By Adekunle Adekoya
Two major reports on the anti-corruption landscape made the headlines these last few days. Both left me wondering about the mental state of the perpetrators, given the sheer scale of what they were up to.
All of us still remember the late maximum dictator, General Sani Abacha. Since his passing, it has come to light that the redoubtable General siphoned so much money from the national exchequer that 30 generations from him would never have to work again.
Such was the gargantuan scale of his kleptomania that social media jokers applaud him for giving Nigeria alerts, more than 15 years after his transition as tranche after tranche of what we now know as Abacha loot got repatriated back to national coffers. And they were in millions of dollars, which, converted to naira, would be billions or trillions.Last week, it hit the newswires that a former
minister spent N20m of Hydro Power Fund to lodge in a resort, according to a
witness in the trial of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, which continued
on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 in the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over
by Justice James Omotosho with the cross-examination of the third prosecution
witness, (PW3), Colonel Adebisi Adesanya (retd).
The cross-examination followed
the testimony of the witness on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, in which he
disclosed that the former minister spent the sum of N20 million from the fund
earmarked for Mambilla Hydro Power project on payment for lodging in a resort
over a period of one year.
The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Mamman on a 12-count charge bordering
on conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of
N33,804,830,503.73(Thirty-three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight
Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, Seventy-three Kobo).
By the way, Saleh Mamman, an
engineer, was one of only two ministers that General Buhari ever sacked from
his cabinet. The other was his Agric minister, Mohammed Nanono.
The second one was about the
final forfeiture of 753 duplexes owned by a single individual in Abuja.
According to the EFCC , a single
individual acquired 150,500 square metres of land and built 753 units of
duplexes and other apartments from proceeds of crime. EFCC said the property
estate located on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja is the
single largest seizure since its inception in 2003.
The property has now been
forfeited to the government.
However the EFCC did not name
the individual behind the crime and the estate.
I am of the opinion that naming and shaming is an
integral part of the punishment for the crime, and the EFCC declining to name
the culprit somewhat makes the agency complicit, or it was pandering to the
wishes of powerful interests behind the act.
We are partly where we are as a
nation because of corruption. Unfortunately, as has been observed elsewhere by
others, the queue of those waiting to commit corrupt acts is longer than that
of those who have already committed it, including those caught and those who
escaped.
It takes me back to an earlier
edition of this column in which I called for social re-engineering of the
Nigerian polity. Those who pursue careers in government are drawn from
amongst the people. What happens to them that they become inveterate looters
once in government? I think this trait has been incubated in the genetic pool
and gets hatched when people get into government. Besides, one person building
753 duplexes will collect rent on such a scale that the proceeds will rival
Abacha’s loot, albeit in naira. How does a minister dip his hands into money
meant for a power project to pay for pleasures of the flesh? What goes on in
his brains? Clearly there is some mania at play here.
Those stealing money in government, and using such to acquire property and make investments which they hope to bequeath to their progeny are reading their books upside down. Already, mansions in many of our towns and cities are empty, as those they were built for have found other attractions in other climes and are not in the least enamoured of property owned by their parents.
Nigerians, let’s wake up to the
realities staring us in the face. Many states recently held local government
elections. If there’s an art by which the minds could be read from the faces,
it will come to light that many local government chairmen and councillors are
incubating notions of rivalling state governors and senators in terms of
material wherewithal. Not exactly what should be on the minds of people who
want the best for their country, right?
As a result, I hereby move the
motion that we adopt the Chinese model of dealing with corruption: on
conviction, wear a body bag and face the firing squad. It is a big problem and
we must deal with it. However, aside from government agencies whose job is to
deal with corruption, it is crystal clear that the power elite currently in
charge of our affairs lacks the mindset to deal with corruption. Prove me
wrong, dear reader. If not so, why would people sponsor litigation that aimed
to kill the EFCC, with ICPC in tow?
Let it be known here and now:
corruption has eaten very deep into the soul of many a Nigerian. We’re in deep
trouble. If you need the services of an artisan, you will discover what I’m
talking about. The carpenter, plumber, electrician or the motor mechanic are
all out to get as much as possible from you while rendering very poor services
and ensuring you’ll call again to rectify what you just paid them for.
What to do? Apart from adopting
the Chinese manual, let’s get the educational system to tackle the problem.
With immediate effect, we must resume teaching Civics in our schools at all
levels, and in the tertiary rungs, let it be made compulsory courses.
That way, in 30 years (a generation), we might be able to solve the problem.
*Adekoya
is a commentator on public issues
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