CORRUPTION: WHO WILL SAVE NIGERIANS FROM NIGERIANS

The first three sentences in a book’ A Perfect Peace’ written by Amos Oz read thus: ‘One day a man may just pick up and walk not. What he leaves behind stays behind. What’s left behind has nothing to scare at but his back’. This is food for thought for our selfish, liars, pen-robbers, and rouge political leaders.

These three sentences will lead me to issue of corruption in Nigeria. Corruptions have eating deep into the leadership of the country to the extent that it will soon be promulgated into law! And anybody found wanting of been righteous will be executed.  

It will be recalled that on Tuesday, 29, October, 2013, in Abuja while declaring open the 54th annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) with the theme, “Institutions, Institutional Reforms and Economic Development”. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria said: “When you talk about corruption, the private sector is involved; the public sector is involved; even the individuals including other societies, and I wouldn’t want to mention names so that I will not be attacked,”

The statements from Mr. President shows that all facet of both private and public sectors in Nigeria are corrupt including the office of the President and President is not left out! The question I will like to ask Mr. President is; Why, What and Who is he scared of?

Nigerians are a witness to a broad day corruption allegedly committed by a woman, a mother, Ms. Stella Oduah, who suppose to know better the implications of corruption but went ahead to connived with a private business man Mr. Maduka, owner of Coscharis Motors Limited, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and duped the entire nation to the tune of N255m, by procuring two bulletproof BMW cars. 

Meanwhile, the committee that probe Ms Stella Oduah, concluded that “at least four issues are no longer disputable.”Namely: “extra-budgetary spending”, second is “approval beyond ministerial limit,” “violation of public procurement procedures” and the panel confirmed that “indeed, N255m was spent to buy two bulletproof BMW cars and the use of waivers meant for EKO Games to import the cars.” With this finding and indictment, what will then be the outcome?

Still on corruption, a former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who has been blamed for fostering the terrorist Boko Haram sect in North-eastern Nigeria, acquired a new Gulfstream jet G650 model that cost him an estimated $72 million (N11.5 billion) to his fleet! The former governor already has three old Dornier aircraft which he acquired from Aero Contractors at an estimated $3 million (N480 million).

In a country whereby stealing were rewarded with national honours, and nobody cares about anything; people like Ali Modu Sheriff, will go unpunished for money-laundering, and corruption.

Corruption forwarded, the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing alleged illegal land allocations and racketeering in the Federal Capital Territory, were shocked on Wednesday,6, 2013, at FCT, Abuja as the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, ICPC, Mr  Ekpo Nta, testified that his agency had seized a total of 61 houses, 45 plots of land at different locations within the FCT and a duplex from an officer of the ‘OGA AT THE TOP’ Nigeria Security and Civil Defence  Corps, NSCDC in the course of  on-going investigations into land scams!

If a single official of a newly created organisation can steal so much, then imagine what will be going on in all the age-long government organisations.

Moreover, in a nation that does not give a damn about assets declaration by public officials, it means that doors of corruptions are open to everybody, from the President to the messenger in the office, and the ship of the country will soon go aground.