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Economic Confidential,
June, 2009
EDITORIAL
A Thieving Public Service
“Kowace rana ta barawo, wata rana ta maishi”. This Hausa saying
literally means: Everyday for the thief, one day for the owner!. The
context on which I am using this figurative expression is something
i will try to put in clearer terms later in the course of this write
up.
The plethora of cases of corruption in Nigeria as of today lives no
one in doubt – either within the shores of this country of abroad,
about the endemic proportion and appalling dimension that the
scourge of looting public treasury has assumed.
With the advent of democracy, the departure from the days of the
Jackboot and Martial Music under the aegis of the military, who were
thought to be the antidote of corruption but unpardonably
institutionalized it; a decade after the return of democracy, no
respite appears to be in sight for the World’s most populous black
nation.
Trying to keep records of corruption charges can be quite a dizzying
experience. Take a peek at some of the recent cases and the novelty
of it sounds more fictitious than real. The unfolding scenario
appears to be the figment of one’s imagination in a well scripted
drama on television or the mischievous make believe of a connoisseur
of the thriving comedy industry.
Look at this; the 180 million dollars Halliburton bribe scandal
involving top government functionaries. Where it was alleged that a
U.S construction firm gave the purported sum to top Nigerian
Politicians and government officials, including those of the Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to win the contract for the
construction of the LNG plant; the 6 billion naira Power scan which
was the worth of contracts awarded by the Rural Electrification
Agency (REA); a situation that has deteriorated to the arrest of
Ndudi Elumelu, the Chairman House Committee on Power and Steel in
the House of Representatives, his deputy, Mohammed Jibo and
Committee Chairman on Rural Development, Paulinus Igwe; the nabbing
of the Nigeria Communications Commissions (NCC) boss, Engr. Ernest
Ndukwe for allegedly contravening due process in the award of
contracts and therefore misappropriating over 5.2 billion naira; the
trial of the former FCT Minister Mallam Nasir EL-Rufai by the EFCC
for the sale of Federal Government Houses and the none remittance of
over two billion naira. In fact list is endless.
However, when one thinks about the remedy to the on going sleaze in
the country which appears tilted towards but hidden some where in
our democracy. The thought that Nigeria’s hope lies in the
legislature in quickly dispelled or drowned by the level of
financial scandals that has be deviled the National Assembly since
inception. From the Salihu Buhari’s ignominy in the ‘Toronto issue;
to Etteh gate and the countless compromising situation involving
‘Ghana-must-go’ exchanging hands; the picture appears gloom since
the hub of checks and balances in governance in virtually non
existent.
The brazen way the National Assembly members get enmeshed in
corruptible instances seemed to be deliberately initiated to
bastardized the instrument of checkmating the executive. Evidences
are two numerous to suggest another different motive as to why NASS
is not a more rubber stamp to institutionalize corruption as long as
there are ‘settled’.
Ministries, government agencies, commissions and parastatals have
virtually become mighty edifices with lofty programmes that are
financed with billions of naira but whose implementations remain
vacuous and unattained. Therefore, becoming the gateway for
impoverishing the Nigeria nation by a cabal.
Now going back to the issue of everyday for the thieve, one day for
the owner - looking at the Nigerian people as the owners of the land
and those in the public service as thieves. The day of reckoning is
nowhere in sight. When a thief apprehends a thief the judgment is
not something difficult to be preempted. A semblance of such out
look permeates our daily lives. The Senator Iyabo Obasanjo’s 10
million naira ‘cash gift’ in the case that consumed Professor
Adenike Grange as the Minister of Health and the ongoing Rep
Elumelu’s debacle, not forgetting Rep Etteh’s Housing renovation
scandal, non of these NASS indicted officials have ever been
recalled and prosecuted in issues involving corruption.
Think about the Ekiti drama , the 16 billion dollar expended under
Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, the disgraced Former
Governor of Ondo State Olusegun Agagu, when they were ministers of
power and steel (Steal) and numerous other corruption charges that
never saw those indicted jailed or force to bring bank the money
they stole. “One day been for the thieve………” doesn’t appear
realizable in Nigeria the decay is eating deep into the soul of our
nation. When will the messiah come to save Nigeria.
Thomas Usman Wamba
Managing Editor |
