Femi Ajayi's Outlook



Saturday, September 19, 2015


Prof. Femi Ajayi

SUSTAINING AN AVERAGE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SERVANT TASTE ON THE ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES



Amaechi & Buhari


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I am starting from my kitchen storage, where I have some rotten food items. My house decomposed from room to room; especially with the too powerful CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA. Regardless my heavy budget on the Prison, the Independent Anti-corruption Agencies, I will revamp the structural defect of the system, when there will be transparency, accountability and credible Judiciary. The National Assembly has to cooperate with my administration, in all ramifications, to fight corruption, the too powerful central government while empowering the States to control of their resources and the security system, among others...

n Friday, May 29, 2015, "CORRUPTION: 'THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO MY CAMPAIGN SUCCESSES WILL BE SCRUPULOUSLY SCRUTINIZED ….' MAY 29, 2015 BUHARI", was made available for public consumption. The piece centered on how Buhari should handle corruption among other challenges facing Nigeria. As usual there were some divergent reactions from our readers, some claimed that I was too skeptical, sentimental, and probably parochial about his corruption war, at the expense of other aspects of governance.

Buhari might have agreed with the piece through his response to CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour during his July 21, 2015 that, "If any of my associates or party member is indicted of corruption, they cannot escape justice. There is not going to be any APC member or any close personality found guilty that would escape justice." We hope that he would not deny the statement again, as amnesia could have been working on him. He is systematically denying his 2015 campaign declarations. No one will prematurely judge him, if he abstain from denouncing his 'Covenant with Nigerians', or what he would do within 100 days on the job.

Nigerians have to keep Buhari on his toes.

Buhari made some unrealistic campaign assurances and wrong use of words, politically incorrect, on his public declaration of his assets; favoring those who voted for him regardless their qualifications; his ripe-age preventing his performances; bringing N1.00 to $1.00; or "…. whoever is indicted of corruption between 1999 to the time of swearing-in, would be pardoned"; (Mar 11, 2015 during his campaign rally in Kaduna). Ironically he is methodically denouncing the campaign promises. Balarabe Musa would advise that "The right thing to do is to probe at least the administrations from 1966 when this level of corruption and criminal wastefulness of resources started…" (The Sun of July 25, 2015).

The Bowel Song of corruption probe, not investigation, was an invention of the Military, while it institutionalized the practice. Citizens of the world would applaud the Military, under the new democratic dispensation to reduce corruption to its manageable social illness. It started with the coup that brought into power the regimes of Ironsi, Gowon, Mohammed, Obasanjo, Buhari, Babangida, Abacha, and Abdulsalam. The chameleon in the Military resurfaced through a reluctant, disgruntled, vengeance, not too happy Obasanjo, (vowing that Atiku would never become Nigeria President in his life time), in his short-lived, 8-year mandate, of cleansing the corrupt-plagued Community with his third term agenda; and now with the old schoolmate, in his Babanriga, the new Sheriff in town, to purify Nigeria from its corrupt practices. With the mantle of leadership at the corridors of Buhari, possibly corruption would be brought into a controllable level; with the hope that it won't go back to its established foundation of institutionalizing corruption in a different fashion again.

Probing only the immediate past administration would be like plucking some ripe mango fruits very close to the ground. After quenching our initial thirst, to a point, we go for the upper fruits when the price is right. When we pull a stem in the bush it would eventually pull the bush itself. The mystery of how Buhari's 2015 campaign was funded, from his sinewy personal resources; or how he deflates the $27m gift or loan, for his presidential application form, is being awaited.

There are some obvious cases of corruption that Buhari could not overlook. Apparently, the current power supply with the reformation has some controversial $16bn contracts under Obasanjo's administration, the improvement by the previous administration upon which the current administration is harvesting. When Buhari was interviewed by the BBC, September 6, 2015 of how much he paid the electricity operators, he only told the power operators, PHCN, to either give Nigerians electricity, or refund whatever they have made from the power sector. The operators woke up and started providing more power to the people. Nigeria Airways was carelessly liquidated, not by the immediate past administration, inquiry mind wants to know what happened to Nigerian Airways liquidation. The real scalawags in the oil sector did not start with the immediate past administration, which had no knowledge on how oil wells were cheaply sold. The sale of NITEL, which prevented an average Nigerian access to land phones, was not directed by the immediate past administration. More so, the Haliburton scandal was not engineered by the immediate past administration.

Regardless the lousy talks, or dissents, from the Nigerian Labor Unions, or EFCC shriek on this crusade, they are part of the reprehensible maggot consuming the fabrics of the society. It is uncommon for a Fox to claim innocence in the flock of Chicken, while claiming to be virtuous would be suicidal.

The report of CLEEN Foundation, in collaboration with the Macarthur Foundation, on its Corruption Index Report of October 2013, indicated that the Police, ICPC, and EFCC, (the two major anti-corruption agencies) were embroiled in bribery and corruption. Here are the ranking of some other Federal Institutions: the Police - 33%, Immigration - 26%, ICPC - 25%, Customs - 24%, PHCN - 23%, EFCC - 23%, FRSC- 20% and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense officials (NSCDC) - 19%; Tax/Revenue Officials - 18%, Municipal/Local Government Councilors -18%, State Security Service (SSS) - 18%, National Assembly members - 17%, Local Government Officials - 16%, Lower Court Officials - 15%, Higher Courts Officials - 14%, and Lecturers and Professors of Tertiary Institutions - 10%. While other Federal Agencies that ranked below 10% include Post Office Officials, Gas/Petrol Attendants, Prison Warden/ Officers, Primary and Secondary School Teachers and Doctors and Nurses. It is of note that bribery and corruption among government officials in Nigeria remain high, which they actually ask for, before rendering services; turning them into Professional Beggars.

The 2013 survey also showed that bribery and corruption among public officials such as Police, Customs Officers, Court Personnel, Tax Officials, Anti-corruption Agencies and PHCN employees were higher in Rivers, Borno, Cross River, Niger, Gombe, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Anambra and Kwara states. The lowest incidences were recorded in Katsina, Ogun and Akwa Ibom states.

States Corruption Index in October 2013

Corruption is not only by stealing from the public treasury; it encompasses every immoral, unethical practices by everyone, either in the pulpit, the professionals in work places, and in our daily life; regardless the name you give it, unknown to everyone, young or old, student or teacher, male or female, clergy or follower, governance or governed, that fabric is in everyone's blood.

The uniqueness of the country on corruption is that some segments in the society are 'above the law', daring the law enforcements. Regardless their exposure to the international laws and practices, once they step into the Nigerian soil they put-on their shameless caps of immorality, absurdity and heartless behaviors. Unfortunately, obedience to the law of the land is secondary to them; and ironically the public structure supports their acts.

What should we call the proposal of Student Union leaders of a reputable Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, for a budget of N1.8m for phone calls from August 2015 to January 2016, in the midst of poor toilet facilities and lack of food in the hostels?

Ironically, an average Nigerian 'mandatory' taste, is higher than the available resources, to quench that thirst; which leads to engaging in some illegal businesses and immoral practices across board. In other words unacceptable contentment leads into debauched and fraudulent practices. Nigeria is the first place to find a brand new automobile, directly from the factory in its rough-death-trap roads. The society rejoices at such taste without asking where the individuals got the resources for it. Citizens of developed countries have the structure to supports their needs but must be credit worthy before they could access that; unlike cash and carry practice in Nigeria. The system would not allow you to purchase any item of your taste beyond your income; and would lose them, or pay charges, once you failed in your obligations to keep them. A newly born baby is absolutely innocent, free of immoral acts, until the society corrupts the mind, through the parents.


An average Nigerian high taste without enough resources to support it could lead to illegal and immoral practices…such led to EFCC identifying the owner of $2.1m (N413million) (a former Executive Secretary of a federal parastatal) seized from bureau de change operator, Mr. Ibiteye John Bamidele at MMIA, Lagos, July 3, 2015

Buhari is looking for DECENT FEARLESS JUDGES to preside Special Corruption Courts. An instrument we set aside to catch rodents malfunctioned while the animals escaped being caught. Until that instrument is re-designed to catch the type of tropical bush animals, Decent Fearless Judges will not be able to catch the looters. There is always loopholes in the laws of the land to catch the looters. Fearless and courageous judges, despite the $5 million support from the Anti-Corruption and Criminal Justice Reform Fund would be fruitless if the laws being used to fix the reoccurring menace of corruption in Nigeria is not adjusted. Nigeria needs strong sustainable independent institutions, and other criminal investigative agencies, with functional courts, fully equipped with unreversed methodical fact-finding capabilities; while the prosecuting sectors know their work fully well, to bring corruption under control. Such provision would usher in changes in an average Nigerian Mind-Set on corruption.

Obasanjo's body language could be shuddering with his frequent visit to Aso Rock, claiming to be relatively satisfied with Buhari in the 100 days. The 'Statesman' who should stay in his Abeokuta Mountain Hill Top palace; for today's leaders to harvest any leftover juice from his tree of wisdom from his midwifed democracy, as the first civilian President after the exit of the Military. Anyway we won't harvest apple from mango tree.

As we are not looking for a Saint in the political fabric of Nigeria democracy the same yardstick on corruption should be applied across board. Buhari could be the least corrupt among the past and current African leaders with millions in their foreign accounts; fleets of automobiles, Private Jet, countless number of houses, chains of businesses, and heavy shares in some companies; instead of the 'N30m in his savings account; five homes and two mud houses; an orchard and ranch with 270 head of cattle; 25 sheep; five horses and a variety of birds' in addition to two cars bought from his savings, as Buhari's assets. The truth of the declaration would be measured after his four-year term to see how much these have multiplied.

Is Buhari, a retired army general and former military ruler, and ex-head of the oil ministry, hiding some assets to maintain the impression that he is poor, or not as corrupt as former Nigerian Presidents? Time will tell.

The swarm of some insects, which we love to consume, that do not add value to an average Nigerian integrity, must be collectively disposed by Nigerians with very effective insecticides to stop the spread into other farmlands. Buhari, either we like him or otherwise, is tolling with most Nigerians' interest on CORRUPTION, which has become a norm in the society. Nigerians are in Buhari's den for the next four years.

Citizens of the world support Buhari's probe of the looters in all ramifications, no quivering about that. He is going to be held accountable for his election campaign promises of zero tolerance for corruption in Nigeria. Meanwhile, Nigerians must have a change of mind-set with their tastes, cutting their coats according to the available materials.