When you have corrupt leaders, their habits permeate through the society and eventually become part of the culture. In Nigeria today, corruption is part of our culture.

Our corrupt leaders, politicians, and their surrogates have hijacked the Soul of our country, Nigeria.

Documentary evidence of many years of their leadership shows that our leaders and politicians have lost their moral compass and conscience. They have polluted the entire country with corruption and the citizens are now suffering from this moral decay.

According to AP. News publication of Sept. 17, 2006, “Nigeria has received over $400 Billion in oil revenue since its 1960 independence, but the vast majority of its citizens scrape by on less than US$2 per day. Nigeria is routinely ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world by Berlin-base graft watchdog Transparency International.”

The above story might be staled news, but repeating it often helps to remind us what a monumental battle that is confronting all Nigerians.

Somebody would have thought that our new in-coming class of leaders and politicians must have learned their lessons from the extensive articles already written on the activities of our past corrupt leaders and politicians like, Abacha, Babangida, Obasanjo, Chimaroke, Orji Kalu, Rev. Nyame, Iberia, Turaki, David Mark, etc. No! They have not learned. If somebody like Patricia Etteh, Speaker of the House of Representative, did approve over N628 million naira just to renovate her house and that of the Deputy Speaker, it shows very poor judgment, insensitivity, and arrogance. She should consider resigning from her post in the House. This is a prelude to what is to come.

Patricia Etteh is just a small fish in a large pond. Wait until the whales start getting hungry and angry.

All these Hanky Panky from Yar’Adua and Company about fighting corruption is like conjuring for rain in Sahara Desert. It is often been said, “I cannot believe a mad man until I see his brain!” We have been through these routes and all these promises since 1960. Have we not? I do not know about you, if you believe them, I have a Golden Bridge for sale at Ugbuawka Market Square. Do you want to make a bid?  Be my guest.

Our leaders and politicians are not on the same level of moral and political ladder with their counterparts in other civilized countries like USA and Britain. Most of the time in those countries, a strong public opinion can sway the politicians to obey the will of the people. Some politicians and leaders have even voluntarily relinquished their position of power just by mere accusation of some type of impropriety in the performance of their jobs.

Will Patricia Etteh resign for squandering public fund? No!

A typical Nigerian leader or politician is immune from any moral or political wrongdoing while in office, as long as that leader has the power and money to bribe his or her way through the system.

On June 26, 2007, an Amnesty Bill for Illegal immigrants was defeated in the USA Senate. The President of USA, George W. Bush, supported this Bill passionately. There was a mass opposition to this Bill by the citizens of USA. They called on their representatives to register their strongest objections to the Bill; and they listened to the citizens.

Try this exercise in Nigeria, or try a hunger strike to express your passion for the cause you believe in; no matter how good your cause is, see what kind of response you will receive from your leaders and politicians or even from your fellow Nigerians.

It is, therefore, imperative that we come-up with something more radical to shock the conscience of our nation and all the parties concern, to be able to rescue the Soul of our country.

My question to you, fellow Nigerians, is, on which side of this war are you?

In this fight for the Soul of our country, history has given us some encouragements and hopes, that victory is achievable.

Just as Lech Walesa, “the fly, feisty, mustached electrician from Gdansk, shaped 20^th century as the leader of the Solidarity movement that led the Poles out of communism, on the VELVET REVOLUTION of 1989...” see article The Shape of the Future; by Timothy Garthon Ash. 21^st Century.

Nigerians, someday, will deliver themselves from the hands of their conscience stricken and heartless looters, their leaders and politicians.

Just as after 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela, the Noble Prize winner, ex-president of South Africa and head of South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement, led his people free from the jaws and clutches of repressive White Minority Government in South Africa; Nigerians will one day celebrate victory, by enjoying fair and uncorrupt elections, and will be able to elect leaders and politicians who have the correct visions and priorities for Nigeria.

The circumstances might not be equivalent, but the out-come of these examples are similar.

They dealt with leaders that have lost their moral consciousness and conscience. Government that was repressive, callous and did everything that ran counter to the will and wish of the people they governed.

In my last article, “Corrupt Nigerian Leaders and Politicians, Your Time is Up!” A must read article. Like many Nigerians, I expressed my frustrations on how our leaders and politicians have taken us to the cleaners, and enriched their selves by looting the wealth of our nation. I suggested death by firing squad for those leaders convicted of looting more than a billion naira of our money.

While some of our citizens may think that this is a stiff penalty to pay, I totally disagree with them. I definitely believe that a dead corrupt politician or leader will never hurt our children and us again. It will also serve as a deterrent to other politicians who will try to repeat the same game.

One of the reasons why they executed Saddam Hussein of Bagdad was because many Iraqis believed and feared that as long as Saddam was alive, he would one day assume the leadership position in Bagdad again. The execution of Saddam Hussein extinguished their fears.

We, the citizens, have soul-searching questions to ask ourselves. How are we contributing to the demise of our beloved country?

It was the ex-president of USA, John F. Kennedy who once said, “Ask what you can do for your country and not what your country can do for you.” This quotation is true today as it was many years ago when President Kennedy made this remarkable statement.

We are encouraging our leaders and politicians to steal our money, if we act as conduits or surrogates to them, and are therefore guilty of the same offense. Obviously, it is impossible for them alone to successfully perform all the processes involved, without some help from willing accomplices among us.

A secretary who received a bribe and signed fictitious checks for contracts that were never executed, is guilty of looting our money

A Judge who accepted a bribe and consummated a pre-bargain agreement to allow a convicted leader or politician to escape serving jail time for the crime committed, is guilty of looting our money.

A contractor who bought inferior equipments and collected government checks for genuine parts he or she never supplied, is guilty of looting our money.

A civil servant who received full monthly payment but failed to perform satisfactorily the job for which he or she was hired, is guilty of looting our money. There is a long list of these dubious and shady activities going on in our country today.

It is unconscionable for some of us to try to justify or rationalize our actions by admitting that our loots are not as huge as that of our leaders. There is a common saying, “Those who will make a big fire often start with a scratch.” If somebody is not disciplined enough to resist a temptation to accept small amount of money as a bribe, how can the same person resist a temptation when the bribe is a huge amount of money? That is exactly how our leaders and politicians started, before they attained perfection on how to steal billions of our money.

My fellow Nigerians, the fight to rescue the Soul of our country is on, and we are waging the battle from all fronts. Whether you are a Nigerian residing in overseas or living in Nigeria, you can make a difference in your own small way. Stand up and be counted. Be encouraged. Your voices and articles are making some difference.

Be an agent of change by saying “NO TO CORRUPTION.” Alternatively, DON’T GIVE DON’T TAKE BRIBES.” Refuse to become a conduit or surrogate to these thieves, and do not participate in shady deals. On the day of reckoning, you will not escape the long arm of justice.

GOD SAVE NIGERIA FOR WE ARE ALREADY BLESSED.

The author, Chukwudi Ede, can be reached at edes@suddenlink.net