Nigeria: A Country Where Corruption Makes Rulers Deaf, Dumb And Blind

‘Corruption is the enemy of development, and of good governance. It must be gotten rid of. Both the government and the people at large must come together to achieve this national objective’ – Pratibha Patil

The discourse on corruption in Nigeria remains an endless talkshop simply because both leadership and followers are deeply enmeshed in the scourge.

Nigeria’s corruption has become a virus that is ravaging the entire landscape to the extent that it would take God’s intervention to recover the country from its stranglehold.

The author quoted above, would suggest that corruption is an African issue. I, however, disagree. The “pandemic” is not restricted to Nigeria or Africa alone. Western societies are not exempted.

I dare say that the Western nations, more than any other, are culpable in the performance, though at the extra territorial level. While jealously guarding their own treasures and appropriating resources for their own people, they navigated the length and breadth of the globe, exploiting other countries, for selfish interests.

They corruptly enrich their countries, with the wealth, toll and blood of others. African slaves built their cities while its resources served their economies.

It would take an eternity to discuss corruption, but for a quick grasp of the phenomenon, Nigeria as a nation would serve the purpose of my attempt to discuss this nagging social concern.

There is phenomenal corruption in our country simply because there is a profound failure of leadership generally and in the fight against corruption in particular.

If the truth is to be told, with very few exceptions, our crop of leaders is essentially self-serving and visionless. Some even rank as despots, and not leaders in the true sense of the word.

They lack(ed) vision, focus, and selflessness and are indulgent on a large scale. Without fear of contradiction, our leaders are unimaginably corrupt; they are greedy; they are vindictive; they are reckless and, in many fundamental respects, senseless. Virtually whoever has access to power abuses it.

The exceptions are very few indeed. There is perhaps no other country in the world where power corrupts and absolute power corrupts as absolutely as in Nigeria.

Our indisputable consistent dismal ranking on the global corruption index testifies to the societal decadence and poverty of leadership that bestrides the country, yet we gloat over this shameful misnomer, wear its badge with pride and carry on like Nero of Rome.

That the so-called African leader and hope of the black man is now donning the crown of corruption and poverty headquarters of the world, without qualms, is incomprehensible.

Like a deaf and blind man, he hears nothing, he sees nothing. Our leaders hear nothing, they see nothing. Nothing moves them.

What a shame! While yet adorning their corruption epaulettes, those who plunged the country into the ditch are moving around with full chest, parading credentials of ‘sainthood’ and superiority.

Yet our society keeps applauding them as people with morals and means. Each opportunity they had in providing leadership became personalised. Citizens are compelled to embrace their warped ideology.

hey are subjected to mental and material poverty and reoriented to believe that except one identifies with the loyalist camp, chances of enjoying any benefit from the state, even one’s survival, is slim.

The promoters of that bastardisation are walking the streets unchallenged of their evil deeds. This same attitude was what brought our country to its knees. Its assets are decimated, its infrastructure lying in ruins.

Our education system has been destroyed, health facilities are comatose, shipping lines have become moribund, in short, Nigeria has been destroyed. Look at what happened in this country in the 1970s!

Where are all the River Basins? Where are the industries? Where are the motor companies? Volkswagen of Nigeria, so many of them? These industries were all destroyed between 1986 and early 1990’s.