The Case Of Two Maniacal Looters And Our Future

 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.

Pix: Amazon

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