By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye
I have
said it so several times that when Nigerian politicians converge to map out
plans for acquiring power, which, in most cases, practically translates to
securing unlimited access to unearned wealth, they do not usually remember that
they came from different ethnic blocks. At such gatherings, they will all think
alike, talk with one voice and even look and laugh alike. They will speak the
same language.
Indeed, illicit accumulation and all forms of corrupt activities do not have tribal marks. The colour of graft is the same any day, no matter who is involved.
At such
times, the masses are hardly remembered. They do not matter at all. Everybody
is preoccupied with the much he or she would be able to accumulate and cart
away for his personal luxury and that of his family and cronies.
In the introduction to my book, “Nigeria:Why Looting May Not Stop,” I maintained that corruption became very monstrous in Nigeria “when public office gradually ceased to be a platform for rendering selfless service and transformed into the easiest route to criminal accumulation of wealth. And the law, too, became increasingly very weak in the face of the overwhelming sleaze. Since then, generations of public officers have passed through this route, looting the country blind with utmost impunity and quitting office into incredible abundance, without any fear of anyone ever prying into the clearly unearned wealth they flaunt with revolting fanfare…”
And because of this unhealthy development, “…an ever-swelling cult of looters has
emerged whose nuisance value has remained the undisputed headache of the
country… And given this very depressing situation and with the dreadful cult of
looters growing in stature and influence, maintaining effective command at
virtually all our public institutions, how then can we possibly hope to be able
to sanitise the system or have free and fair elections in this country?”
Sadly, the problem has, in the course of time, been so
horribly complicated. This is because, “the
members of this cult have so much money to throw
around and so have easily enthroned themselves as formidable godfathers and
kingmakers who deploy the billions at their disposal to install and remove
governments at will. Many of them can single-handedly found and fund political
parties without the slightest impact on their bottomless pockets. They also
have all it takes to frustrate any attempt to pry into their hideous pasts. The
very negligible few among them who manage to get ‘messed-up’ in the
‘anti-corruption war’ are those foolish enough to find the trouble of those
more powerful than them, or get themselves into some really complicated
situation that it would be difficult to extricate them without a serious
backlash capable of posing a dangerous threat to the peace and stability of the
entire cult. So, they are carefully sacrificed to preserve the whole house and
used in the process, too, to launder a dubious commitment to an ‘anti-graft’
campaign.”
(pp.vii-x)
That is
the egregious story of Nigeria. Many of the politicians out there raising a lot
of din about their patriotism and selfless-service may just be ordinary job
seekers looking for meal tickets. And that is why I insist that Nigerian masses
are so tragically naïve.
Immediately
these politicians disagree among themselves, either on the power or money
sharing formula, they would suddenly remember their differences which never
mattered at all when they were sharing and carting away happily. Then they
would return to the masses whom they had long forgotten to stoke ethnic
tensions among them in order to use them to negotiate for themselves positions
of power, influence and wealth.
Consequently,
the suffering man who had lived peacefully with his equally suffering neighbour
would be persuaded to suddenly see themselves as enemies and start fighting
each other. The people would be deceived into thinking they are fighting to
advance the interests of their ethnic groups, not knowing that they are at war
to help negotiate better places and limitless luxuries for selfish and callous
politicians.
Sometime
ago, I was in one of the state capitals and what were on virtually everybody’s
lips at that period were the media reports about some choice structures and
juicy investments allegedly belonging to a former governor which were believed
to have been acquired with the proceeds of his mindless looting. Opinions were
divided on the mind-blowing report. Although some people rose in stout defense
of the fellow, what I found unbelievable was that some others were ready to even
go to the sickening extent of openly boasting that what the man was alleged to
have stolen was “their” money, so, why should it be the business of anyone who
was not from the state!
One
evening, I went to a nearby kiosk to make a purchase, and there, I saw two
young men who, judging by their haggard appearance, should belong to the lowest
wrung of the country’s social and economic setting – the worst victims of the
programme of impoverishment that successive corrupt politicians have unleashed
on this country.
As one of
the young men expressed outrage at such mindless stealing by the former
governor, the other one barked at him: “go back to your state and talk about
the stealing taking place there and leave our state alone. It is our money that
was stolen and it does not concern you! Just shut your mouth, we are okay with
that!”
It was
difficult to comprehend what I had just heard, but the fellow was dead serious
repeating the same words to the other young man, becoming angrier as he spoke
and showing clearly that he could initiate a physical combat if the other
fellow continued to discuss the matter that “did not concern” him.
With
people who reason like this fellow abundantly existing across our country, why
should any thieving public officer ever think of exercising any restraint?
That is
why the ethnic conflicts in most cities are periodic. Some say they only occur
during elections or when some politicians have either lost out in their quest
for power or are being tried for corruption.
The most
painful thing is that while the hungry and haggard masses are out there
fighting each other, the politicians whom they wrongly assume is their champion
is behind closed doors negotiating a better deal for himself. Once he has been
settled satisfactorily, he would come out and tell his people to halt the
hostilities. He may let a few crumbs fall to them, that is, those who did not
die during the conflicts.
And the
deep bitterness which he had caused between good neighbours and amazing friends
in the course of the self-serving conflict he initiated might take time to
heal, if it will ever. He would move away to wallow in his usual luxuries until
the need arises again for him to stoke another ethnic tension to service his
narrow, selfish interests.
I have
been calling on Nigerians to stop listening to these politicians, but will they
ever hear?
There may
be some people breathing today who will agree to serve as thugs in future
elections, and may lose their lives in the process. They may champion the next
ethnic or religious conflict when some unscrupulous politicians return to use
them once more to further their selfish purposes. They may even be killed or
maimed in the process, who cares? Certainly, not the callous and greedy
politicians that instigated them!
Please,
Nigerians, stop allowing yourselves to be used as cheap tools in the hands of
these selfish and heartless politicians.
The only
divisions that ought to exist in Nigeria should be between the oppressors and
the oppressed, the exploiters and the exploited, and criminally enriched and
the wickedly impoverished.
Nigerians,
stop fighting each other to impress your oppressors. You are all victims!
*Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye is the author of the book, Nigeria:Why Looting May Not Stop It is now available on AMAZON (scruples2006@yahoo.com)
Nice piece
ReplyDeleteOga Ugo, l hear you. Congratulations on your book
ReplyDelete