Posted by By Gab Amaju Ejuwa on
Regardless of the terminologies used to describe them, highly developed, industrial, and economically advanced nations boast of high living standards, whereas the less industrialised, which are less developed economically, have lower standards.
Regardless of the terminologies used to describe them, highly developed, industrial, and economically advanced nations boast of high living standards, whereas the less industrialised, which are less developed economically, have lower standards. It is almost as though they belong to two different worlds. Of course, within Nigeria this phenomenon also exists.
It is an undisputable fact that corruption and poverty are social malaise. And among their causes, are lack of access to income opportunities and the lack of capacity to take advantage of opportunities for human development which represent one of the most reliable channels for combating corruption and poverty through creation of wealth and employment opportunities. The EFCC should put more effort in their work to eradicate corruption among Nigerians who have a flair for amassing wealth instead of providing good leadership. Today's Nigeria is really a dangerous place to live in. Of course, everyone knows that life in Nigeria during the military era was lived under tension especially with the clampdown on pro-democracy activists and their arbitrary detention. One would have thought that things would change for the better with democracy now in place.
Six years on however, things have taken a different shape, not for the better. A different wave of insecurity has swept through the country. The first was the leveling of Odi, a town in Bayelsa state, in the oil-producing Niger Delta region on the orders of the freshly-installed civilian government. Whole families were wiped out, others displaced and yet many others missing. To this day, oil-producing Odi remains a ghost town, a shadow of its old self and the government is not making efforts to rebuild the town.
Then, it was bomb explosions, military munitions exploding in Ikeja, the major business district of Lagos state, Nigeria's economic nerve centre. The explosions led to the death of over a thousand people, just in a day. Again, whole families were wiped out, others displaced and many others declared missing to this day. Then the Ojuelegba mayhem between army and police personnel disrupted Lagos. As Nigerians are waiting to see that justice is done over the wasting of innocent lives and properties. It would be recalled that Kaduna, Kano and Plateau have been hot beds of religious crises in the past, even before the onset of the present democratic dispensation.
The scenario of Governor Dieprieye Alamieyeseigha's arrest saga in London is a terrible shame to our political psyche, as a nation. The issue has damaged our image at the inter-national level.
Governor Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa state who won the so- called best governor award on security matters was arrested on September 28th for alleged money laundering. He was arrested by the London metropolitan police, it was said that he laundered $1.8 million.
He spent two weeks in jail. Now he has been recently granted bail with $500,000. What baffles me is that young men who have the benefit of being educated and exposed to information came out threatening fire, if Governor Deprieye is not released. How can people politicize the whole matter and blame Aso Rock for using the governor as a scapegoat. When would our people stop being trivial and petty?
The money he was found with would have gone a long way to build standard cottage industries in Yenagoa. That money could construct good fly-over bridges to link Bayelsa state with its immediate neighbouring state. It could provide schools hospitals and developmental infrastructures. If the money has been repatriated home it would have bought local boats, fishing nets and other implements that could be given to people on loan with a flexible pay back time.
Those we gave our mandates to run the affairs of the nation are busy looting the treasuries and using tax payers money to buy up choice properties abroad. Majority of Nigerians are happy that the anti-corruption campaign against corrupt government officials is bearing fruit. This is nemesis that will catch up with our political leaders.