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have looked for a word to describe what is happening in Abia state in the name of democracy but could not find any appropriate word from the existing lexicon that can encapsulate the true state of affairs in the state. A word came to mind is, criminocracy but it is not in the dictionary. However, it is the nearest word that explains a system where the worst of the people gain power and use legitimate institutions to perpetrate corruption and evil on the people. It is the worst from of tyranny which is the worst form of government. I looked for a religious parallel and found one in the book of second Kings chapter 6 verses 25 to 30, when Israel was besieged by the Benhadad king of Syria and there was unbearable famine in the land. A lady went to the kind and complained of a sordid deal. She had conspired with another women to kill and eat their children. Then they killed the woman’s son and ate him. When it came for the other woman to kill her son, she refused and the woman whose child had been eaten complained to the king. This is how I see the protest by Abia state traditional rulers against the attempt by the members of the state house of assembly to extort 100,000 Naira from each of them.
Over the years, many traditional rulers in Abia state have connived
with the politicians to enhance corruption. They split the state into
too many ridiculous autonomous communities with traditional rulers,
more than seven hundred. They sold many ridiculous titles that give
credibility to corrupt politicians. They failed to condemn corruption.
Rather they were thankful for the gifts they received from those who
looted the state and national treasury. Now, the national treasury is
running dry and politicians whose appetite for easy money knows no
bound, have turned on traditional rules to found their criminal life
style. Instead of making laws to make the state a just, safe and a
good place to do business and live, they spend their time thinking out
how to use their privilege position to corruptly enrich themselves. If
not, how can a normal law maker think of asking a community to
revalidate its existence if it has no criminal intentions? Why should
any community for that matter revalidate itself?
In Abia state, the notorious house of assembly which should be called
house of graft, have invented another way of stealing from the people,
now they call it verification of autonomous community. They are
demanding 100,000 Naira from for the verification form. The
traditional rulers have complained to the governor but they do not know
that the governor has no power to compel the law makers. The scam used
to be that the house of assembly would put pressure on the governors to
changed the commissioners every year so that the house can confirm
them. The confirmation of commissioners in Abia state is simply the
payment of a fixed sum of money to the members of the house of Assembly
to share amongst themselves. The last time I enquired what the going
rate was, about two years ago, I was told that the confirmation
fee for commissioners in Abia state was two million Naira, and I am
sure that the price has risen with inflation. This is the state of
affairs in Abia state and extent of the decay in social values and
probity. The rot in Abia state and by extension, the rest of Nigeria
is deep. Nigerian politicians have entrenched a culture of criminality
at the heart of government and this is the real tragedy of our
generation.
I continue to say that what is happening in Abia state is not democracy
but criminocray. It is a state held in bondage by a gang of immoral and
corrupt people who have no sense of civil and noble values and their
responsibility to the people they claim to represent. No leaders with
moral conscience and sense of responsibility to the people they claim
to represent would behave in the ways and manners politicians in Abia
state are behaving and managing the state resources. They have
intimidated the people and no one would speak up. I do not care to
mind my words when I condemn the institutionalisation of corruption
which has taken place in Abia state, because it will finally destroy
the state if concerted effort is not made to root it out of the polity.
I was affected by the corruption, know far to many people who are
sufferring as a result of it and understand the damage it has done and
continues to do the development of the state. We just cannot accept
criminality as part of our culture.
What business has the house of Assembly in the verification of
autonomous communities? What is verification of autonomous community?
What section of the Nigerian constitution requires communities to have
their existence verified? This is pure 419 in high place. It sounds
like the kind of scam the Nigeria who hacked into my email account and
attempted to use my name to defraud my contacts. He sent letters to
everybody in my account telling them I am in Belgium for kidney
transplant and needs about two thousand dollars.
Extortion of money under any guise is a criminal offence and the Abia
state house of assembly should desist from its attempt to extort money
from traditional rulers in the state. Democracy is not about abusing
one’s position to extort money from people or law makers abusing their
powers in ways that would bring the law makers personal profit. The
only place I know people send such letter is in Sicily the home of the
Italian mafia and where ever there is organised crimes. Abia state
house of assembly should remember the true meaning of ‘honourable
members’. This behaviour is dishonourable, unlawful, criminal and
unbecoming of law makers.
The traditional rulers should call the bluff of the state house of
assembly. They do not have power to unilaterally impose levies or
taxes. They cannot enforce laws that have not been signed into law by
the executive. What they are attempting to do can be challenged in a
court, and I would suggest that the traditional rulers contribute a
fourth of the amount the members of the house of assembly have demanded
to hire a good lawyer to take the state house of assembly to court to
expose their ignorance, criminality and greed. In the meantime, they
should ensure that the people are made aware of the brain behind this
evil plan so that they can ensure that they are not returned to the
house in 2015. This is the way to play politics. The governor may not
do much if he has a share in the money. What makes the traditional
rulers to think that the state house of assembly can embark on such
audacious attempt to defraud the people without the knowledge of the
governor? The governor should let the people know what he thinks of
this crime in evolution.
If this is all the members of Abia state house of assembly can
think
of with the rate of unemployment, state of security and school
enrolment in the state, then they do not deserve to serve in their
elevated position. Abia state has towns like Aba which is literarily in
decay and has had no real development in the last twenty years and all
that the members of the house of assembly can think of is a way to
fleece money from traditional rulers. This is very, very wrong. The
traditional rulers should tell every indigene to write a letter and
collect signature to recall the members of the house of assembly who
are involved in this scam because they have become a disgrace. The
evidence as adjudged by the events in Abia state continues to show that
the leadership in the state does not have what it takes to bring back
hope and development to the state. There appear to be a complete lack
of vision, conviction, integrity and preparedness on the part of the
leadership. It would seem that the people have accepted the status quo
and normalised a culture of corruption, impunity, impudence and
mediocrity.
Abia state has the singular misfortune of repeatedly
having the worst of its citizens gaining power only to misuse it to
corruptly enrich themselves. A greater tragedy is the traditional and
ancestral loyalty that compels people to keep quiet in the face of
criminality, evil , wrong and unacceptable conduct by people in the
position of power. The people have been paralysed by fear and are
cowed as the thievery continues. Who will bale the cat? Will Abia
indigenes of integrity speak out, or will they continue in silence
and attitude of indifference because the culprits are their kinsmen?
This is indeed the darkest period of the history of Abia state and
good men keep quiet
What is happening in Abia state should spore the people to look for men
of charter not money in 2015. Men who have history of honesty,
integrity and serving the people without ulterior motives. Men like
Akanu Ibiam and samuel Onunaka Mbakwe. Men and women who truely loved
the people and are Patriotic. People who will not Betray the future of
the state for personal profit . These are the type of people that make
good leaders and save Abia state. We cannot continue to allow men whose
only aim is to steal enough from the people to build houses in Abuja,
Lagos, London, Dubai, new York, their village and buy up half of the
state. Abians must ask themselves, if Ibori stole more than 250 million
dollars from Delta state over 8 years, how much did Ogbonnaya Onu, Temi
Ejoor, Orji Uzor Kalu Steal, and how much will T A Orji have stolen
at the
end of his term?
