By Bayo Oluwasanmi
Corruption is as Nigerian as Nigerians are to the practice of religious beliefs and ritual observance of faith.
A casual survey of the political and corporate landscape in recent months provides a troubling reminder that corruption is endemic to our way of life.
The number of arrests and re-arrests of corrupt politicians and corporate officials and the piling up of corruption cases in our courts are terrifying. Little surprise, then, that Nigerians hold their government in very low regard. Different names such as “legislooters,” “legislathieves,” “sinators,” etc., coined for corrupt legislators have found their way into our political lexicon. So far, in the war on corruption, no high profile politician has been sent to Kuje or Kirkiri. This has added to the public’s cynicism and prompted critics to question whether high-rolling politicians are “too big to jail.” The cynicism and distrust of public figures is further fueled by an ever growing rogues gallery of disgraced legislators.
Nigeria ranks high on Transparency International’s index of the 10 dirties corrupt countries around the globe. According to Transparency International, “Corruption destroys lives and communities and generates popular anger that threatens to further destabilize societies and exacerbate violent conflicts.” This is very true of Nigeria.
The meaning of the rule of law in Nigeria has been altered and completely destroyed. The rule of law rests squarely on the belief that there could only be one legally right answer to a certain disputable fact. In other words, law is coherent and has answers to every controversy. Law is detached from politics, morality, religion, and society. But in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. In Nigeria, people demonstrate in support of corrupt legislators, judges, and others who loot our treasury. It is in Nigeria that looters sue the government to derail the criminal charges against them on the ludicrous premise that their fundamental human rights would be violated. They even have the effrontery to appeal against cases that have not made it into the courtroom.
The primary function of legislators is to craft legislation that seeks to realize the greatest possible happiness for the greatest number of citizens. For economy of a country to flourish and benefit majority of citizens, there is need for a pre-existing social, legal, and human order. Law is at the very front of any economic development. It is the most important tool for redistribution of power and wealth. Law is at the core of Human Right issues. It is the foundation of democracy.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s war on corruption has given rise to many strategies proffered by Nigerians on how to fight the war. Some called for punitive punishment for offenders. Others called for “soft landing” for the thieves. Melaye who is trailed by litany of allegations is a badly discredited senator. He’s the butt of Ajegunle beer parlor gossips and jokes. Melaye, suasive and articulate, a woman beater and looting senator, defends his colleague-looter-bandits with the wrong dose of advice expected of a crafty and cruel politician. The Kogi Senator in his Facebook recently suggested that President Buhari should order a six-month stay on arrest and prosecution of suspected looters.
“I sincerely want to recommend that Mr. President grant presidential amnesty or pardon to all those who looted our treasury provided they return all proceeds of their loot to the government within six months of the declaration of the amnesty,” says Melaye. “This, I believe will encourage the voluntary return of the looted funds.” Melaye said it will “save the judiciary and other law enforcement agencies the agony of fruitlessly pursuing the looters in and out of the courtroom.”
No one should be surprised at Melaye’s suggestion on how to prosecute the war on corruption. He’s a product of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where distorted personalities flourish and unchallenged. Melaye should be put in heavy-duty long hours in nursery care. The senate where he belongs lacks intellectual challenge, curiosity, and investigation. Melaye as a senator has never shown he’s a robust adult thirsting for challenge and rigor. Rather, he continues to make obscene demands and throwing tantrums when denied of it.
If Melaye feels the bite of his trash talk is not effective enough, he sharpens his incisors to be sure no one escapes the sting. No one talks more thrash than Melaye. He creates a vicarious thrill with his nonsense and tomfoolery. With his unbridled assertiveness, Melaye’s mouth runs amok on any given issue. The wickedness of his juvenile gibberish only exceeds the wattage of his eyeballs. His boisterous outbursts on the senate floor could chafe his opponents. He’s not consistent, reliable, and trustworthy. No one escapes his withering gaze. Melaye is all about cars, money, and women.
What moral or legal right has Melaye to advise how criminals who crippled our economy should be treated and prosecuted? What kind of criminal justice system do we operate in Nigeria that gives criminals the right and power to dictate what laws should be applied and how it should be applied to criminals? He should be one of the arrested and prosecuted thieves. He frequently gloats and gallivants about his loots on social media and all over the place. Melaye is a wrong counselor for the wrong reasons.
Melaye bought a home in Abuja estimated at a whopping N1.3 billion ($6.5 million). He has garage full of exotic, luxury, and antique imported cars costing billions of Naira which include a Mercedes Benz 190 (1958 model), a Hindustan Ambassador, a 2015 slingshot costing N4.78 million ($24,000), and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Melaye has a novelty champagne with his face on the bottle. Melaye operates a foreign account after he became a senator in violation of Nigerian law.
He boasts he made N1.4 million for the first month in office. When confronted by SaharaReporters’ correspondent how he came about his wealth, Melaye could not account for his sudden wealth. His reply was: “I am a distinguished member of the federal government.”
If the rule of law and criminal justice were dictated, applied, and enforced as to the whims and caprices of citizens especially criminals, it signifies the beginning of the end of President Buhari’s war on corruption. One of the predictions made in my article couple of months ago titled “Buhari’s Administration: Manufactured Date: March 28, 2015, Expiration Date: May 29, 2017” I said there would be cease fire on Buhari’s war on corruption. I also said Buhari’s administration would be badly dismembered, disjointed, and mangled beyond recognition. Furthermore, I said Nigerians would end up with Buhari’s administration disgusted, disappointed, disillusioned, and disrobed. I conclude that Buhari’s administration would terminate technically May 29, 2017. The movie is unfolding right now before our eyes.
When a government is so impotent and incapacitated from enforcing the laws of the land particularly criminal laws, when the judiciary functions and faulted on conflicting and riotous rulings and counter rulings, when the government whose signature program is to kill corruption before it kills the country doesn’t know how to prosecute looters, and when it takes years to dispose simple and straight forward corruption cases, then corruption will kill the government before it kills the country.