FEATURE ARTICLE

E O EkeTuesday, July 19, 2016
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WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION AND NIGERIAN CRIMINAL POLITICAL CLASS

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hat Nigeria has become a country, which condone evil because of ethnicity and religion is not in doubt. What is in doubt is if Buhari is honest in his attempt to address her ills. In attempt to avoid rocking the boat,many Nigerians allow evil to flourish and then wonder why the country cannot develop.

Since Buhari came to power, the security agencies have committed many atrocities, from the massacre of over a thousand shite Muslims to hundreds of Igbo youth killed in cold blood. Not surprising, very few Moslems and northerners have condemned these crimes against humanity. They know it is evil, but some how, they recognise that because it is being committed by their own man, it is ok.

The violations of human rights being committed under Buhari in the name of keeping Nigeria one and fighting corruption is unacceptable and is a stain on Nigerian democracy and the rule of law.

There is no reason to detain people indefinitely, without trial in a democracy of the type Nigerua claims to be building.

There is urgent need for well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to release the thousands who are incarcerated in army barracks, EFCC and police cells.

Human freedom and dignity must mean something in a democracy and President Buhari cannot be allowed to continue to hide behind war against corruption for the violations of human rights being comminuted under his watch.

There is no need to fight corruption in the selective and opaque way he is doing. There is no excuse to violate fundamental human rights of accused to bring them to justice. A government, which is sincere and honest with its intention, would fight corruption in a transparent and lawful way and manner.

In Country like Nigeria, a better way would be to set up a public commission of inquiry into corruption and establish a tribunal to try all those involved in corruption. In this way, due process would be preserved and accused will have justice and the law uphold. Moreover, the amount recovered would be known and the recovered loot would have less chance of being 'relooted'

What is happening under Buhari is not war against corruption. It is the misuse of the law to achieve political and personal objectives. A malady that has been a future of Nigeria under the generation of Buhari.

President Buhari was not elected to do what he wants and serve his personal prejudices. He was elected to uphold the constitution, respect the rule of law and govern for the whole Nigeria and not 95% who he claims voted for him.

President Buhari was not elected to use his power settle personal grievances with his power and position.

Buhari is prosecuting a selective war against corruption, where he ignores the monumental crimes of his friends and associates and often have the temerity to absolve them, while abusing the law to intimidate and punish his opponents, who have committed the same offence and sometimes less offence.

How can anybody take seriously a war against corruption in Nigeria , which does not address how presidential elections were founded and what happened to billions budgeted for the ministry of works for road infrastructure under Obasanjo?

How can Buhari claim to be fighting corruption, when he fails to address corrupt practices he can prevent through legislations like the concurrent claiming of pensions and salaries by ex governors who are also senators? The padding of budgets, the lack of transparency in government etc?

How can Buhari fight corruption, when there is no attempt to reduce the power of patronage of the executive, which is the single most important factor fuelling corruption in Nigeria?

Nigeria's criminal political class show no sign of change. All over the world, honesty and fairness demands that a person cannot be engaged in two full time state employment, at the same time.

However, the criminal minds of some Nigerian politicians have worked out how this can be possible. They are elected into well paid positions like governor.

They serve for 8 year abusing their power and engaging in corruption. Instead of claiming 8 years pension, they change the law and claim excessive life time pension for 8 years work, during which all they did was steal from the people.

Thereafter, they rig election and enter the senate, where they hope to escape prosecution for their crimes.

While in the senate, they start calming pensions as ex-governors in addition to the criminally insane remunerations paid to senators.

This is the worst form of political corruption and criminality I have ever seen. Nigerians should be protesting this open robbery by some politicians in any way they can.

To stop this, Nigerian civil liberty organisations should either have to go to court or ask the state house of assembly to pass a law to outlaw it.

Ending this crime against the people should be part of the war against corruption. It is surprising that the Buhari does not seem to think so.

It is obvious that only criminals would do many thing many Nigerian politicians do and justify. The state must have institutions powerful enough to stop the triumph of greed in the form it shows itself in Nigerian polity.

Honesty is trying at all time, not to take more than one's fair share of what belongs to all.

This is what many Nigerian politicians are not doing. Rather, they see politics as easy way to enrich themselves and this is sad. There is no reason for politicians to behave no better than common criminals.

What is the justification for the excessive renumeration people who have held public offices in Nigeria claim?

The people must decide to provide the kind of leadership they want. Nigeria does not belong to Buhari and his generation. Enough must be enough.

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