Patricia Etteh: The Fall of Primitive Greed and Grotesque Incompetence 

By Emmanuel Franklyne Ogbunwezeh

Scoundrels legislate rascality, as fools distribute stupidity. Every being obeys its nature. Every planetary body follows its trajectory. That seems to be the law of the universe. To that end, rogues can only promulgate legislations favourable to their inglorious vocations. They can never escape this habitual disposition. It is native to their nature. One can never shake off the payloads of his genetic blueprint. For rogue personalities; their dishonour condemned them to cheap morals. Pursuant to that, they are allergic to integrity. To that end, they are eternally impervious to reform. A poisoned fountain would forever yield toxic waters. A Latin adage of ancient provenance hammered it out for all eternity. “Nemo quod dat non habet”, stands as an ancient testament to the eternal futility of pretence. A bad tree would forever produce bad fruits. It is garbage in, garbage out. That is the Nigerian situation today. One needs not essay much to prove that a nation ruled by thieves will be sooner or later be populated by bandits. This inheres in the fact that evil most times diffuses from areas of higher concentration to others, till it colours the entire spectrum with its toxic payload. To this end, when thieves muscle their way into parliaments to make laws, for a society that allowed its timidity to authorize such brazen abominations, robbery will be constitutionally guaranteed as a legitimate method of wealth acquisition.  

What does one expect from a pack wolves sitting in judgement over the welfare of a nation of sheep?  Quickly passing a law, making lamb steak a mandatory national delicacy is simply a matter of time. In lieu of this, when rascals populate our parliaments and create laws that takes no cognizance of our stations or needs; but supremely amplifies the empires of individual greed; taking moments only about their personal profits, then, every other member of the society would be excused for not nursing any qualms, or pangs of conscience in joining the bandwagons of plunder. No other construction would enjoy logical validity here. It is a natural progression of affairs. Filth begets filth. Nigeria is an all-round basket case today, thanks to attitudinal proclivities like this in high and low places. 

Political knavery breeds and empowers social dysfunction. Leaders are like fountains. They are role models. They dictate the direction of social discourse. But once this fountain is poisoned by avarice the waters flowing downstream transports this toxicity into social intercourse, individual consideration, and communal consciousness. These waters with their toxic payload then go to erode our confidences as well as corrode our institutions; corrupt fluid moralities, and despoil the sources and guarantees of our social legitimacy. This is why anger visits my mind, whenever a leader strips every ethics asunder pursuant to ravenous greed. 

The trouble with Etteh is not only that she is dishonest, or that she is a rogue with attitude; thief like they all come. The point is that Etteh is a part of a culture of crooked governance, subsisting on personal gain. Over and above Patricia Olubumi Etteh being a scoundrel with an attitude, having illustrious forbears in Obasanjo, Adedibu, Andy Ubah, James Ibori, Lucky Igbinedion, Tony Anenih, Victor Attah, Peter Odili, Chimaroke Nnamani, Tafa Balogun, Sunday Ehindero, Bola Tinubu, and the rest of them: the trouble with her is that Nigerian politics is an arena for the systematic organization of greed. And ethically challenged entities like Etteh are bred by this kind of socio-political clime. In this clime, the men listed above, are empowered by a mixture of institutional dysfunctionality and civic timidity of the citizenry into canonizing themselves perennial scoundrels, who must genuflect subserviently at the characterless altars of their avarice. Be that as it may, the fault is neither in the clime nor in the stars. It is in the individuals who succumb to the seductions of filthy lucre. This is because; there are equally men and women who inhabit the same clime, but actively preferred conscience to non-conscience; integrity to sordid money; the common good to the dictates of personal avarice. The fault is in Etteh that she has no character. In Patricia Etteh, primitive greed met grotesque incompetence. Obasanjo knew that she is amply blessed with both. That is the kind of amenable puppets that would forever serve ruthless men in almost all situations and climes. 

Etteh was a product of Obasanjo’s grand scheme to cover his ass from legislative exposure. Temptation with lucre only seduces the greedy. That was the moral fault in Etteh. Obasanjo saw through her pretences. He picked her up, dusted her from obscurity. Since there were no inherent talents resident in her to burnish, she was only sold to Nigerians on the wooden pretext that she represents an attempt to give Nigerian women a place at leadership. But competence cannot be sexualized. Competence is competence. Conviction is conviction. Integrity is integrity. If you did not cultivate it, you cannot flaunt it. It cannot be bought. It is earned. This explains why Dora Akunyili, in stark contrast to Etteh is a summary of probity, integrity and competence. Akunyili daily faces huge temptations from the fake drugs mafia and multinationals merchants of death, whose “businesses” she impedes; to betray her mission for a fee. But this woman of incorruptible principles has stood her grounds. She has challenged and taken the battle to the turf of these crooks. She is even battling a crooked Adedibu before whom all the governors of Oyo state prostrate. In her battle for right, she does not prostrate before anyone. She stood up in Adedibu’s backyard, where his thugs hold sway and told him point blank to his face that he is a purveyor of fake food products, by his active support of those trading in those poisons. Believe me, any day that Adedibu ceases being protected by the instruments of a rotten state, Dora Akunyili would be his waterloo. Okonjo Iweala is another women of substance and excellence, from whom Etteh should have borrowed a leaf. But Etteh could not. She is a greedy woman, even before she became a speaker. Her becoming a speaker only televised her greed to the world. One must not forget that Patricia Etteh was a product of dishonesty. To that end, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds is native to the metaphysic of her emergence.  

The joy of honesty lies in the fact that the limelight does not create or confer character. It reveals them. A closet thief, when catapulted to the tribunes of power, or vested with a position, will complete his metamorphosis, and naturally come out of the closet, where his embarrassing proclivities have been hiding. Every morally compromised individual pretending to a moral high ground would consume himself in the heats of his own unwisdom. That has been the testament of history. Madam Etteh knows that she is an inveterate rogue. For her to allow herself to be muscled in, and imposed upon the House of Representatives that she has no capacity to preside over, speaks much of her personality and proclivities. She has danced naked in public, revealing her naked greed in the process. Her incompetence, which is a deficit engineered by a departing dictator, is so grotesque that it is notches below mediocrity. It is an outright aberration to impose a blind leader; a woman who is intellectually challenged for the job of speaker-ship on the assembly of supposed lawmakers. Well, the lawmakers deserve no better. They are all chips off the same marble of deceit that has been the Nigerian political culture since independence.  

It is only in Nigeria, that an intellectual midget and a morally compromised woman like Mrs. Etteh would become a speaker of the lower house of laws. The horse and goat trading that brought about her emergence is an indictment on the Nigerian political culture. This woman may be a domestic bully, but to handle the complicated tasks of lawmaking in a nascent political environment is beyond the furthest limits of her competence. That she got so far was thanks to Obasanjo’s selfishness and vindictive myopia. Her ascent to that seat really cast doubts on the integrity and sanity of the members of the House, and indicts the fact that they still allow themselves be addressed as “honourables”. I wonder what is honourable about a bunch of leeches who stole their way to power in order to steal as much as they can from the public till.  

Overflowing with eminent thugs and prominent personages of mediocre competences, the Nigeria legislative theatres, has been configured into an arena of primitive roguery and obscene thievery.  Other than the pedestrian attempts to deodorize their impunity, this convocation of mediocrity equally guarantees an unending flow of scandals and knavery. To this end, our National assembly today, headed by two certified rogues is now a house of infamy. This explains that Madam Etteh would be so very fluid in approving the rapacious ripping asunder of our commonweal few hours after ascending the tribunes of the lower house as a speaker. Etteh like all other Nigerian political court jesters was an imposition. She was the creation of Obasanjo, who happens to be the greatest underachiever that Nigeria has ever had the misfortune of being saddled with at the pinnacle of her leadership. 

In every new political dispensation, our law makers have been refining and building upon the crudities of its predecessors, instead of improving on them. This atrocity spangled history range from the certificate and age declaration fraudulence of Salisu Buhari to the furniture allowance under Okadigbo, to the emergence and corrupt comportment of the hairdresser as the chief presiding officer of our lower house of laws; to the exchange of parliamentary slaps within the precincts of our laws chambers, etc. In each dispensation instead of consolidating our hopes with visionary strides in policy formulation, rigorous debates, and patriotic application of time and resources to our national questions, the lawmakers spend their time in avaricious manoeuvres strictly designed to fund their selfishness at the expense of the commonweal.  The tragedy lies not only in the uniform uncheerfulness it diffuses across the Nigerian population, but the obliteration of our national future. Genuflecting in slavish obeisance to their greed, they have succeeded in disembowelling our future of every direction, significance and meaning. And these same shameless actors turn around to preach to the gallery that Nigeria will be among the 20 great economies on earth in 20 years. Surreal dreamers!!! 

To cling to power, Etteh was ready to sacrifice human heads to that end. And the ironically unhealthy head of the health committee had to succumb to the summons of greed. Greedy men will never rest in peace. If Safana is wishing to rest in peace, his support of thievery, may not do his case some good at heavensgate. Etteh is thumping her chest that no court of law would make her step down (See: Vanguard Newspaper online of 30^th October, 2007) even when she was caught red handed with her hands deep in the cookie jar. She is beside herself as she struggles to fund new redefinitions of the word indictment, to suit her false perceptions of herself as a victim of some high level intrigue to impugn her non-existing integrity and impeach her. If it is intrigue she faces right now, she must remember that high level intrigue essayed to impose her on the house. And since those who live by the sword perish by it, high level intrigue will see her out, this time for some good reasons.  

Honestly, Etteh could not understand why Nigerians are making a fuss over what she considers a minor infraction. In her perspective, she is right. Fishes with bigger kills have gotten away with it, so why not her. The Abachas were asked to refund only $100 million dollars and keep the rest, out of over $5billion dollars they salted away. No one questions Babangida’s kleptocracy. All voices doing that seem to be now at rest. No court of law has ever asked him questions about how he became so rich. Tony Anenih has not accounted for over 300 billion naira that was allocated for the construction of Nigerian roads, which where probably constructed in the planet Mars. Andy Ubah declared an asset base of 1 trillion naira. Heaven and earth knows that this is ill-gotten. Andy is still breathing fresh air, plotting fresh troubles with “Fresh-facts”. The federal attorney general, Mr. Michael Aonaadaka is working assiduously to get a London court drop the charges rightly preferred against James “the looter” Ibori, who reputedly stolen some billions of dollars from Delta state treasury. Bola Tinubu is reputed to have redirected Lagos State funds into private investments. Chimaroke Nnamani stole Enugu State blind. Do we need to mention Lucky Igbinedion’s government of embezzlement in Edo state or Victor Attah’s and Peter Odili’s syndicated gangsterism in Akwa Ibom and River States respectively? What these guys jointly stole is much more than Nigeria’s whole external debt, before the debt relief offered by World Bank and Paris Club. So Etteh is justifiably chagrined that the attorney general who is now a defender of thieves, is not on her case trying to get her out of her self-engineered predicament, when more eminent thieves could get away with their felonies.  

This is Nigeria; a country where outrage is dead. This is now a country where thieves are on the offensive; criticizing us for catching them, and for discountenancing their actions. This is now a country where felons feel that they are justified in their crimes because other bigger felons were celebrated and feted by power. All these obtain because Nigeria as a country has written the obituary of her tomorrow. The funeral is in full swing. As a nation of redundant optimists, Nigerians are still clinging to a nebulous hope that someday, a Moses will arrive on the scene and lead the country out of the Egypt of bad leadership and its orchestrated destruction of the Nigerian nation. And as we wait, we are all on holiday doing nothing, forgetting what Sophocles admonished for all times, that heaven will never help those who never act to right the wrongs perpetrated on them. All our parliamentarians are proving themselves to be indentured rogues, because the conditions necessary for their germination and fructification are all there. Once Nigerians rise up and say NO to their abuse by the political class, all these monumental indiscretions will become museum pieces. Once Nigerian lynch one or two celebrated rogues, other rogues will know that our patience is no more to be tried. Once this dyke is broken, thievery will be washed away from our land. But in as much as we still tolerate it, it will continue to grow, to the extent that it will overthrow all good. 

Robot  Villager

# 1 Patricia Etteh: The Fall of Primitive Greed and Grotesque Incompeten...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 31.10.2007 10:00

Adeola Aderounmu  Villager

# 2 Author wrote: So, against this backdrop, what should the House of Representatives do? Etteh and her co-travellers in this filth should not only be sacked today. They should be prosecuted. Immunity should not be a cloak for crooks and their likes. Best talk of the last 4 decades! One of the reasons thieves who called themselves politicians will continue to loot is because no one has been seriously prosecuted in this country. And imagine when Tafa Balogun was prosecuted, see the mild punishment! Come see again, the case of Alams who un-milked Niger Delta to dryness, see how he got away with his feminine features! By the time we put them in life sentences or something like 50 years in jail for their corruption and looting, the others will sit-up. Imagine if we collect all our monies from Babangida, Buhari, David Mark, Anenih, Obasanjo, Andy Uba, Ibori, Odili just to name a few and put them behind bars. It will be a BIG STEP in the fight against corruption (instead Ribadu is just making NOISE all around the world and chasing yahoo-yahoo boys) If we want to make things faster self, we can use the Chinese approach. That one should work like magic! Na me, http://aderinola.wordpress.com Posted by Adeola Aderounmu| 31.10.2007 10:49

Omowa2  Villager

# 3 At last there is somethings that links ALL the ethnic groups in Nigeria. That glue is GREED and we all have roles to play in project Kill Nigeria softly (PKNS). Did you notice that in most national scenes of disgrace there must be a BABANGIDA...Yes that name again. Ok no relation of the GG (Greed General) IBB but that name had to come up somewhere. It is all over, it is over for Professional Hair Dresser (PhD) Olubunmi Etteh...whose turn next? Omowa2 Posted by Omowa2| 31.10.2007 13:38

salford  Villager

# 4 Make una lef dis woman alone. Na wetin. Efry day na so so article una dey write against Madam. Wetin she do wey no order person do for Nigeria? I bin tink sey una dey jealous am. Madam Speaker... sorry, Madam Ex Speaker, make you no mind all dis your enemies wey no get betta ting to do with their time but to dey write article. Make you jus get patience small, you reward (chairman of a powerful committee) is on de way. Posted by salford| 31.10.2007 14:24

docokwy  Villager

# 5 Etteh should expunge Etteh from her name. She will only return to Ikire (home) and not Calabar God will reveal the truth, says Etteh’s mum By Tunde Odesola, Osogbo Published: Thursday, 1 Nov 2007 Madam Atoke Alabi, mother of the humiliated former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, on Wednesday said that God would reveal the truth on the N628m contracts scandal that led to the resignation of her daughter on Tuesday. Sounding philosophical as she spoke with our correspondent at her Ikire home in Osun State, Alabi added that Etteh’s resignation was an act of God. She said the family was unruffled by her daughter’s loss of the exalted position because Etteh was not born a Speaker. “When I had her pregnancy, I never knew she could ever become Speaker. She was not given birth to as a Speaker. Let Nigerians choose anyone they want. God will reveal the truth,” Alabi added. The former Speaker, according to her, cannot force herself on the nation if her colleagues in the House did not want her to remain in office. Alabi said she is happy because her daughter has a good name, which is “better than silver and gold.” She also disclosed that Etteh called to inform her about her decision to resign. “I’m expecting her in Ikire. She went to Abuja from Ikire. Will she not return home because of her predicament? I’m expecting her in Jesus’ name,” Alabi said. Regretting the death of a member of the House, Dr. Aminu Safana, Alabi said no matter what anyone does, the will of God will always prevail. “Did his death ensure that she retain the post after all? We, human beings, just struggle, God knows best. God will take anything that will hurt you away from you even if you pray and pray,” she said. Asked if she would ask Etteh to leave politics, Alabi said, “She’s not a baby. She’s a mother. Whatever decision she takes about her political career is okay.” On why her household remained unruffled despite Etteh’s plight, Alabi said there was no reason to fret because life does not worth any hassles. Alabi had in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on October 1, said that God would save Etteh. “God made her Speaker. If God sees that she will come to harm by being a Speaker, they should take the position from her. But God chose her and God will expose (real) the truth. I pray that no member of the House comes to harm,” she said. The resignation of Etteh has, however, polarised her kinsmen. A candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ikire, Mr. Sarafadeen Akinpelu, and a party member, Mrs. Florence Adedeji, described the resignation of Etteh as saddening. Adedeji, who said she was a classmate of Etteh at Ayedaade Grammar School, Ikire, called her a lovable personality. But a chieftain of the Action Congress Alhaji Muritala Falana, said her resignation was democracy in motion. Falana added that Etteh was a disgrace to Ikire. Posted by docokwy| 01.11.2007 03:14

Caeser  Villager

# 6 Boy! Phew!:mad::mad: Posted by Caeser| 03.11.2007 11:30

Fjord  Villager

# 7 “God made her Speaker. If God sees that she will come to harm by being a Speaker, they should take the position from her. But God chose her and God will expose (real) the truth. I pray that no member of the House comes to harm,” she said. All this will make sense if it is realised that in this application, Obasanjo is God. . Posted by Fjord| 03.11.2007 11:48