Skip to main content

NIGERIA: A WORD OF CAUTION




It’s time to ask ourselves this question: what do we want for our Nation?  Just last week, President Mohammadu Buhari told a startled Nation that “strong men” have actually held the Nation down.  This statement is pregnant with meaning.  But before delving into this topic, let me first, revisit the flawless, awesome powers of our Lord who made all things possible, and then the impressive manner the system abroad works.  Before treating this subject; I will be very brief.

God created this world in six days and on the seventh day, He rested.  He created Day and Night, Summer and Winter; the mighty seas, Hills and Mountains.  Then, we Humans, along with all sort of animals and creeping things.  Since then, this arrangement has been the same with we humans replenishing the Earth – in orderly manner.  This orderly manner is observed dearly when you drive through a Primary School during parade and you observe the children in their uniforms according to their ages.  Those in Primary one, two, three, four and five, are all of the same height.  There is no disparity in God’s creation.  Majority of them blossoms as they age slowly.  No cheating either.  Under the circumstance, should your child who is supposed to be in form one, shunt the line to form five, he will be immediately detected and caught. Likewise a teenager in class 5 cannot go to Primary one.  The age difference would show.


Now for the second example, whenever I travel overseas, I am amazed at the orderliness.  At least I won’t have to worry about blackout, lack of water in my hotel room.  Neither do I border myself about fuel scarcity.  In Thailand, their vehicles now use gas, no longer fuel.

On a visit to South Africa what caught my attention was the superiority of the system over individuals.  I spent two weeks in Johannesburg and not once did I hear in their regular news bulletin announcement about powerful individuals!  In China, they are even executed by firing squad for stealing anything from the State.  In Israel, a former President was convicted for spending £4oo of State funds to buy Ragolis water to entertain guests.  Yes, there is corruption alright, but the impunity and magnitude are suppressed.

Now, back to my Nation, Nigeria.  Six years ago we all fought for an innocent man called Goodluck Jonathan to be made Acting President and then later, he contested and became legally elected as President of Nigeria. I remembered his promises vividly, of making Nigeria a paradise, at least the enabling environment for those of us without shoes to have one.  Sadly, this same man we all voted for massively in 2011, by 2015 the Nation couldn’t wait to send him packing.  His reign turned out to be a torrid tale of sickening corruption.  The man simply lost control.  Instead of hope, the Nation was thrown into despair.  Gloom set in and then depression.

On the pages of the newspapers we read of stories of how huge sums of monies are stolen by “strong men” of Nigeria.  The Petroleum Ministry was neck deep in corruption.  The former Minister was reported to have spent 10 billion for luxury jets; her son was pictured on the internet sitting on “loads of Dollars”.  Former Aviation Minister spent 255 million to buy bullet-proof cars; former Internal Affairs Minister collected N1,500 each from over 700,000 immigration applicants without refunding a kobo to date despite the failed venture.  From the CBN over $20 million was stolen.  The NDDC and some strategic Government Institutions have been collecting hundreds of billions without anything to show for it.  Two trillion was allegedly squandered on Petroleum Subsidy and the last General Elections!  Trillions went into private pockets!  Yet not once, was anyone sanctioned.

While these were on, the State Governors some of them are now in the Senate, having feasted, unrestrained, on tax payers’ funds without being cautioned became emboldened and subsequently “rounded” up or “impounded” the entire salary package of their State workers!  They were less perturbed by the uproar that followed.  The last six years was like a fiery burning furnace for Nigerians. No mercy. The Nation as Buhari has said, was “pounded” by strongmen – almost to submission.  The last General Elections was indeed a bazaar.  Under the guise of trying to be “re-elected” ex-President Jonathan opened the treasury.  That’s why blackouts is now perennial; fuel scarcity endemic and the Nation mired into bottomless debts.

Now this is a word for the Nation: is it fair that no one is punished for these crimes?  Is it fair to the other Nigerians to allow these people to have a fair advantage over us with their loot?  Please answer for me.  If they are not punished, no one else will and it will be either business-as-usual or back to basis.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PROF. ADEPOJU ADESHOLA OLATUNDE

Appointed since 1 st April, 2015 till date, Prof. Adepoju Adeshola Olatunde, Director-General of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) has left no room to chance.   The Ph.D holder in Agricultural and Environmental Economics (2002) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State has taken extra-ordinary steps to see the Forestry Institute to the next level of existence.   One of such steps is the repositioning of FRIN outstation for better research focus.   Others include renovation of dilapidated structures, repositioning of staff members for optimum performance, reclaiming/security all encroached land and resources of the Institute, successfully enacting on Act to Establish Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria for Forestry Research; Education and Training; establishing Six strategic Rural Resource Centers for communities engagement, capacity building and extension services. Prof. Adepoju who also holds B.Agric (Agricultural Economics), 1995 ...

WORSHIPPERS THRONG TO KUJE FOR BISHOP DAVID EDOBOR (ANGEL 1)

Kuje, a suburb in the capital city of Abuja is witnessing an unusual traffic: hundreds of worshippers are seen trooping to stadium road in Kuje where Bishop David Edobor, General Overseer of the Joshua Generation Church is blazing the trail, performing spiritual feats, healing, delivering and restoring damaged destinies. The young General Overseer popularly known as “mathematical prophetic” “accuracy bazooka” has declared repeatedly: ‘you can doubt my prophesies, but you cannot doubt the outcome!” Preaching last Sunday, 16 th September, the cleric disclosed that the examination of life has no timetable unlike that of common exams. He said that is the reason why worshippers must not toy with their destiny background-and where they come from. Bishop Edobor has restored many destinies and not a few people have had breakthroughs in marriage, travel overseas, employment, healing, etc. The Edo State born man of God has been variously described as “small oyedepo” from the way he prea...

STOP THE ILLEGAL DETENTIONS IN ICPC NOW BUHARI TOLD

The Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Matters Offences Commission (ICPC) were set as an anti-corruption agency to rein in persons involved in suspected shady deals and sharp practices. But in recent times as investigations have revealed The commission appears to have derailed as it is fast losing that tag as an anti-corruption agency.  Preliminary investigations have unearthed some sharp practices of illegal detentions on spurious charges, unauthorized raid and sealing of victims houses and unwarranted blockages of victim’s accounts. “This bad practice must be discontinued” declared Mr Rafiu Ibrahim, Secretary-General of Association for Good Governance and Transparency (AFGT). Throwing more light on the sad development, the Secretary-General wondered why the ICPC would detain without charges any suspected Nigerian for upwards of two weeks without proceeding to court, while systematically extorting various sums of money from the detained Nigerian.  The Secretary-Ge...