Worshiping At the Alter of Corruption

Every corruptible age in Nigeria seems ashamedly corrupt as evidenced by the no-reaction by all of us to the dismissal of Ribadu from the Nigeria Police. Mind you, the Nigeria Police is also a victim here as it appears it is being used by the Corrupt that Be. This seems a corrupt generation and God help us. From the onset, the signs were glaringly there as the “Almighty Corruption” systematically shifted the focus from the “Fight against Corruption” to the person of Ribadu. He was accused of “Selective Prosecution” by those who are smarter than us and we were all unintelligently suckered. I do not consider Ribadu’s dismissal as merely a lesson, but laying proof that EFCC or ICPC will remain ineffective in the fight against corruption.

A friend recently said, after Ribadu’s dismissal, that corruption has assumed the dimension of a religion in Nigeria and I kind of agree with him. Let’s face it; Corruption answers prayers (that’s what we expect from any religion) – paying the bills - school fees, etc.; generating individual power, because public electricity utility has been corrupted into the Stone Age; living comfortably better than other Nigerians (but not necessarily the best standard of living); riding the latest high production car (though on the worst roads in the world); high profile housing (surrounded by filth); getting away with murder and living in a disorganised environment that naturally should not have been. I once wrote that corruption in Nigeria is a function of utilitarianism but I was derided and you can bet I accept the derision with humility.

What has happened so far is the confirmation that religious war is not easily won. We are all foot soldiers of corruption, if you critically look at it and that is after you remove the generals and the officers of corruption. Ribadu and the very few are on their own, it seems. What if I am the chief of armed robbers but has been hired to stamp out armed robbery in Nigeria, does that remove the focus of stamping out armed robbery? It’s time we faced the issue and concentrate on the message and not the messenger. This yet again is the manifestation of the stage of our mental development in evolution. I have no qualms against anybody, corrupt or not. In the annals of civilization, I have checked, it cannot continue like this forever. Europe was like this some 200 years ago, but was able to come out of it through two schools of thought – Violent Revolution in France and Public Education in Britain.

I am for Public Education, because the violent revolution in France took too many innocent lives that lasted for 10 years and in the end, those that started the revolution ended up being guillotined themselves. Most Nigerians, as I do, are convinced that corruption has sipped through all strata of Nigerian society and that is an aberration in a civilised society. As it were in the civilised world, only the ruling class has an appreciable level of corruption and that is containable. We cannot afford the widespread of corruption as it is and that is why I am suggesting that the war will be a long one and will have to be fought from the bottom up through Public Education, instead of from the top down by EFCC or ICPC. The power of the corrupt-that-be is overwhelming and my conviction is that only the people can fight corruption and not an agency like EFCC or ICPC.

Nigerians have to be publicly educated that corruption as it is being practiced (either by those at the top, through the social strata, to those at the very bottom) will never provide good roads or rails; functional health care; easily accessible portable water; uninterrupted power supply; quality health delivery; clean water; qualitative public education and general high standard of living for the majority. According to Mahatma Ghandi… “You be the change that you want…” Therefore, I will rather you sign up to be that change, instead of comment for this article. Let us, according to the ancient Chinese proverb, take the first step. It might not happen in our life times, but history will recall that we, in this Village, at this time, took the first step by publicly educating our compatriots about the profits of abstaining from corrupt practices. It is a war with no winners! Even those who have profited from corruption still have to drive their N25 million cars on potholed roads. What a pity!

Samuel Akinyele Caulcrick,

Lagos 

Robot  # 1 | 26.12.2008 14:07

...that corruption as it is being practiced (either by those at the top, through the social strata, to those at the very bottom) will never provide good roads or rails; functional health care; easily accessible portable water; uninterrupted power supply; quality health delivery; clean water; qualitative public education and general high standard of living for the majority. According to Mahatma Ghandi… “You be the change that you want…”...Read the full article.

Ashosho  # 2 | 26.12.2008 20:49

Every corruptible age in Nigeria seems ashamedly corrupt as evidenced by the no-reaction by all of us to the dismissal of Ribadu from the Nigeria Police. . Are you surprised? Remember Moshood Abiola was killed. And beyond all the rhetorics that followed his death, did any other thing happen. He is almost forgotten. What about Frank Kokori? And do you remember a young police officer named Alozie Ogbugbuaja? Is anybody talking about Alozie again. It is a shame that ours is a country where anything can happen and nothing, absolutely nothing, follows. Imagine what is currently happening in the capital city of Greece all because a young student was killed. Well, just like we are typically known for, I'll end this piece by saying "May God help us".

charles4u  # 3 | 27.12.2008 07:48

=Ashosho;304948>. Imagine what is currently happening in the capital city of Greece all because a young student was killed. Well, just like we are typically known for, I'll end this piece by saying "May God help us". Until Nigerians comre together to make this people understand we dont want them in government and make a new form of revolution and system of leadership...on then will never start to see changes of betterness.. God cant help us if we dont help ourselfs...

Ispy  # 4 | 27.12.2008 17:21

I'll start first by adhering to your directive by saying "I COMMIT PASSIONATELY TO A CHANGE IN NIGERIA AND A STOP TO CORRUPTION" Secondly please allow me say this is a beautiful and coincise article that hits the nail on the head as directly as possible. It simply couldn't have been better put together! Finally i wish to add that i am one of those that has been very dissapointed with the reaction of Nigerians to the persecution of Ribadu, especially by some commentators on NVS where i had hoped his imperfections would, though commented on, remained a distant second to what i consider to be the underlying import of his courageous fight against corruption. How anybody is ever expected to even raise a voice publicly against corruption again i do not know with the outward jubilation of some people to Ribadu's persecution in the hands of those in the forefront of plundering our nations resources.Need i add be they Obasanjos enemies or not!! I will always maintain that, Yes Ribadu had his shortcomings but he remains a pioneer and pioneers have always not been without their faults, yet they are however still recognized as such. It was even more shocking that Dora Akinyuli has steadily already started receiving such uncomplimentary comments as i do not believe she deserves because due to no fault of hers she was placed in a Ministry i also believe could for now do without her. However she has as is typical of her chosen to leave her mark no matter how small in the service of her Nation realising that though her services are sought internationally, she has no other country but Nigeria.Same i believe applies to Ribadu.I was however pleased to read in the papers today that Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Professor Wole Soyinka are still lending their voices, and strongly too towards condemning all that is happening to Ribadu. These i believe are two people who are privy to so much information that we ordinarily are not aware of and yet still give the man his due. I hope that steadily we all realize this and start making efforts in our own little way towards freeing our dear country from this scourge called corruption. A starting point i believe is to recognize all those that courageously dedicate their time and effort to trying to fight this malaise and not overtly or covertly aid those whose only mission remain to crush all those that stand in their way of looting our country dry.

PAPIG  # 5 | 14.01.2009 18:30

Ashosho, In all honesty, what happened to Alozie Ogugbuaja? His trajectory in life may help inform that of Nuhu Ribadu. I am mindful of their different place of origin if you know what i mean and that Nuhu most certainly has stepped on the toes of the current glamour thieves of Nigeria spear-headed by the likes of the Iboris, David Marks, Goodluck Jonathans, Ibrahim Babangidas backed by the venomous and depraved PDP.