“A man who has never gone to school may steal a freight car;
but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad.” ― Theodore Roosevelt
With this notable quote from a
revered American statesman, I am tempted unstoppably to say that, that may be one
of the reasons why our elitist class does what they do- blind stealing with
visor.
The corruption in Nigeria has no
definition even in a well venerated Oxford dictionary. Indeed no dictionary in
the world can conveniently define this lexicon aptly in Nigerian context. May
be in GOD’s dictionary which is beyond mere mortals like us, but even there; if
not because of His omnipotence; this cancer that has permeated every strand of
Nigerian societal fabric, would have elude celestial definition and elucidation. It seems that all they learned is how to
change figures, steal and if possible destroy. They have now learned to steal
in billions of dollars; soon they will transit into trillions of dollars if
they continue at this rate.
I was impressed when I saw the list
of monies and properties so far recovered from our ‘professional’ looters (albeit
their names were omitted. I am told is a legal issue) as released by Mr. Lai Mohammed’s
aide. I said ‘professional’ astringently and satirically because only in
Nigeria, that a sitting legislator will leave his core duty of legislating for
the wellbeing of his people, and be advocating for a chartered status for
politicians. They should as well advocate, for a chartered status for looters. After
all that is the trade they are good at and well known for.
But all I can say is: good job to;
all the agencies that were involved and the PMB government for the political
will that allowed the various agencies of State to do justice and the right
things. This is just the beginning the end is not in sight.
I now know with incontrovertible
evidences, why these looters and profligate maniacs took to the social media, newspapers
and electronic media like untamed and famished locusts to misinform the
unsuspecting public and to distract PMB government from pursuing a well
intended crusade to sweep these plunderers and looters out of our system and
body polity.
We are fully aware that these
saboteurs and socio-economic traitors thought initially that it was a mere
political mantra to; fight corruption and that it will fade away as usual after
few months. What next: they will come out as usual like dry season’s fire and
loot mindlessly and this time horrifically without any modicum of mercy.
These enemies of the Nigerian State,
who should be cooling off somewhere in Apapa (Maximum Prison) did not recede in
doing what they know how to do best, they went ahead and in connivance with
languorous civil servants (with the exception of few of them), who are slow to
do their jobs but quick to change figures; padded the well structured 2016 budget
even to the amazement of Mr. Bernie Madoff in prison somewhere in the US,
therefore, making his thievery a child play.
This bizarre act of thieving makes
even professional larcenies and heists to rethink their strategies. In short
they have to dust and revise their crime 101 lesson books in order to update
their knowledge using Nigeria as a case study. We call this madness: lootocracy
of the highest level. If Abraham Lincoln is alive today; Nigerians civil
servants and their political collaborators would have forced him to amend his
definition of democracy to lootocracy as: “government of the looters by the
looters for the looters. They care less of anyone.
And when their devious deals were
discovered by patriotic servants of the Nigerian State, these barefaced
lootocrats were everywhere in the media lampooning the government of the day
and they tried laboriously to make us believe
that they were the ones that discovered their satanic and stealthy acts of
padding the budgets, hence we should canonize them as saints. Pope must hear
this!
However, they were and they are still
disappointed and disillusioned with the unwavering stands of PMB government. The
government was and is still resolute on war against this cancerous corruption.
The evil servants in Budget Office were moved and their surreptitious inclusions
in the budget were unmasked and expunged by vigilant PMB and his team.
The only thing and the best option
left for these brazen corrupt elements was to blackmail government; by using
and making ludicrous pronouncements and hosting media conferences. These tireless
swindlers can do anything to survive. They sponsored sabotage, create scenarios
that will make the government look bad, so as to force government to bow to
public pressures.
This dreary tactic worked for them in
the past because they know that most of us are dehumanized and impoverished by
them for years. Therefore we are always at their beck and call. In addition,
most of our people are emptied stomach and hence; gullible and malleable,
especially when garnished with little religio-tribal bigotry costumes and
financial inducements. But they have failed woefully and ignobly this time. Thanks
to GOD and PMB definitive stands.
The looters of our commonwealth are
panicking and shivering feverishly. But all we want is: #BringBackOurMoney, period.
And you are healed. There will be no
more high fevers when you hear EFCC or PMB. And you will stop committing
another sin by wishing PMB dead or EFCC Chair dead in your mind. After all PMB
said it: you have nothing to fear if you are clean from any embezzlement and
you did not betrayed our trusts.
We want a Nigeria where every one of
us should determine his or her destiny like the legend Bob Marley once sang. This
should be, irrespective of one’s family background. We want a country where
hard work counts and is rewarded and not the other way round.
Enough of using our resources to
rewards thuggish and ill-nurtured behaviours and characters. We want our youths
to know that hard work, honesty and resilience pays.
Nigeria as a country is in dire need
of men and women of integrity. Integrity is a scarce commodity in Nigeria. It
cannot be found on our supermarkets’ shelves not to talk of it on the streets
of our cities and villages. This should and must be a source of concerns to all
of us.
We want a country where tribe is not
a yardstick for prosperity. But where our culture and diversities are cherished
and honour. And not just honoured but to be a source of prosperity for all. We
want a country where religion is a matter of personal conviction, moral and
spiritual rejuvenation than a source of disunity and hatred. We want a country
where honesty and patriotism is celebrated and exalted. That is the country
every well meaning and sane Nigerian should aspire for.
Those who are honest in their private
and public dealings and do not take arms against their people and government
should be and must be rewarded. Those who choose the path of honour to engage
relevant authorities in addressing their grievances and discontentment should
be encouraged and listened to.
While change is inevitable in life,
it is also not palatable especially at the beginnings, most of the times. It
comes with both physiological and anatomical re-organisation of lives. And at times stepping on toes of the ‘untouchables’
is inevitable. This is very true not only in public service but it is even more
prevalent and ubiquitous in a corporate world where results are the mainstay of
the corporate institutions. Who strive and survive on results, without it,
there will be no them.
Therefore, bringing real change is
like breaking down your old house for renovation or expansion as case may be.
It will bring inconveniences and discomforts to the occupants and it will cause
confusion and puzzles the young minds at times. But what matters is the end
result.
A country like ours that is used to
doing the same thing–corruption, all the times since 1960 even before, it will
take time even for the victims of corruption to realize that the fight the
present government is wading is even their fight and not that of the PMB
government. The government of PMB would have chosen to do the same thing with
same unproductive results to the admiration of the elitist class, lootocrats
and their cohorts.
In 2014 alone, corruption cost Nigeria
$1000/person, this is according to PwC. And in 2030 it will be up to
$2000/person approximately. These figures are alarming and disquieting to any
sane mind. But, this is the reality that all of us have to face, and take it up
hastily without dillydally. Because our
looters are not vacillating about what they can do when they laid their hands
on our commonwealth. They think of how to build and secure their children’s
children futures. Their profligacy is
next to none. They loot without recourse. And now that we are blessed with a
government that is ready to face them, all we can do is to support this
government morally and in whatever way possible.
The decision and indecision of this
government on certain issues of governance may even affect us but we have to be
patriotic enough to see rationality in most of the decisions of government. After
all they are not infallible, especially as it pertains to corruption-the
nation’s cancer.
But that does not in any way
exonerate and insulate the government from constructive criticisms which is the
hallmark of democracy. And in doing this; we should not be oblivion of these
unscrupulous and same devious elements that have held us captive and kept us
lean while they feed fat on us. These swindlers they surreptitiously and
clandestinely infiltrate genuine critics and claimed to be critics of
government for good.
Democracy is not ‘demos’ and ‘crazy’,
where well conceived decisions that do not go our ways must be seen in a bad
light and criticized destructively and selfishly. All democracies blossom on the
basis of checks and balances. And it is not only within the purview of the
three arms of government to check and balance themselves, but also by the
entire citizenry. This we all ought to do. We should ask pertinent questions
and demand answers from our elected and unelected officials. In short we should
demand accountability from all and sundry.
It is in our clime that digging into someone’s
source or sources of income and livelihood is a taboo and abomination. And that
is why corruption thrives here with reckless abundance. In every country and hamlet where corruption
is fought to the barest minimum, one will observed cursorily that
accountability is at the core of such fight and it is indeed an irrefutable
panacea for corruption reduction in any setting.
The era of ‘get rich quick’ by
finding yourself in public office is with gradualism becoming shibboleth and a
thing of the past. Civil and public servants are reluctantly coming to this
realization that things have to change, for us to move forward. It might not
happen tomorrow but with our support and unflinching and dogged determinations
we will get there and build a prognostic future for ourselves and our
children’s children. And we should be ashamed and act.
God Bless Nigeria.
Emmanuel Iormbahan
Sule
Write from Lagos, Nigeria.
You can contact me on julijack.blogspot.com
