INTRODUCTION
The relationship between trust and truth is an obvious one. Most people think of trust as the glue that holds a relationship together. If individuals or groups trust each other, they can discover truth relatively easily. If they do not trust each other, truth often becomes more difficult to obtain. moreover, the parties no longer believe what the other says or believe that the other will follow through on commitments and proposed actions.Therefore, acrimonious behaviors often serves to destroy trust and increase distrust, which makes truth about restructuring Nigeria more abstract, difficult and problematic. In this article, we review some of the work on trust and truth and show their relevance to effective nation building. We also extend some of this work to a broader understanding of the implication of the obituary of twins(trust and truth) in Nigeria. Finally, the possibility of restructuring Nigeria.
WHAT IS TRUST?
Trust is a concept that has received attention in several social science literature: psychology, sociology, political science, economics, anthropology, history, and sociobiology (for reviews, see Worchel, 1979; Gambetta, 1988; Lewicki andBunker, 1995; Bachmann and Zaheer, 2006, 2008). As can be expected, each literature approaches the problem with its own disciplinary lens and filters. Until recently, there has been remarkably little effort to integrate these perspectives or articulate the key role that trust plays in critical social processes, such ascooperation, coordination, and performance (for notable exceptions, see Kramer and Tyler, 1996; Sitkin, Rousseau, Burt, and Camerer, 1998).Worchel (1979) proposes that these differing perspectives on trust can be aggregated into at least three groups (see also Lewicki and Bunker, 1995, 1996, aggregated into at least three groups (see also Lewicki and Bunker, 1995, 1996,for detailed exploration of theories within each category):
1. The views of personality theorists, who focus on individual personality differences in the readiness to trust and on the specific developmental and social contextual factors that shape this readiness. At this level, trust is conceptualized as a belief, expectancy, or feeling deeply rooted in the personality, with origins in the individual’s early psycho-social development (see Worchel, 1979; Rotter, 1971; Kramer, 2006).
2. The views of sociologists and economists, who focus on trust as an institutional phenomenon: Institutional trust can be defined as the belief that future interactions will continue, based on explicit or implicit rules and norms (Rousseau, Sitkin, Burt, and Camerer, 1998; Currall and Inkpen,2006). At this level, trust can be conceptualized as a phenomenon within and among institutions and as the trust individuals put in those institutions. For example, one group of researchers explored the role of trust in inter firm relationships at both the interpersonal and organizational levels. They showed that high levels of inter-organizational trust enhanced supplier performance, lowered costs of negotiation, and reduced conflict between firms (Zaheer, McEvily, and Perrone, 1998). Others argue that organizations must significantly redesign their governance mechanisms in order to address the considerable loss of public trust in American corporations in the past decade (Caldwell and Karri, 2005).
3. The views of social psychologists, who focus on the interpersonal transactions between individuals that create or destroy trust at the interpersonal and group levels: At this level, trust can be defined as expectations of the other party in a transaction, considering the risks associated with assuming and acting on such expectations and contextual factors that either contribute to or inhibit development and maintenance ofthe relationship. The earliest examples of this perspective can be found in the pioneering studies of Deutsch (1958, 1960, 1962) and his exploration of the dynamics of trust among experimental subjects playing a prisoner’s dilemma game. Examples of elaborated models of trust, particularly in organizations,can be found in Jones and George, (1998), Dirks and Ferrin (2001), and Colquitt, Scott, and LePine (2007).
A DEFINITION OF TRUST
The literature on trust is rich with definitions and conceptualizations (see Bigley and Pearce, 1998). We adopt as the definition of trust“an individual’s belief in, and willingness to act on the basis of, the words, actions,and decisions of another” (McAllister, 1995, p.25; Lewicki, McAllister, andBies, 1998). Although trust can also be defined as “confident positive expectations regarding another’s conduct. Implicit in this definition, as in other comparable ones (Boon and Holmes, 1991), are three elements that contribute to the level of trust one has for another: the individual’s chronic disposition toward trust, situational parameters, and the history of their relationship. Webster’s Universal College Dictionary, Defined Trust as: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surely etc of a person or thing; confidence. The obligation or responsibility imposed on a person in whom confidence or authority is placed.
WHAT IS TRUTH?
According to pragmatic philosophers like Peirce, James and Dewey, the notion of truth is a very complex one and is conceptualized in the different ways, but one thing is central to all is the goal of truth which is clarity, satisfactory and action based. James defines truth in terms of “what works,” what “gives satisfaction,” or the “practical consequences” of our beliefs.
According to Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Truth is the quality of those proposition that accord with reality, specifying what is in fact the case. Webster’s Universal College Dictionary, defined truth as: 1. The true or actual state of matter. 2. Conformity with fact or reality. 3. A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principles,or the like: mathematical truth.
THE EFFECT OF TRUST AND TRUTH IN NATION BUILDING
Foundation and Pillars are the two basic principles of building for which every other things reside. Biblical passage has it that “once the foundation is destroyed what shall the just man do?”(cf.) this pertinent question indicate the importance and inevitable role of foundation prior to success in all aspect of life. Likewise, Trust and Truth are twins and the only primary source of nations building and development. The progress of any nation thrives from the taproot “conscience” which is the mother of the twins(Trust and Truth). The nations with healthy consciences produces healthy truth leading to healthy trust in the capability of the superior man(leaders) to move the country forward.
For instance, people prove through simple actions that they are trustworthy, and, similarly, they are regularly testing others’ trust.Results of such incremental trust development are being reported in the neuroscience literature. In one study, researchers found that as parties played a game of economic reciprocity and one party gained a reputation for trustworthy choices, the other’s intention to make a reciprocal trusting choice and actual trust decision could be tracked through changes in brainwaves in the dorsal stratum (King-Casas et al., 2005). Balancing this trust-building development, trust declines can also occur frequently; a single event of inconsistency or unreliability may “chute” the relationship back several steps—or, in the worst case, back to square one. Thus the relationship that exist between leaders and the followers are linked through the umbilical cord of mind to the mother conscience.
OBITUARY OF TWINS(TRUST AND TRUTH) IN NIGERIA
Prior to the coming of the white missionaries,Nigeria is one of the countries in Africa that celebrated killing of twins like Jihad in Islam. Giving birth to twins is an abomination and its consequences also affects the mother who delivered them. A woman who delivered twins is considered a misfortune to her husband, family and the entire community. Unfortunately for Nigeria, in an attempt to keep the principles of the colonial masters and embrace the new way of life, scrupulously and maliciously murdered their two noble princes(trust and truth) and ignorantly exiled their mother (conscience). The obituary of these twins give rise to all kinds of corruption and annihilation of confidence.
Since the banishment of the mother (conscience) the land became fertile for everyone to cultivate, saw and harvest (act) without consideration under the umbrella of civilization. Nigeria throw away the traditional idea of nke anyi (ours) and took colonial idea of nkem (mine). To satisfy the ego, Nigeria neglected the consequences of her actions and still pretensiouly struggling to maintain her position as the giant of Africa. After the burial of her twins prince and the forcefully sending away of their mother, the mourners (colonial masters and other countries) returned home smiling for having successfully placed Nigeria into unending bondage of dependency and begging for their assistance for her survival.
The demise of the twins created a big lacuna that has not been filled till date. There is internal and external wars in Nigeria. The worst and the more reoccurring is the internal one that has diversified her economy, render her unsecured and futureless citizens. Nigeria dependency complex has gotten international recognition. Furthermore, in an attempt to escape shame and mockery embraced foreign religion at all cost. Despite the fact that she claims to have repented from destroying her future, yet the mark or the blood stain of her innocent sons (absence of trust and truth) are still visible in all her activities. She also earned international disrespectful from the day she accepted her colour and cultural differences as a sign of inferiority. The most sadest part of her miserable life story is that, age is no longer on her side and no successor to rely on (trust and truth), the only alternative of getting a successor (conscience) has been exiled to an unknown land.
THE POSSIBILITY OF RESTRUCTURING NIGERIA.
Everyone is clamoring for a restructured Nigeria in all aspect. The question is how possible it is to accomplish this mission; considering the level of her decadence and age? Ontologically speaking, it is an illusion but from ontological perspective it is possible. The starting point is seeking for a way of finding the banished mother (conscience) and bringing her back to her place of abode (our heart). Then appealing to the conscience through (introspection or examination of conscience) to find the missing link and make sincere and conscious effort to regenerate trust and transparency (truth).
CONCLUSION
Existentially speaking, our sufferings will end when the twins are resurrected and allow to reign sperm in our lives. The twins(trust and truth) appears to be common and insignificant but from the philosophical perspective everything rest on their shoulders. Nigeria as a country with diversified cultures, races, religion,ethnicity etc can not think of restructuring without first of all being united in their common ideologies which is possible through the acknowledgement of her twins. Hence, failure to do so, all effort and clamor to restructure Nigeria will be a mirage and like pouring water on stone.
ENDNOTES
Peter T. Coleman,The Handbook of Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice 3rd Edition, (TRUST, TRUST DEVELOPMENT, AND TRUST REPAIR by Roy J. LewickiEdward C. Tomlinson,) p157-158
Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy(1999) Second Edition, Cambridge University Press. P929
Webster,s Universal College Dictionary(1997) Gramercy Books, Random House Value, 201 East 50th Street, New York, N.Y.10022. p845
©️ODOH OLIVER J.
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