By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye
I have said it so several times that when Nigerian politicians converge
to map out plans for acquiring power, which, in most cases, practically
translates to securing unlimited access to unearned wealth, they do not
usually remember that they came from different ethnic blocks. At such
gatherings, they will all think alike, talk with one voice and even look
and laugh alike. They will speak the same language.
Indeed, illicit accumulation and all forms of corrupt activities do not
have tribal marks. The colour of graft is the same any day, no matter
who is involved.
At such times, the masses are hardly remembered. They do not matter at
all. Everybody is preoccupied with the much he or she would be able to
accumulate and cart away for his personal luxury and that of his family
and cronies.
In the introduction to my book, “_Nigeria: Why Looting May Not Stop
[1],” _I maintained that corruption became very monstrous in Nigeria
_“__when public office gradually ceased to be a platform for rendering
selfless service and transformed into the easiest route to criminal
accumulation of wealth. And the law, too, became increasingly very weak
in the face of the overwhelming sleaze. Since then, generations of
public officers have passed through this route, looting the country
blind with utmost impunity and quitting office into incredible
abundance, without any fear of anyone ever prying into the clearly
unearned wealth they flaunt with revolting fanfare…”_
And because of this unhealthy development, _“…an ever-swelling cult
of looters has emerged whose nuisance value has remained the undisputed
headache of the country… And given this very depressing situation and
with the dreadful cult of looters growing in stature and influence,
maintaining effective command at virtually all our public institutions,
how then can we possibly hope to be able to sanitise the system or have
free and fair elections in this country?”_
Sadly, the problem has, in the course of time, been so horribly
complicated. This is because, “_the members of this cult have so
__much money to throw around and so have easily enthroned themselves as
formidable godfathers and kingmakers who deploy the billions at their
disposal to install and remove governments at will. Many of them can
single-handedly found and fund political parties without the slightest
impact on their bottomless pockets. They also have all it takes to
frustrate any attempt to pry into their hideous pasts. The very
negligible few among them who manage to get ‘messed-up’ in the
‘anti-corruption war’ are those foolish enough to find the trouble
of those more powerful than them, or get themselves into some really
complicated situation that it would be difficult to extricate them
without a serious backlash capable of posing a dangerous threat to the
peace and stability of the entire cult. So, they are carefully
sacrificed to preserve the whole house and used in the process, too, to
launder a dubious commitment to an ‘anti-graft’ campaign.”_
(pp.vii-x)
That is the egregious story of Nigeria. Many of the politicians out
there raising a lot of din about their patriotism and selfless-service
may just be ordinary job seekers looking for meal tickets. And that is
why I insist that Nigerian masses are so tragically naïve.
Immediately these politicians disagree among themselves, either on the
power or money sharing formula, they would suddenly remember their
differences which never mattered at all when they were sharing and
carting away happily. Then they would return to the masses whom they had
long forgotten to stoke ethnic tensions among them in order to use them
to negotiate for themselves positions of power, influence and wealth.
Consequently, the suffering man who had lived peacefully with his
equally suffering neighbour would be persuaded to suddenly see
themselves as enemies and start fighting each other. The people would be
deceived into thinking they are fighting to advance the interests of
their ethnic groups, not knowing that they are at war to help negotiate
better places and limitless luxuries for selfish and callous
politicians.
Sometime ago, I was in one of the state capitals and what were on
virtually everybody’s lips at that period were the media reports about
some choice structures and juicy investments allegedly belonging to a
former governor which were believed to have been acquired with the
proceeds of his mindless looting. Opinions were divided on the
mind-blowing report. Although some people rose in stout defense of the
fellow, what I found unbelievable was that some others were ready to
even go to the sickening extent of openly boasting that what the man was
alleged to have stolen was “their” money, so, why should it be the
business of anyone who was not from the state!
One evening, I went to a nearby kiosk to make a purchase, and there, I
saw two young men who, judging by their haggard appearance, should
belong to the lowest wrung of the country’s social and economic
setting – the worst victims of the programme of impoverishment that
successive corrupt politicians have unleashed on this country.
As one of the young men expressed outrage at such mindless stealing by
the former governor, the other one barked at him: “_go back to your
state and talk about the stealing taking place there and leave our state
alone. It is our money that was stolen and it does not concern you! Just
shut your mouth, we are okay with that!”_
It was difficult to comprehend what I had just heard, but the fellow was
dead serious repeating the same words to the other young man, becoming
angrier as he spoke and showing clearly that he could initiate a
physical combat if the other fellow continued to discuss the matter that
“did not concern” him.
With people who reason like this fellow abundantly existing across our
country, why should any thieving public officer ever think of exercising
any restraint?
That is why the ethnic conflicts in most cities are periodic. Some say
they only occur during elections or when some politicians have either
lost out in their quest for power or are being tried for corruption.
The most painful thing is that while the hungry and haggard masses are
out there fighting each other, the politicians whom they wrongly assume
is their champion is behind closed doors negotiating a better deal for
himself. Once he has been settled satisfactorily, he would come out and
tell his people to halt the hostilities. He may let a few crumbs fall to
them, that is, those who did not die during the conflicts.
And the deep bitterness which he had caused between good neighbours and
amazing friends in the course of the self-serving conflict he initiated
might take time to heal, if it will ever. He would move away to wallow
in his usual luxuries until the need arises again for him to stoke
another ethnic tension to service his narrow, selfish interests.
I have been calling on Nigerians to stop listening to these politicians,
but will they ever hear?
There may be some people breathing today who will agree to serve as
thugs in future elections, and may lose their lives in the process. They
may champion the next ethnic or religious conflict when some
unscrupulous politicians return to use them once more to further their
selfish purposes. They may even be killed or maimed in the process, who
cares? Certainly, not the callous and greedy politicians that instigated
them!
Please, Nigerians, stop allowing yourselves to be used as cheap tools in
the hands of these selfish and heartless politicians.
The only divisions that ought to exist in Nigeria should be between the
oppressors and the oppressed, the exploiters and the exploited, and
criminally enriched and the wickedly impoverished.
Nigerians, stop fighting each other to impress your oppressors. You are
all victims!
_*Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye__ is the author of the book, Nigeria: Why Looting
May Not Stop [1] (scruples2006@yahoo.com)_