Resilience (forging ahead) - Corruption and Nigeria’s uncertain future
Neither Professor Gambari ( an Economist) nor Major-general Monguno (an architect) is a stranger to computer modelling and simulations. At its most basic, we are dealing with algorithms, data, statistics, projections and FALSE NEGATIVES!! Whatever turns up must be able to withstand rigorous interrogation.
The essence of computer modelling is to project, for example, the doubling of the budget for security/defence and the impact on other competing demands such as education, health and infrastructure etc. It could turn out that you are wasting resources that would be better spent on critical areas without compromising security provided the funds are spent judiciously with emphasis on the right equipment, training, welfare of troops and public enlightenment. It also affords us an opportunity to check how what we spend on security as a percentage of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) stacks up against a wide range of other countries – United States of America; Britain; China; India; Russia; Saudi Arabia; France; Germany; Japan; Israel right down to Ghana; South Africa; Kenya; Thailand etc.
The share scale of resources diverted from military and security funds/budgets as evidenced by humongous loot recovered from military/security officers who have faced trial as well as embarrassing cases of mutiny by soldiers at the war front on account of allegations of corruption against their commanders (even to the extent of circulating on videos, without disguising their identity, serious complaints) make comparative analysis based on aggregate data a compelling obligation.
Both Professor (Ambassador) Ibrahim Gambari and Major-general Babagana
Monguno (Rtd) would benefit immensely from the outstanding seminal work of Professor Louise Mary Richardson (ViceChancellor of the University of Oxford) whose area of specialisation is the study of terrorism.
Indeed, Professor Robert Irwin Rotberg of Harvard University can lay just claim to expert knowledge of the Nigerian conundrum as evidenced by his books:
“The Corruption Curve”
“State Failure and State Weakness In a Time of Terrorism”
Governance and Leadership”
What we are entitled to expect from Professor Gambari is transformational leadership - the product of those lessons he learnt at King’s College, Lagos and London School of Economics, to wit:
A fairer and more equitable society will make Nigeria a better place for everybody.
The old boys of King’s College are solidly behind him. We shall address the issues raised by Ambassador Dapo Fafowora in his book: “Lest I Forget: Memoirs of a Nigerian Career Diplomat” and Femi Adesina ( Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President) “The Slap Next Time” in Part II of the documentary.
In the meantime, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie (ex-st. Gregory’s College and previously the Administrator/proprietor of the College) has delivered a cardinal salvo in in a statement, titled: “Corruption and Nigeria’s uncertain future”:
“Nigeria is a sinking ship being navigated by pirates. There is need to take urgent steps to rescue Nigeria from the hands of brigands. Not to do so would amount to flirting with violence. The current level of corruption is dangerous. The anger of the people may lead to a violent uprising whose consequences we cannot foresee. Let us step back from the road to bloodshed.
That is why we hear of huge sums of money getting into wrong hands. What we have is not politics of the common good but politics of selfish interests. And its agents in every government are going scotch free. The constitution we operate provides incentives for corruption, and where there is corruption there will be poverty and insecurity.
Our constitution is just a formula for sharing Nigeria’s wealth placed in the hands of politicians. It provides for so many offices, so many parastatals and ministries, and the bureaucracy it creates is consuming Nigeria’s money. The size of government has depleted Nigeria’s wealth. Politics is the largest industry in Nigeria. It is no longer news that many people go into politics because of the opportunity to enrich themselves at the people’s expense
We ought to have utilised the wealth of Nigeria to develop the people. But we have witnessed successive regimes of politicians in military and civilian garbs who enrich themselves by impoverishing the people.
The sad consequences confront us: no good roads, no good schools, no good hospitals, no good airports, no electricity, no security, and no comfort. The average Nigerian has nothing to enjoy while members of the political oligarchy are living extravagantly. But for Covid-19, they would have been in Dubai. Fela Anikulapo Kuti once asked: ‘How country go dey make money when country people no dey see money?’ The question is yet to receive an answer.
Our country that God gave us is raped and robbed with impunity by those who should be working for the common good. The future of Nigeria is jeopardized in the present by politicians who show symptoms of kleptomania, an irresistible tendency to take what belongs to all of us. Many of our leaders are getting away with daylight robbery and murder.
We are deceived into believing that a war is being waged on corruption. But we witness a circus, a shameless show of brigandage in government, where we hear of billions of naira being spent on frivolous projects that are of no advantage to the Nigerian people. We have been told that looted money is being returned. Yet, the government is borrowing. There is a big contradiction here. If looted money is being returned, why does Nigeria have to borrow so much?
There is an urgent need to restructure the government in Nigeria. Concrete steps will have to be taken. First, the constitution must change. The current constitution provides a recipe and a licence for theft in government, for poverty of the populace, and for insecurity in the land.
Each President and each governor should consider his single term in office to be a penalty kick. A player chosen to take a penalty kick has only one opportunity to put the ball in the net.
Nigeria does not need a bicameral legislature of 109 senators and 375 members of the House of Representatives. She can do well with just one federal parliament. The current bicameral legislature is wasteful and should be abolished by the new constitution.
The military origin of this constitution shows that it was conceived by people who thought Nigeria’s oil wealth would flow endlessly to the advantage of political officeholders. Now, we know better. The oil is not dry. But it is not being bought. This will have severe consequences on the standard of living of the Nigerian. POST-COVID-19 Nigeria cannot survive on a bicameral legislature.”
Not unexpectedly, the old boys of St. Gregory’s College are solidly behind him.
Professor Gambari is duty bound to restore trust in the Government. In my own case, my campaign to become the President of St. Gregory’s College Old boys Association is on track. I am entirely in agreement with Mallam Mamman Daura – “Election should be based on merit, not on the school you attended.”
In the fierce urgency of now, it is never too late
This is not the time to be speechless. Our worst nightmare (in broad daylight!!) is the invitation from the President to join him at a feast (State banquet) but his bodyguards start shooting at us. It was only the timely intervention of Professor (Ambassador) Ibrahim Gambari that came to our rescue.
As for our ancestors, they have handed down their wisdom – they always spoke in parables in order to avoid being misquoted.
‘ Nigeria is a sinking ship being navigated by pirates. There is need to take urgent steps to rescue Nigeria from the hands of brigands. Not to do so would amount to flirting with violence. The current level of corruption is dangerous
J.K. Randle is a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and former Chairman of KPMG Nigeria and Africa Region. He is currently the Chairman, J.K. Randle Professional Services.
Email: jkrandleintuk@gmail.com