When Sani Abacha’s junta sentenced Kenule Beeson “Ken” Saro-Wiwa to death by hanging in 1995, the civilized world pleaded with him to overturn the verdict. Africa’s most respected statesman, Nelson Mandela begged for the internationally acclaimed writer who was also a television producer, environmental activist, and winner of the Right Livelihood Award for “Exemplary courage in striving non-violently for civil, economic and environmental rights” without success. Saro-Wiwa led a peaceful campaign against environmental degradation of the land and waters of Ogoniland by the operations of the multinational petroleum companies like the Royal Dutch Shell, Mobil, and Chevron. He was also an outspoken critic of the government, which he viewed as reluctant to enforce environmental regulations on the foreign petroleum companies operating in the Niger Delta. It was his activism and death that helped in paving the way for the setting up of the NDDC and the 13 % derivation policy that has stupendously enriched former governors like Emmanuel Uduaghan, Rotimi Amaechi, Godswill Akpabio and a host of beneficiaries who continue to reap from where they have not sown.
Politicians like James Manager who are now grandfathers in the Nigerian Senate continue to accumulate and misappropriate the huge funds that have been entrusted to them and their constituencies and in the process desecrate the name and legacy of Niger Delta’s martyr Ken Saro Wiwa. The recent drama at the house of representatives hearing where Godswill Akpabio revealed and later retracted the fact that members of the federal legislature were the major contractors of the NDDC is a confirmation that corruption is endemic and pervasive in every level of government and in every region of Nigeria. As I watched the exchange between the legislators and Akpabio, Dino Melaye’s revelation weeks ago came to mind. Dino stated that the number of Nigerians waiting to defraud Nigeria are more than those presently defrauding Nigeria. This fact is substantiated every day when you see the number of us who make demands on elected and selected officials with the reasoning that they will be generous to us from their loots. Even religious organizations do not discriminate again about the source of donations, tithes, and offerings these days. Corrupt politicians are routinely made chairmen and special guest of honor in events organized by clergymen.
Where do we go from here? I suggest we should adopt the Singaporean example. Last week a man was arraigned and sent to jail for stealing plantain while video captured looters like Gandollar, the Kano State governor are still governing in government house. And he is even enjoying presidential assignments like being seconded to do his election rigging magic in Edo State. Singapore started cleansing their nation of corruption from the top by arresting and jailing long-term, all high-ranking leaders who were found guilty, something we can only imagine in our deepest dreams in Nigeria. China has experienced the economic growth that is about to make them the largest economy in the world partly due to their handling of financial and other crimes from the top in a way that can be said to be brutal, but sends the right signal to public and private officeholders. Our corruption has grown to the stage where parents willingly send their children into prostitution and advance fee fraud without any misgivings. Some can say poverty is the cause of these abnormalities, but this is not true. Many of our looters who are prominent politicians have been looting for decades without any signs of slowing down. They have also enlisted their children in the looting spree. If we desire a corrupt-free Nigeria the cleansing must start from the top. We can start by probing and publishing the names of those who own and benefits from the oil blocks of the Niger Delta.
Ata Ukuta, Editor – www.towncryyers.com