Nigeria: The latest version of Merry-go-round, by Malam MB
NEWS DIGEST – Nigeria is now a round platform for public officials to play on. The Nigerian system has been odiously paving the way for its corrupt sons and daughters to gambol away with public treasury.
During electioneering, President Buhari promised to fight corruption unabated but the reverse seems to be true. Corruption has been in the blood of Nigerians (both the elites and the commoners) for too long, that tells one that it (corruption) needs to be fought strategically.
The big questions are: What induces the Commoners to indulge in corruption? The answer is poverty, the government of the day lacks the strategy, perhaps the political will to mitigate the hardship amongst people where there is rapid increase in petroleum pump price, food stuff and health care are too costly.
Maybe that was why President Paul Kagame of Rwanda advised President Buhari and other African leaders on Tuesday, June 11th, 2019 at a one-day National Democracy Day Anti-corruption Summit in Abuja to focus on human capital development first before fighting corruption. President Kagame knows that without wealth creation, corruption cannot be minimised amongst the Proletariat.
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The second question is, what prompts the Bourgeoisie or those at the caridors of power to embezzle? The answer is impunity. When one commits an offence and they don’t get sanctioned for that, others will think that such doing is a new culture to be embraced. On Monday, July 20th, 2020, the Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Professor Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC to delineate and to answer questions on budgetary provisions over some spendings of the commission. When Pondei was grilled, he slowly slumped over his desk, appearing to have fainted. Pondei was rushed to hospital and that marked the end of the session. Instead of Prof. Pondei to respond to the pivotal questions, he gabbled and fainted! What a National embarrassment!
Still in July, 2020, the Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige appeared before the House Ad-hoc Committe on the Arbitrary Breach of Presidential Directives on the suspension of top management and executive members of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) by the Labour ministry. After being questioned to explain the reason for the suspension, Minister Ngige said, he is older than all the members of the panel. James Falake, member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency who was also the member of the committee interrupted by saying ” I am 60 years.” Ngige replied saying “So you are near my age, at least I’m 7 years older than you. I’m the same age as your Mentor in Lagos, Asiwaju.” The ignominy continued for a while! Who talks about age in 21st century? The 27 year old former Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports, Syed Saddiq bin Syed Abdul Rahman debated with the members of the Malaysian parliament who are old enough to be his parents but no one ever talked about his age (because they put intellectualism first). If Nigerians were enlightened they would have called for Chris Ngige’s immediate resignation for humiliating the whole country! But we have chosen to make Nigeria the latest version of merry-go-round.
As I elucidated earlier, impunity prompts those at the caridors of power to indulge in corruption. The NDDC, Ministry of Labour and other agencies’ drama is not over, but allegations of N100 billion misappropriated at the North East Development Commission (NEDC) emerged. Is President Buhari fighting corruption as he promised Nigerians?
I Malam MB write from Bauchi and can be reached via: malammb16@gmail.com
