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Saint Matthew’s War On Corruption By Max Gbanite
Corruption perhaps was introduced by Lady Eve when she convinced Sir Adams to eat the forbidden fruit at the Garden of Eden, defying Almighty God’s early warning not to do so. Don’t even imagine what the world would have become had this singular act of corruption by disobedience not happened…. it was written to happen the way God wanted it to.
As Christians, we were also told of how Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples of Our lord Jesus Christ, accepted a bribe or was lobbied by the Roman soldiers for 30 shickles of silver packed in what was called then, Jews-must-go bag (depending on how you reason) to betray his master, Jesus. A Nigerian would have accepted more.
This is just to approximate the age of corruption and its influence on the human psyche. Fortunately, the setting was the Middle East and the actors were Romans and Jews; people most favored by God, it seems.
A senator asked his son who was caught and expelled for cheating in an examination hall at one of the premier universities in Nigeria, “My son, why did you cheat and embarrass me, a whole senator and our family name like this?”
His unrepentant son, with both hands on his waist, answered back, “Did you not cheat and rig the election to become a senator? So you set the good example for me; and, besides, I belong to a cult group just like you… and I have participated in ritual killing just like you… and my prayer malams and pastors just buried live rams and cows to assist me get thru with this dilemma. God willing, you will steal enough money in the National Assembly to send me abroad to continue my studies.”
The Senator smiled shamelessly.
Given these scenarios, it was therefore, comforting when, on March 23rd 2005, Generalissimo, President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR (a.k.a Saint Matthew-Messiah), the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, made a broadcast to the nation regarding the state of corruption within the National Assembly. He further dismissed the Minister of Education Prof. Fabian Osuji with immediate effect.
Let me be on record by saying that I truly commend His Excellency, President Obasanjo (Saint Matthew) for that speech, and for waking up from his anti-democratic slumber to start this war on corruption. However, let’s see how far he can go with it, given the fact that in his book ‘My Command’ and ‘Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu’ he mentioned that corruption and political rascality were part of the reasons for the revolution of January 15, 1966. Other books written by Majors Ademoyega and Gbulie supported the same theory on corruption. The name of His Excellency General Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) rings a bell here. His major reason for overthrowing His Excellency Shehu Shagari (GCFR) in 1983 was CORRUPTION.
In other words, this program called “corruption” has always been part of our system, and the common man calls it ‘Dash me’ ‘Rankashindede’ ‘Dobale baba’ ‘Egunje’…. depending on one’s ethnic language and or the type of pure water taken on a given day. Remarkably the British and Americans call it “Lobbying.” The problem is that Nigerians can’t discern the difference.
It is imperative that Nigerians roll up their ethnic and religious sleeves and support Saint Matthew on this ‘HIS’ serious war against corruption. Eradicating it is as impossible as eradicating poverty; however, it can be reduced considerably in the society. Those who play the ethnic card regarding the manner with which Undistinguished Senator Adolphus Wabara was disgraced must brace up for more, because I recommend that Saint Matthew should, thru his partial Attorney-General -- a man who does not recognize nor respect the rulings of the Supreme Court -- throw all available books of law at Wabara, handcuff him out of the National Assembly straight to court to face arraignment, trial, and possibly jail for failing the nation as the number-three man and Ndiigbo in particular. He and Prof. Osuji can never claim to have the interest of Ndiigbo at heart when the deal was consummated. Can Wabara and Osuji point to any improvement in education in their respective constituencies since assuming office? Besides he (Wabara) betrayed Saint Matthew, on whose words [“Make him win”] motivated INEC returning officers and the court of disgraced Justice Egbo-Egbo to rig Elder Imo out of the election, hence bringing in a preponderant kleptomaniac like Adolphus Wabara to represent his mystified constituency and Ndiigbo in the national assembly.
Those members of the National Assembly, who frowned or felt bad at the way Saint Matthew’s speech indicted them as a corrupt body, should know that he (Saint Matthew) knows their penchant for accepting Ghana-must-go bags at various roadblocks mounted by them. After all, it is a fact, and on the records of the National Assembly 1999-2003, that Saint Matthew’s hatchet men had variously and numerously induced members collectively to pass bills or assist the Saint to manipulate the constitution in 2002, which reversed the structure and methods of local government elections in the federation just for selfish reasons. Are these actions not corruptive?
No one from the office of the Saint has repudiated such actions as of this writing.
Whilst Saint Matthew is doggedly mobilizing the nation on this ‘HIS’ war against corruption, he ought to also apologize to Mr. Azie, the former acting accountant general of the federation, who was retired for averring that the entire ministers from 1999-2003 were corrupt to a fuzzy-mathematical proportion. As a matter of conciliation and respect, he (Azie) should be given a national merit award along with Honorable Dr. Haruna Yerima. Honorable Yerima was the former lecturer at Nigerian Defence Academy, a very sincere-straightforward man, and my friend, representing Biu constituency in Borno State; he blew the lid open on the high-level of corruption within the lower chambers of the National Assembly. The revelation triggered the current event in the National Assembly; and was suspended by his colleagues for telling the truth.
Saint Matthew, as you spearhead the restructuring and reengineering of the Nigerian psyche on corruption, it’s also imperative to remember those cases that seemed comatose in the eyes of your admirer’s and detractor’s alike; the cases are as follows:
- The 400 million naira ‘Makonjuola Pride Vessel’ that was found missing in the Ministry of Defence. The man in question has since disappeared abroad and the prosecutor issued a ‘nolle prosequi’ on the matter; whatever that means, it is certainly not a Nigerian language. If the money has been returned, please tell Nigerians.
- The over 300 billion naira budgetary allocation to the ministry of works for roads in 1999-2003. Whereas the ministry put signs on highways that read ‘men at work,’ in reality, the men were hardly seen. You yourself even questioned what happened to the roads but, after being forced to continue in office during the Easter break at Otta, you seem to have forgotten.
- The funds allocated to both ministries of transport and aviation for the dredging of the River Niger waterways, and the installation of instrument landing systems and total radar coverage of the federation.
- The over 1trillion naira allocated to NEPA to provide stable electricity for the nation from the late Chief Bola Ige, Chief Ogunleye, Chief Agagu, and to the current Minister Lyle Imoke. And they are yet to deliver. And without shame, you even tried to fool Nigerians that the light is still coming during your last media chat on NTA. The promise you made since 1999 was, “NEPA is a thing of the past.” Unfortunately, and six years later NEPA’s unheralded inefficiency has made you look untrustworthy.
- The white paper probe on COJA, that is fast becoming a ‘black paper,’ allegedly indicted some of your closest associates and possibly family members, especially the First Lady and First Son and their close associates. This paper should be presented to Nigerians without bias.
- Nigerians need to know the true cost of hosting CHOGM and African Heads of States Conference. The Heads of States that attended will not feel offended at your transparency. What happened to the purchased cars used for the conferences, and who bought them after the conference, and at what price?
- Nigerians need to know why people like Dr. Gaius Obaseki are yet to be probed and prosecuted for the manner with which he handled NNPC accounts, and the refineries that were not functioning.
- You need to explain in simple and truthful terms -- as a real ‘born again Christian’ who always talks to God and worships on television, what really happened to the 275 million dollars spent for the maintenance turnaround contract awarded to companies to return our refineries to order, and the billions of naira spent on Ajaokuta Steel Complex from 1999-2003 without success, and the eventual non-implementation of Oby Ezekwesili’s designed due-process in the award of the contract to the new Indian company ISPAT.
- The issue of National Identification Card System that consumed your childhood friend and former minister Chief Afolabi is still unresolved. The case should be reopened and justice seen to its conclusion.
- It is a fact that you are holding the portfolio of Petroleum Minister since 1999 to date, and there are allegations of allocation violations brewing like a volcano about to erupt and, if not properly handled, very soon you may be accused of being corrupt for awarding contracts worth more than 15 million dollars without due process and contrary to the constitution, especially on the importation of PMS and allocation of crude oil to contractors.
- Nigerians would like to know what happened to the13 billion naira, allegedly missing from Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) account, and it too, must be included in this ‘YOUR’ fight against corruption.
- While commending your recent steps in bringing former Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun to books, and your recent dismissal of the housing minister Mrs. Mobolaji Osomo, it is imperative that you investigate those who already made deposits to purchase of government houses in Ikoyi, especially those in government. Check their sworn declaration of assets and ascertain if they can truly afford to purchase properties worth hundreds of millions.
- Detractors are planning to embarrass you by supposing that your hard working son Gbenga Obasanjo, like the Late General Abacha’s son Mohammed, who is also a hard working businessman on their own right, has about 22 million dollars (about 2.4 billion naira) in his account in the United States. And that your Hajia, our First Lady has been shuttling between Sao Tome & Principe for oil speculation; please check these stories for accuracy so that we can shame your detractors. - A head of a federal parastatal allegedly gave your SGF an American-made Lincoln limousine as a present, contrary to your earlier warnings against accepting such “gifts”; we need to know if your SGF is now a royal father. And the same parastatal spent 200 million naira on salah and 300 million naira on Christmas gifts to some of your ministers and members of the National Assembly. Please investigate this matter.
- Please, may sleep not come easy to you until you conclude the issues surrounding the award of CONTECNA contract, NITEL-PENTASCOPE deal, BPE and what actually happened to the over 500 million dollars donated by foreign countries as grants to assist the easement of the privatization exercise. The whole thing smells more than the Union Carbide chemical leak in Bhopal, India.
- Americans are also wondering how your number-two man is able to acquire a house in their country worth over 6 million dollars on the retirement income of a Customs Director. Well, I told them that they are just being jealous and, if interested, they (Americans) can also buy in Nigeria.
There are many others that I decline to remember due to running stomach precipitated by the nauseating effect of Adolphus Wabara and Prof. Fabian Osuji brand of unapproved-by-NAFDAC pure water taken recently. However, suffice it to say that to really make a dent in this war on corruption, you and members of your cabinet must re-sworn in by a real Christian pastor and an Islamic imam, not a judge from the judiciary, to give the feeling of offending God anytime you people err.
You must also empower Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to become proactive in the fight against corruption. If interested in the blue print for proactivity, they may consult me for my own contribution through the publishers of this article.
As you may well know, the National Assembly may lay a trap of impeachment for you to protect their pride, hoping that your hatchet men may attempt to bribe them. Should this happen, they may expose your backside to the world. Please thread very careful and try not to breach the constitution.
As we wait diligently for your term to end in 2007, we encourage you to continue this fight against corruption and to also do your best to unmask the killers of Chief Bola Ige, Dr. Harry Marshall, Chief Aminosari Dikkibo, and other victims who have remained collateral damages of ‘your style’ of democracy. On our part, we pledge to assist you in every way we can to win this fight and we will also resist any attempt to persuade or force you to stay beyond your constitutional term of 2007.
If by any chance you fail to render proper account of your stewardship or fail to provide answers to the issues raised before the end of your term in 2007, when you leave office, you will notice that you were admired by a handful, feared by many, and respected by your cliques only (apology to General Danjuma), and disliked by the majority; alas, rendering your ‘Sainthood’ useless..
Long Live democratic Federal Republic of Nigeria. |