Daily Independent (Lagos)
Anthonia Soyingbe
8 July 2009
(Page 2 of 2)
What does such demand depict on Nigeria's democracy?
I can understand why anybody holding public office in Nigeria will not want to go, including you, because they are making free money, the type that will send you to jail in other countries. This is a country where no one can go to jail for stealing it doesn't matter how much you steal. It is a very attractive proposition because we are living in a lawless nation. I can understand why public office holders don't want to leave especially people who came with no homes, people who came with no cars. They are living a wonderful life and so the business for them is wonderful. Don't deceive yourself, if you are in a business where you can make money for nothing would you want to leave? They are talking about it amidst themselves and they are earning millions every month on your behalf and on my behalf. The outright stealing that is going on all in the name of politics in Nigeria makes public office attractive. People are not there because they desperately want to serve Nigeria. They are there because they want to steal. It is about choice. Like they say if it happens for the first and second time they say it is a mistake but if it comes the third time they call it enemy action. Now that you know, you have to make up your mind if these are the kind of people you still want to elect as your representatives. Like they are saying about the Uwais Report, the report may have the most wonderful recommendations but it is you and I that have to decide what we want to sign to. Very few Nigerians have placed high premium on themselves. If Nigerians know that by intimidation and bribery people get into power, it is left to them to decide if they still want to collaborate with them then you lose your right to complain about the politicians. This will definitely have an adverse effect on Nigerians because it will make them lose confidence in the process. It is bad enough that Nigerians don't trust politicians but that is an inherent ingredient of the decay in our political system. They have made politics a criminal enterprise and so people are losing interest in our political system. The positive side is that now that you know what are you going to do? Ordinary citizens must equally not feel helpless because their vote is their power. We can actually improve the quality of governance in our own little way.
Are you saying that our votes count in this era of imposition?
I don't know about that but my vote counts.
You are seen as a politician, and they say politics is a dirty game, where does politics come in your vocation?
Everything is subjected to corruption except the word of God. There is no game that can't be dirty as football. Don't let us pretend there is different between politics and politicking. I did my Ph.D thesis in politics and religion. I am a politician, but I don't belong to any political party and I don't intend to run for any political seat.
What is your advice to politicians?
We are an out rightly religious people; we can always say there will be judgement in heaven. I tell people not to mind the judgement in heaven because it is our money that they are stealing and this money belongs to Nigeria. So we have a duty to insist on who governs us. We need to sharpen our tools of integration and so the last thing we should think as citizens is that our votes don't count. I get offended when Nigerians say our vote doesn't count. It is not true. Your vote counts and so the vote of an individual can help re-build Nigeria. 2011 will not be like 2007 because the tribunal rulings have shown that things have changed. If you see the recommendations of Uwais panel, you will see some of the things we say. Let politicians understand that if they violate the law they will go to prisons instead of going to government houses. We were under the military for 30 years without a constitution. So it could take us time to arrive there, yet we should all be hopeful that Nigeria will be great.
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