Late Justice Oputa Chukwudifu, a Nigerian jurist of character and learning was known for his straight shots with words, and with the tenacity for passing good and enduring judgments.
Speaking while delivering the 2nd Chief Dr. Alabo Graham-Douglas Memorial lecture at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology in Port Harcourt in late July 1990, the eminent jurist said that poverty offers the greatest assault on and violence to human dignity.
He said, it is poverty, in the main, that breeds prostitution. I agree with him, and add that, the prostitution inferred here by Justice Oputa talks of not only of political corruption. In fact, corruption in its hydra-headed framework includes bribery, extortion, cronyism, patronage, graft, embezzlement, exploitation, fraud, malfeasance, economic and financial crimes in high places etc.
Victor Dike, founder/CEO, Centre for Social Justice and Human Development (CSJHD), defines corruption as "a behavior which deviates from the formal duties of a public role, because of private [gains] - regarding personal, close family, private clique, pecuniary or status gains".
He said, it is a behavior which violates rules against the exercise of certain types of duties for private [gains] - regarding influence.
This is where political corruption rears its ugly head to pollute every strata of government apparatus in developing countries. Nigeria is a clear example of this. No wonder, she is classified as one of the poverty capitals of the world. This classification, unfortunately, is traceable to corrupt, inept and visionless governance dispensed by succeeding administrations (military or civilian) since Nigeria attained her independence in 1960.
If Justice Oputa were to be alive today, he would be very restless with what is now known as 'humongous corruption' in Nigeria and other African countries. The Justice was right in his assessment of poverty and under-development as siamese twins or twin-gods that breed slavery, class and negate balance, growth and development of a nation.
In his Christmas message to Nigerians on December, 25 2022, Matthew Kukah, the revered Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto said that the immediate past president Muhammadu Buhari's policies made Nigerians vulnerable, faulting his anti-corruption credentials.
"It is sad", he said, "that despite your lofty promises, you are leaving us far more vulnerable than when you came, that the corruption we thought would be fought has become a leviathan and sadly, a consequence of government marked by nepotism."
Bishop Kukah said Buhari had succeeded in his leadership to split the country.
"Clearly, in almost every department and with all indicators, our nation has become a tale of two cities", he bemoaned.
Bishop Kukah regretted that the nation now witnessed wars between the rich and the poor, man and woman, across generations, along party lines, social classes, religion, ethnicity and so on.
In the circumstance, the centre, he said, has given up in almost every department of our national life.
Earlier in April, 2022, Bishop Kukah had, in an ARISE TV Morning Show, told a bewildered audience that: "Buhari has done a terrible job as President of Nigeria".
Indeed, the facts attest to the acute observations of the revered Bishop on the performance bond of the 8-year rule of Buhari's administration to the Nigerian nation. To most observers that administration was a colossal failure.
Regrettably, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, our new president, who has shown an appreciable level of audacity in dishing out directives, and understanding of the utility value of leadership in governance within a short space of his administration is now saddled with the unbundling of the liabilities of the previous government.
First, was the fuel subsidy removal by his administration which has left the Nigerian people poorer, helpless and totally desperate in making ends meet. Yet, president Tinubu admits that the decision "will impose extra burden on the masses of our people".
Tinubu says, he feels their pain, adding that: "It is one decision we must bear to save our country from going under and take our resources away from the stranglehold of a few unpatriotic elements". This, ostensibly is to assuage the fears of greater majority of Nigerians that Tinubu has come to rob Peter to pay Paul.
Of course, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has since stood the bull by the horns by suing President Tinubu's government over the missing 2.1billion US dollars and 3.1trillion naira subsidy payments.
The lawsuit filed against the Federal Government is over its failure to probe the allegations that 2.1billion dollars and 3.1trillion naira public funds of oil revenues and budgeted as fuel subsidy payments are missing and unaccounted for between 2016 and 2019.
This, SERAP says, is sequel to what the Rights Group describes as the grim allegations documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2016 and 2019 annual reports that public funds are missing.
SERAP, therefore, is seeking an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Tinubu to promptly probe the allegations of the missing funds.
In the suit, number FH/C/L/CS/1107/23 filed on Friday, 10 June, 2023 at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP also seeks for an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to direct the anti-corruption agencies to promptly probe fuel subsidy payments made by governments in 1999, name and shame and prosecute suspected perpetrators of crimes.
In a related development, Nigerian lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, and human right activist, in a publication titled: 'Catalogue of Looting and Brigandage of Nigeria', stated that subsidies are primarily of the rich, highlighting how the subsidy regime is being manipulated and how huge sums of money, he believes, can be recovered not just to subsidize fuel but also provide funds for development.
He revealed among other anti-people activities of government, the diversion of 40billion naira from Federation Account, additional revenue of 1.5 billion dollars payment to Federation Account as part of 15-year fiscal incentives given to the oil companies operating under the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act which expired in June 2014, outstanding royalty payments of 63billion dollars, Federal Government denied revenue of 500million dollars by a group of corrupt public officers, sale of public assets and enterprises, whose buyers turned round to engage in asset stripping, the non-recovery of deposits and the accrued interests of 7billion dollars fixed in 14 banks, theft of crude oil, sale of Heritage Bank, Keystone Bank, Union Bank and Polaris Bank by CBN and the unaccountable trillions of naira spent to revitalize these banks, theft of gold and other minerals amongst others. (Please refer to businesshilights.com.ng - 2023/06/11 for details).
Meanwhile, three ex-ministers in Buhari's administration have been summoned to EFCC on matters of transparency and accountability during their tenures in office. The directive issued by EFCC dated Monday 13, June 2023 named Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation and Hajiya Sadiya Umar Faruq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.
In a related development, a report by pointblanknews.com says that United Kingdom investigators have bursted another corruption scandal in former President Buhari's administration involving the Managing Director of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh, where various sums including 1.5trillion naira and another 9,557,312.50 dollars were traced to his personal accounts. The report further revealed that the Fidelity account with 1.505,890,450,000.67 naira has Hamza Ibrahim Jamoh with BVN 221517410 and cell phone number 080345517410. Pointblanknews.com also reported that while the BVN number revealed a different identify, the cell phone linked to the account is linked to the DG of NIMASA, Jamoh. There are also other damning reports of misappropriation of public funds bordering on corrupt practices by the DG of NIMASA, though unsubstantiated.
It would also be recalled that the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele is presently undergoing investigations by the EFCC as part of an "ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the banking sector".
The list of corruption cases perpetrated by some officials of the immediate past administration are endless. A Tinubu administration is expected to clinically x-ray and investigate these financial and economic crimes against the Nigerian state and her people and bring to book those culpable to serve as a deterrent for future wanton rape of the treasury.
From the foregoing and many other disturbing revelations bordering on financial and economic crimes committed by some officials of government and their collaborators against the state and her people, the Tinubu administration, no doubt, has an arduous task in reconstructing the Nigerian governance system in tandem with equity, accountability, performance bond and the rule of law.
Fortunately, President Tinubu, in his June 12 Democracy Day nationwide address said that the democracy MKO Abiola died for is one that promotes the 'welfare of the people over the personal interests of the ruling class and one where the governed can find personal fulfillment and happiness.
That, he said, is the hope MKO Abiola ignited throughout Nigeria in 1993.
President Tinubu therefore, assured citizens that his administration would uphold the 'rule of law' and protect democracy.
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He declared: "We shall be faithful to the truth, faithful to equity and faithful to justice. We shall exercise our authority and mandate to govern with fairness, respect for the rule of law, and commitment to always uphold the dignity of all our people".
If Nigerians are to hold President Tinubu accountable to his words, then he should start the ball rolling with the prayers of SERAP in their suit against the Federal Government over the missing 2.1billion dollars and 3.1trillion naira subsidy payments yet to be accounted for.
We recall that President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi recently sacked his Labour Minister, Ken Kandodo over misuse of COVID-19 funds amounting to 6.3billion Malawian Kwacha (7.95million dollars). This is even after the Minister had repaid the money to government coffers.
Incensed President Chakwera further said that over a dozen individuals suspected of committing the crimes exposed by the audit report have been arrested.
He declared: "If the finger of evidence points to you... you are going to prison", he assured. Nigerians expect another President Chakwera play-out in Tinubu's administration.
The task before President Tinubu therefore, is to show strength of leadership character by doing what is right and proper in the interest of the country, by facing head-on these challenges that have held the nation bound since her independence in 1960.
Justice Oputa's words should ring a resounding bell in President Tinubu's ears: "Poverty and under-development breed slavery, class and negate the balanced growth and development of a nation".
President Tinubu should realize that the bottom line of Justice Oputa's statement is anchored in the fact that corruption is endemic in our government and private institutions. This, therefore, has continued to stall the seamless holistic development process of the nation and her component units.
May I say that the challenge of tackling this hydra-headed monster that is corruption, is the litmus test of the Tinubu administration. Nigerians yearn for good governance which revolves around visionary, enlightened and audacious leadership, selfless in its calling and with zero tolerance for cutting corners to spite the face of the great Nigerian state. Can Tinubu deliver Nigeria from poverty and iniquity?
Braeyi Ekiye, Publisher, EnvironmentWatch, writes from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State of Nigeria.
