Showing posts with label Emeka Odimegu Ojukwu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emeka Odimegu Ojukwu. Show all posts

Monday, February 6, 2017

Can President Buhari Tame The Buccaneers?

By Paul Orie
Buccaneering in governance of Nigeria at different times has constituted a major draw back to the economic development of the country. Painfully organised slaughter by raiders of the National treasury against the nation and her people has pushed the national economy crashing to the ground, with the Nigerian degraded on daily.
*Buhari
The startling revelations by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, coupled with the melodrama in Abuja and Lagos court rooms, have exposed the buccaneers who are mainly the shameless political class and their collaborators in the’ Federal Bureaucracy and parastatals. These are the personages who have deliberately plundered the economy in the most callous manner through official corruption, which is still alive, writhing and rendering Nigerians in agony.

The political class, later joined by the soldiers who criminally shot their ways to the seat of power in January 1966, in the name of rescuing Nigeria from social wreckage not only compounded this social malaice, but legitimised it. Late Major General James Oluleye, who was in the military cabinet, admitted sincerely in his book, Military Rule and Role- 1966 – 1979 that corruption was deeply rooted in the military, but ‘’we couldn’t do anything”. Politicians, especially key power holders have made politics the most lucrative business enterprise, thus attracting dubious elements to governance. It is baffling that corruption now thrives, growing  a wild plant and producing money bags who cannot use their brains to explore and exploit legitimate avenues to earn incomes.

With the absurdities going on since the end of the Nigeria Civil War, one keeps wondering, is this Nigeria that produced decent business tycoons who made fortunes without sucking government treasury dry. One readily remember Sir Louis Ojukwu of Nnewi, the late father of Emeka Odimegu Ojukwu, Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola of Ijebuland, who voluntarily handed over his vast school complex to the defunct Western State government without demanding compensation, and The Danta of Kano and several others to mention but a few. Today, we have Aliko Dangote, a serious investor whose business empire is creating wealth and jobs across Africa, he is worthy of emulation.

Nigeria can still proudly parade names of top politicians of first republic whose reputation remains undented with corrupt practices. They include Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Governor of Northern Region, Sir Tafawa Balewa, the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Ribadu, Defence minister of the First Republic, Dr. Akano Ibiam an excellent gentleman, one of earliest Medical Doctors of Igboland, Mallam Aminu Kano. None of these politicians left illegally acquired huge housing estates or humongous sums of money in their bank account for their children. We still have fine Civil Servants like Allison Ayida, late Peter Odumosu of Old West Region who left the Civil Service honourably.

Why do politicians continue to plunder the economy despite the seizure of their assets and clamping in prisons? First Military Regime seized their assets, Muritala/Obasanjo’ s regime seized several assets illegally acquired by politicians and military officers but all these  have not deterred the buccaneers. The scorched earth policy of General Muhammed Buhari of December 1983 to August 1985 as a military head of State instituted the Justice Uwaifo Commission of enquiry that found most of the public office holders guilty of corruption, thereby clamping them into prison. That was enough deterrent to halt larceny in national politics.

What is really wrong? Despite General Buhari’ s efforts then, corruption still thrives tenfold, primarily because the Ibrahim Gbadamosi Babangida’s regime truncated the crusade of  Buhari in the most unpatriotic manner. This action also pummelled the ethical Revolution started by the Shehu Shagari’s regime which Buhari came to revive with verve and intensity. Don’t forget Babangida’s regime in its quest to get legitimacy to rule or to shame General Buhari’ s Military regime also released politicians jailed by the Uwaifo’s Tribunal. The civilian administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo 1999 – 2007, saw the stunning acceleration of corruption with politicians and past military top brass elevating it to a high  art. Concerned about this Octopus called corruption, Chief Obasanjo’s regime established EFCC and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC.