The Nigerian corruption

“Imagine me and you are fighting — we both have guns but mine is pretty old; while you are wearing a bullet proof vest, I am carrying an umbrella; my vehicle just produces smoke and is short on fuel, while you are riding a vehicle equipped with anti-aircraft gun...”

This is what one Nigerian soldier, who was recently dismissed for fleeing the battlefield, told a reporter. No doubt that the deep- rooted corruption has made the Nigerian Army out-gunned and over-powered by the ruthless militia, Boko Haram ( BK), which is not only advancing toward Central Nigeria, but its neighboring countries are also under attack.

However, Nigerian politicians have something else on their minds — upcoming presidential elections. Not to reveal his army weaknesses, President Goodluck Jonathan’s government has rejected the AU or UN intervention. But no one can deny what’s written on the wall — the prized city of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, fell to BK like a pack of cards, just one day after the president’s visit.