27 Oct 2008 |
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Our Nation’s Blood slowly draining out through Corruption and Thievery
FREE JONATHAN ELENDU, PLEASE Christopher Odetunde The current financial melt down in the developed nations coupled with rapid depletion of excess crude dollars should be cause for concern in Nigeria. Africa in general and Nigeria in particular have not taking stock of their financial standing in these deplorable financial melt down scenario. It seems that Nigeria continues to believe that when all else fail, IMF will be the saving grace. Isn’t it time for Nigerians and their leaders to look at where the nation’s blood is draining, plug it or continue to go on a permanent deep sleep mode forever and blame no one but ourselves? My political awakening strongly came of age in 1984 at the forced conclusion of president Shagari’s tenure and the ushering in of Buhari–Idiagbon take over. I was somehow upset because of Nigerian’s impatience at allowing one tenure to end before supporting another new leadership for selfish reasons. In the past, Nigerians were hardworking, patient and contributing to grow Nigeria. In the present political climate, Nigerians are greedier, impatient but for fundamental reasons that no one is looking out for their interest, and they are cavalierly whenever their personal interest is affected. Over many years latter after independence, the nation had the pleasure of welcoming another dictator, Gen. Abacha who promised free healthcare, better roads, education, terrific shelter, etc. in a vision 2010 mirage. There we go again. From early sixties to the present day, Nigerians have steadily defiled their parent’s advice of working hard, know whose child they are, treat others the way they wish to be treated, and make the world a better place than they met it. Instead, we engaged in building empires of thieves and we seem to be proud of it. Many Nigeria are simply impatient for vision 2010 and they figure that the best thing to do is to loot whenever a chance presents itself. We have now slowly and steadily become Ali Baba and the forty thieves. Not only are we not thieves, we have also deadened our spirit towards killing one another. Suddenly, we are unable to feel each other’s pains. These days, it is not uncommon to see a dead Nigerians on the road and every passing vehicle avoids helping as if helping is a decease. The chicken has finally come home to roost. We stole and are still stealing money belonging to “WE THE PEOPLE.” We have been transferring stolen funds to developed countries without thinking of developing our own infrastructure, improving our educational system, establishing a healthcare system in line with our financial gravitas, establishing a credible energy system (the engine of our ingenuity) and rebuilding our death-trap roads. Instead, those in a position to steal, loot, and pillage our treasury, transfer the stolen loot out thinking that they are protecting their unearned assets. Now, a two million dollar stolen and lodged in a defaulting foreign bank (say, America) is only worth US$250,000 by FDIC guarantee. Therefore, such a Nigerian depositor loses US1.75 Million to some CEO of a defaulting bank. But then, you remember that it is not only a single Nigerian that stole and transferred our financial assets to foreign banks but legions of them. But how has the collapse of the world financial melt down affected Nigeria beyond transferring our financial assets overseas? First, looters that transfers, say, two million stolen dollars into a foreign bank will also be tempted to invest in real estate (mansion that is hardly lived in) because of his believe that he has money in his bank. Now that his funds has now dwindled to $250,00, he may not be able to pay his mortgage, so his mansion is foreclosed, the funds he was banking on sponsoring his children schools abroad has now evaporated thus pushing him to loot far more than he ever did before. Our dilapidated infrastructures will remain so because even the surplus crude revenue which ought to have helped in rebuilding Nigeria has been shared among thieves and have been lost in the collapsing world financial market. Coupled with these nuances, looters often engage in buying intangible, disposable assets and often times acquires more girl friends, more wives, and more friends that are interested in their money than being good and factual friends. Every government in this present world needs to realize that economic instability breeds political instability. For the present leadership in Nigeria, it is better to concentrate on improving the financial state of all Nigerians rather than becoming petty and going back to the military days when citizens were thrown into jail for exercising their freedom of speech respectively. At this point in time in our political history where communication is more efficient, effective, pronounced, universal and unstoppable, we call on President Musa Yar ‘Adua to release Jonathan Elendu. Rather than seeing Mr. Elendu as exposing what is wrong in our system, the president should see Mr. Jonathan Elendu as the conscience of the nation and the voice of the voiceless in our society. If government does not want to investigate and persecute those looting the treasury, it leaves a vacuum for credible journalists to do so on behalf of average Nigerians. It is time for our leaders to concentrate on important issues of our time which are: putting up policies that will create jobs, reduce corruption, manage religious conflicts, improve infrastructures, enhance healthcare for all Nigerians because healthy citizens are productive citizens. Rather than doing these things, our government is seeing every Nigerian as a boogie man. Mr. President, we are crumbling as a nation if you don’t know. Excess crude fund has been drastically reduced due to corruption, the roads your fellow citizens are travelling on every day are death-traps, even if the roads are not something to write home about and there is accident, your fellow citizens cannot be guaranteed good healthcare. Something is definitely wrong here because of the present political climate in Nigeria. You must change the despondency and doubts that the present political climate has brought. You must, for the sake of our nation, take time to bring credible and knowledgeable Nigerians to serve at this point in our political life but you must be willing to listen to advice not to gossip which some of your present ministers engage in. Mr. President, we have gotten the fundamentals of democracy wrong for a long time. This is why our leaders’ idea of government is also fundamentally wrong. As much as you may be trying, it seems to most Nigerians that, in the last eight years or so, the nation is impervious to grave times of vicissitudes where fiscal conservatism is demanded, instead, we are hell bent on becoming the Numero Uno and poster child of corruption. Instead of becoming the beckon of hope for average Nigerians and for Africans, we are exhibiting putrescence and the laughingstock of the world. Our politics has been unapologetically selfish, our politicians contrite and verbose to such an extent that each politician sees his/her role in government as a small business that must succeed at all cost instead of seeing Nigeria as a corporation which has to succeed for the betterment of all citizens. The ever vanishing billions of Naira due to corruption attest to this assertion. Nigerian politicians are no longer guided by moral, spiritual and political self-restraints. These politicians contribute nothing to capitalism, they add no value to the morality ad political issues of our time and the pains citizens are going through. These politicians are now so rich that they can afford to by air-conditioned condominium in hell. Mr. President, the challenges that face you is not how to keep your position but how to make Nigeria a better nation taking the mistakes of Presidents Shagari, and Olusegun Obasanjo as guide. Many politicians are now grooming their children, male and female to take over state houses because that is the only job they see in Nigeria and because they have no hope for Nigeria. Politics has to change back to giving opportunities to all Nigeria and making Nigeria a better nation for all. It is time for a president to challenge, have a broad vision, and call on Nigerians to fight for causes greater than themselves, why not you? This is a charge to you and for you not to become a dictator that throws every perceived boogie man in jail because of insecurity in leadership. I wish you well as our days on this earth are numbered. Waiters are always rewarded as Nigerians have been waiting for better governance. It is said that “Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of the maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the almighty, until he is gracious to us” – Palm 1232. Our nation’s blood is slowly draining through corruption and thievery. In the meantime, the world’s economy is collapsing right in front of us. Mr. President, do something to re-grow our middle class, make life better for all Nigerians instead of for all foreigners at the expense of citizens, and allow your name be written in the book of progress. America is currently taking bold steps in finally giving a black man opportunity to lead and you must do no less by bringing qualified people to help you move Nigeria forward. It is not easy to resist stealing but it is glorious to do so because at the end of the day, Nigeria will be better for all. Finally sir, Nigeria must again become a nation of open possibilities and not where professionals, resilient and patriotic citizens come home to perish. The ball is in your court.
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