The word Corruption is one of the most searched words about Nigeria according to Google.And anyone familiar or not familiar with Nigeria will readily and hastily tells you something about Nigeria and that thing is Corruption. From time to time it has dominated our national discourse from Pre-Independence Nigeria till this moment and there is no sign of it being abated. The former British Prime Minister David Cameron was once caught on camera telling the Queen of England of how “Fantastically Corrupt’’ Nigeria is. This shows how bad corruption have destroyed our international reputation, The Transparency International in its yearly report for 2016 ranked Nigeria as the 136th in its corruption Perception Index scoring 26 out of a Possible 100 .
The most intriguing part of the Transparency International report was where it submitted That “five of the 10 most corrupt countries also rank among the 10 Least Peaceful places in the world” which means the Boko-Haram crisis and other uprising being witnessed in Nigeria today are the resultant effect of Corruption.
The Government of former President Obasanjo established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) but what these two agencies have been known for doing is being used by Politicians and Parties in Power for political Witch-hunt and Media –Trial. They now go after Yahoo Boys while those that stole the Treasury dry are walking freely on the streets and receiving one Chieftaincy title or the other and Bagging Honorary PHD!
Recently the former Chairman of House of Representative Appropriation Committee Honorable Abdulmumin Jibrin blew the whistle on the Corrupt Practices behind the approved and padded Nigeria 2016 budget and he got suspended for it. He is challenging his suspension in court at the moment. The Audacity of Corruption in Nigeria even made the Speaker Honorable Yakubu Dogara to deny ever knowing about Padding in an interview with the Media after paying a visit to President Buhari at the Villa and in act of I don’t give a damn accepted to have the right to add and delete from the budget few days later which is normal but not by inserting fictitious projects inside the Budget. Till today Dogara and other alleged members of the House of Representatives are walking freely and they are both members of the “CHANGE” Party (Dogara and Jibrin) one is ready for the change while the other is not ready.
As if that was not enough the House of Representatives under Dogara have spent a whooping #3.6Billion on Purchase of exotic cars when the country is currently on recession. The Deputy Chairman House committee on media and Public affairs Mr. Jonathan Gaza said they needed the cars for oversight functions and these same house of Representatives members have collected Car allowance and other allowances. The ongoing recession have prevented the Federal Government from Paying the much Publicised #5000 stipend to unemployed Nigerians but the recession have not prevented the House of Representatives Members from spending #3.6Billion on exotic Vehicles. That’s what Nigeria has become under Politicians with insatiable acquisition of wealth. It’s not about Political Parties, The Corruption blood flows in both APC and PDP.
The former Governor of Delta State James Ibori is currently serving a jail term in UK on Corruption allegations levelled against him, late DSP Alamieyeseigha finally got a Presidential Pardon from the Jonathan led Government among other PDP members tried for corrupt Practices. The APC members too have not been different. In the Lagos State controlled APC billions of Naira is spent annually as Pensions for former Governors and their Deputies and the minimum wage in Lagos is still #18,000. These Former Governors and their Deputies have more than enough money and Properties and paying them pensions is like pouring a cup of water into the ocean which is needless but the Corruption blood flowing in Nigeria politicians will not make them see reasons to stop the so called Pension. People that served the state for 35years don’t earn up to 500 thousand Naira as monthly Pension but Politicians that served for just 8years are earning millions as Pensions with Cars and MANSIONS.
In Edo state, another APC State the House of Assembly have just approved millions of Naira to build houses for former Governors and their Deputies when the Country is undergoing recession and funds are needed to be channelled into infrastructure. As we can see the blood of corruption flowing in Nigerian Politicians is same for PDP and APC. While we are still recovering from the news of the Edo pension for Political office Holders, Thisday Newspaper on the 19th of November 2016 reported that the APC Governor in Ogun state Ibikunle Amosun Billion Naira Mansion located at First Avenue in ibara Housing Estate of Abeokuta is nearing conclusion. To show the taste of His “Excellency’’ a leading Italian Construction Company Monterosa which is regarded as one of the most expensive building construction company in the Country is building the mansion for the Governor with the M.K.O Cap. What a wonderful stuff (in Falz Voice). Not only that the Governor Mansion has an underground bullet proof banquet hall that can sit 350 People and another Underground Car Park that can accommodate 50 Cars. All the appliances in this mansion are imported from Dubai, France and Italy.The Governor cannot even Patronise made in Nigeria appliances. Besides the Governor is targeting January 2017 for completion of the Mansion.
When I first read about the mansion I thoughts it’s a joke but till this moment of writing this article the Ogun state Government have not re-butted the News as its their practice . This is an admittance of the Truthfulness in the reportage by Thisday Newspaper. According to the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) The salaries and allowances for Governors for their Four Years and even eight years is not up to 5billlion Naira so where did Amosun get the Money to build his Multi Billion Naira Bullet Proof Mansion, I’m very sure EFCC won’t act on this news so far it’s not Fayose or a PDP Governor nor the Yahoo Boys or the MMM participants. This has gone to show how fake the anti-corruption campaign of Buhari and His Party is. Ogun state at the moment owes workers backlogs of salaries and Pension, even Members of the NLC and TUC that called for the strike have been suspended from their work but Mr. Governor is more interested in his Billion naira mansion. This is what I’ve been saying about the audacity of Corruption.
Nigeria Political leaders have stolen us dry and they are still stealing as they will never stop and this has damaged the reputation of our dear Country. It’s high time our Political leaders realize that they’ve done more evil than good to us as Nigerians and stop blaming us for the misdeeds of Nigeria. Let the Change begins with them and the citizens will follow Suit!
Adesina Tosin Nathaniel is a Forward Looking Nigerian Youth, He Writes from Ikorodu Lagos
For more of his writings visit http://www.donteewrites.wordpress.com
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