If Abacha could probe looters, Any Government In Power Must. Then probe them when they leave the Office. Many people think it will not stop kleptomaniacs from the addiction and craving of looting the treasure blind. Most African politicians are just looking for the chance to get elected or overthrow the sitting government by arms, tulasi or any means necessary to satisfy their longing. Would it make a difference if sworn on Magazawa Bori, Amadioha or Sango?
We must always repeat aloud the African culture of: It Takes A Village To Raise A Child. There are political godfathers demanding a certain percentage of Internal Generated Revenue. Pocketing Federal or local Allocations for the survival of women and children as conditions to serve as Governor, Federal minister, Chairman of local government, commissioner or a political dog catcher. It is no different from offering you a job and taking a percentage of kickback from salary.
The main goal is to launder money abroad to buy humongous family houses for ladies and mis-educate their Nepo-children that hardly benefit them or Africa. These leaders said out loud that they steal because nobody stoned them, for the simple reason that most of those without opportunities to steal are waiting and praying for their turns. This calls for a deterrent like life banishment into a dog house or life sentence.
The culture of corruption can be deadly in many circumstances that call for the feeding of the poor, women and children in desperate need. Political Dare Devils are so desperate, they do not care who suffer or starve to death as a result of the diversion of money into their pockets. Whenever any of them is found guilty of specifically demanding the money allocated to feeding those who are helpless facing hunger, the maximum punishment of life imprisonment or death is deserved.
When politicians keep some or lion share of allocation, they know it is the poor, women and children that are going to be denied basic necessities of life. They know or must have known the consequences of their cruel denials and those that are going to suffer most. Without any remorse or conscience, they lavish the money on vanities for their family, cronies and friends while others die of hunger or lack of care.
Humongous houses abroad they hardly live in, expensive designer clothes and shoes made outside the country are not luxurious life but a life burden. This outrageous indifference must be taken into consideration when they are charged in court. It is not enough to steal more than it takes to get a good lawyer or bribe their way out of court. The culture of corruption cannot stop if there is no deterrent to stop offenders or send messages to those willing to take the risk.
If money is specifically allocated for relief during famine, disaster or hunger and it is looted resulting in deaths of women and children, death penalty must be the logical consequences of murder. The lack of fear in the case of such indifferent cruelty must be of paramount importance. It is not only politicians that embezzle money, some allocations are pocketed before politicians get their hands on it but we all blame them.
The culture of corruption cannot be sanitized if both politicians and their cronies do not face the same consequences when found guilty. People in the positions of trust are getting bolder in their quest to corner bigger allocations in a game of who is privileged to be aware of when and where the money would be. We mistakenly thought that the introduction of cashless allocations would put a dent on corruption. Even Police on the street are using pos machines.
The revelation that Wike demanded 35 percent of Internal Generated Revenue from Fubura, the Rivers State Governor is shocking. This is not the first of its kind. We still remember how Professor Fabian Osuji and Dr. Adenike Grande suffered the consequences of playing along demands made by the House in order to release the allocation for the Ministry or sharing the end of fiscal year remaining allocation. Innocent people that reluctantly played along suffer for the crooks!
Even former governors, starting from Lagos State, padded their remuneration retirement with houses in their state and Federal Capital with brand new cars, security and domestic staff for life! It is nauseating that they get away with it. Worse, it has become the norm while the poor and Talikawa suffer in misery. Mind you, while in office, they have loaded their pockets and laundered foreign currencies abroad, hoping that their generations can never be poor again.
Embezzlement of most allocations, corruption in high places with impunity have been legalized since the Armed Forces took over the country. We’ve always had corruption but never at this level where it has been established at every level in the society. We are now at a point where everyone is looking for the opportunity to be corrupt as if it is an entitlement. Their only defense against corruption is “whataboutism”!
This is how far we have gone to make the culture of corruption normal. Indeed, we have bold projections on others of what is wrong about us in Africa. It has come to be that my bad habits are better than yours or pot accusing the kettle of being black. We have 419s, rituals and drug pedlings taking over the so-called upper and privileged classes relying on “bravery” and ridiculing those who have fear of magomago as cowards.
People are openly saying a man has to do the needful to support his family. Nepo children are being supported overseas by parents and relatives who deprive the poor, women and children of their daily bread. Middle class citizens of Western countries cannot afford the lifestyle of African families and schools Nepo children attend. As Nigerians get poorer with the label of the poverty capital of the world, the foreign currency launderers become more indifferent.
While the children of poor parents struggled overseas, attending full-time colleges as they work to pay for school and send money home. Diaspora wonder how the children of rich Nigerian parents get lost overseas competing with native Black children for space and privileges in prestigious schools. When in fact African poor students work very hard to make the grade and pay for those colleges.
As Africans send money home, money launderers send money out! The amount of money the African Diaspora sends is about $100bn or 74bn pounds, while looters and launderers send money out. More than so called Aid or Foreign Investment.
Farouk Martins Aresa @oomaresa1
