National Daily

Archive
Read past issues

Top Stories
How Botmang, PDP looted Plateau treasury
• I gave PDP N700 million — Botmang • Name those you gave money —Yar'Adua
THE ongoing battle of wits between the former Plateau State governor Michael Botmang and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new turn with accusations and counter ...
Niger Delta crisis: Ijaw students threaten showdown with FG
From RAWLINGS OFEJIRO, Warri
DESPITE last week's cancellation of the proposed Niger Delta summit by the Federal Government, trouble seems not to be abating for the Yar'Adua administration as Ijaw ...
Dark days loom for MBI again
THERE are strong indications that the story of Minaj Systems Limited, owners of Minaj Broadcasting International (MBI) Television is fast acquiring notoriety as one of a step forward, two steps backward. The ...
Felix Ohiwerei: Celebration of Excellence
By KELECHI DECA
IF Felix Omoikhoje Aizobeoje Ohiwerei was a book, he would be on the top spot of international best sellers, list for a long time ...
Imo Gov. in N50b Scandal
Group asks him to quit • EFCC, ICPC may wade in • APGA threatens war
TIMES appear to be getting rougher for the embattled Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim as a fresh row over...
Night of Bliss: Heavens opened in South Africa — Rev. Tom
Recently, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome held a crusade many agree has re-drawn the spiritual map of not only South Africa where it took place..

News
• Okiro launches 2008 Police Games
• Ministerial slot: Plot against Mbadinuju unveiled
• Motorcycle operators foil kidnap of two pupils
• I am poised to transform Adamawa –Gov Nyako
• Businessman petitions IG over shooting of his son
• Egbeleku deserted over murder by irate youths
• Poly expels 20 students over cultism
• Youths make case for micro-finance banks
• Okada Riders Association boss abducted
• Commissioner tears community apart
• Prices up as donkeys turn house-helps
• Ooni, Alaafin rivalry ends
• Lagos councils adjudged non-performers
• Kid bread seller kills cousin over proceeds
• Uduaghan blasts hospital workers
• Ohakim descends on ‘Okada' operators
• Don't retire lecturers under 65, Court cautions Ibadan Polytechnic
• Forget the past, Saraki tells opposition
• Kogi LG election will hold as planned –Dep. Gov
• Nyako disowns debts inherited from Haruna
• UNN VC bags AASU 2007/08 Award
• MOSOP celebrates Shell's exit from Ogoniland
• Ohakim targets improved child health

Corruption and reign of crude politics

THE recent revelation that the incumbent governor of Oyo State, Mr. Christopher Alao-Akala corruptly enriched himself to the tune of about N1billion within eleven months during his first appearance as governor in 2006 following the kangaroo impeachment of then Governor Rasheed Ladoja did not come to many Nigerians as a surprise. Reason is because, many who had come before him stole more than that and not much has happened and certainly not much may happen in terms of paying for the sin of such abuse of office.

Without prejudice to the current trials of some former governors in the various Federal High Courts on offences of corrupt enrichment running into several billions, Nigerians are no doubt fast losing hope on the ability of the government to adequately punish those who massively looted the nation's treasury.

I may be accused of being hasty in drawing such a conclusion since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which is pressing the charges against them is unrelenting but if experience has anything to teach us, we may not have much to celebrate for the possible conviction of those who have stolen our billions.

In a situation where the more one steals, the lesser his penalty is the order of the day, it is only instructive that those still in power should endeavour to primitively accumulate more so that at the end, the penalty if any may be as less as nothing except the judiciary is ready to reverse the criminal justice system that currently seems to weigh heavily against the poor.

We were all here when the Diepreye Alamiesieghas and Tafa Baloguns of this world were dragged to the court for looting the treasury of this nation to the tune of several billions. All they got was just a few months imprisonment and the explanation for it was that they entered into plea bargain in which case, part of what was stolen had been returned to the nation's treasury. Today, they have bounced back even stronger than they were before their brief ordeal with the law enforcement.

Juxtapose this with the case of a poor Haruna whose one hand has to be chopped off somewhere in the Northern Nigeria because he stole a goat worth not more than N4000 or an indigent Kolawole who got death sentence for robbing a passenger of N1500.00 while armed with a kitchen knife.

Even as far as the immediate constituencies that is the families, local communities and socio-political acolytes of Alamieseigha and Balogun were concerned, the two were victims of Olusegun Obasanjo's 'vindictive' politics since not only them fingered with the nation's cash vault. There are hundreds of others whose cases may be worse than what we have already known but because of their god-fatherism in high places, not even the EFCC could have the guts to open any files on them.

This may probably be the reason while three former Heads of State of northern extraction, namely Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari and Abdulsalami Abubakar had occasion recently to canonise the late Sani Abacha as a saint irrespective of his massive looting of the economy.
With the revelations so far made during the public hearing of the House Committee on Power, Senate hearing on FCT Administration and now the Aviation N19.5billion saga, it is quite evident that we have little or no hope of any human redemption from the cesspit of corruption in this country because those often trusted to salvage the situation turn out to be the worst.

The situation is even worsened by the crude manner those accused of corruption carry themselves without shame. They flaunt the primitively accumulated wealth with reckless abandon and make the rest of us feel not wanted in this country except one is ready to sing along with them. Certainly, a good number of people due to excruciating poverty and greed pitch tent with them; thus, swelling the tribe of their supporters and defenders any time, any day. What a nation!