Leadership (Abuja)
Andrew Oota
24 November 2007
opinion
Abuja — Again, the unfortunate has come the way of Nigeria. The country's image is once again being put to question, as some of the country's best brains have been named in a scam involving a German firm, Siemens AG.
Four former ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a serving senator and some staff of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), as well as some officials of the Immigration Service were alleged to have taken the sum of 10million Euros as bribe.
I also read in the papers that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has since ordered a full investigation into the damning allegations, with a vow to bring any person found wanting to book.
Incidentally, the four former ministers of Communications, except General Tajudeen Olarewaju and the late Alhaji Haruna Elewi, served under the administration of former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, just as the serving senator was not just an ally of the former president, but also another tool used in clipping the wings of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.
For record purposes, former ministers of Communications, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Dr. Mohammed Bello, the late Haruna Elewi, General Tajudeen Olarewaju and Senator Jubril Aminu, staff of NITEL, as well as those of Immigration Service, took a bribe of 10million Euros.
It is also in the media that the chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives' committees have resolved to equally probe the allegations of corruption and bribery leveled against the former ministers of Communications and a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Independent Corrupt and other Related Offences Practice Commission (ICPC) has also swung into action, all with a view to getting to the root of the matter.
It is painful that the reputation and integrity of Nigeria as a nation has always been put to question, but more disturbing and worrisome is the fact that those at the helm of affairs, particularly the political class, have not made any conscious effort to purge themselves of corrupt tendencies, further maligning the image of the country.
It is no pleasant news that there can be no official or private business that can be transacted without anybody parting with some amount of monies, be it in local or foreign currency.
I personally feel disturbed that despite the campaign against corruption which appeared to be the cardinal point of the administration of the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the country is still wallowing in corruption.
It is common knowledge that the political class in Nigeria have not only made leadership an avenue for enriching themselves , but have also succeeded in abusing the psyche of the younger generation to the extent that they no longer believe that there can be any clean transaction in their fatherland.
It further baffles me that the Nigerian political class hardly get tired and ashamed of asking for bribes before certain projects with good intentions for the generality of Nigerians, can be cited.
I am more worried that the political class has a penchant for condemning their perceived opponents named in corrupt practices, while they apply worse and dangerous approaches to corruption.
I reported and followed up the last international embarrassment that rocked Nigeria some time last year, when the then vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was named in an unclean deal involving an American Congress- man, William Jefferson.
I saw, read and heard the best of elements like Jubril Aminu, the former minister of the FCT, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and the present chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, condemning the action of the vice president.
Let nobody misunderstand me for supporting the former vice president for his role in the PTDF funds matter, because I don't support corruption at any level.
However, the involvement of Senator Aminu in the said Siemens scam is not just a confirmation of his past as former minister of Petroleum and Education, but to the extent to which Nigerian leaders have mortgaged the entire country. Like the saying goes, "99 days for a thief, but one day to the owner", we shall get to know everybody's antecedents.
I have said in the past that there can hardly be any development, when men of questionable character are at the helm of affairs, particularly in positions of grave importance, like the Senate of a country.
I know as a matter of fact that Senator Aminu, for instance, played a vital role in the state of our educational sector, when he held sway as minister of Education.
The former vice chancellor, back in the Senate, chairs one of the grade-one committees, the Senate committee on Foreign Affairs, which last assignment was the screening of the 62 ambassadorial nominees, yet, not many can say that he has completely done well.
He and the former deputy majority leader of the Senate, Senator Jonathan Zwingina, fixed all the elections in Adamawa State during the 2007 general elections, and the results of the various tribunals in the same state are confirmations of what Senator Aminu and Zwingina planted in the state.
Yesterday, it was the former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; today it is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Jubril Aminu. Who is next? only time can tell.
Whichever way the pendulum swings, the Nigerian political class has brought no small embarrassment and shame on the country. This is criminal and no decent society should encourage crime. All those named in the scandal should be brought to book, that is the only way Nigerians can draw a clear demarcation between the previous administration and the present one.
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