead opted for dialogue.
That went a long way to healing the wounds they had in South Africa and Some say the commission has failed, others say it is a huge success.
I want to reserve my judgment. At first, I was worried about the lack of publicity when they were inaugurated in November, now it appearspublicity is too much in
June.
Who knows what July, August and September will bring? The truth is that it has got people talking in their homes, at the bars, in their cars, at the office, in the Diaspora and more importantly with themselves.
People can now see why we sold everything we had to fight the system and never stopped until we believed the worst was over. Now without a doubt we can see that the worst is behind us never to return again. Rivers State will survive the TRC either
way.