Corruption

Corruption has become the very heartbeat of the Nigerian nation, without corruption Nigeria is not Nigeria as we know it and hardly will anyone argue that corruption is not the root cause of the problems prevalent in the Nigerian society. The Nigerian society has become the festering ground for seeds of corruption; the political leaders are corrupt, the civil servants are corrupt, the leaders and schoolteachers are corrupt, the law enforcement agents are corrupt, our parents are corrupt, the children are corrupt and even the unborn babies in the Nigerian society bear traits of corruption. Every society bears little traces of corruption here and there but for the Nigerian society it has become an epidemic, it is EVERYWHERE! In Africa, once one mentions corruption the first thought goes to Nigeria, not necessarily because we are the most corrupt African nation but because we are relatively the richest African nation (in terms of natural resources) with the least evidence to show for the natural riches God has bequeathed us. Corruption has diverted a large portion of the riches abounding in this nation to the great unknown.
During one of my ECO 323 classes, our lecturer told us a story about this respectable professor and his politician friend and what had transpired between them, I’ll just describe it in dialogue form as I imagined it.
Politician Johnny comes to visit Professor John (Politician Johnny was one of the irresponsible ones back in the university days and now he occupies a privileged position in the government). Politician Johnny arrives with a convoy of cars; the cars looking like they just got off the assembly line and bodyguards that look like they had conducted personal training sessions with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Professor John is standing in front of the faculty building and as Politician Johnny approaches students stare with their mouths hanging open and fingers pointing and I bet some of them are already thinking: “I’ll be willing to do anything for him and others: “How I wish I was in his shoes”
Johnny: John!!how far? Long time no see….where u dey since?
John: I’m fine, thank you. How is the family?
Johnny: Family dey jor (Johnny whispers: But dat my wife don dey tire me sef)
John: Okay
Johnny (all smiles, waving his hands at the bodyguards and the cars): See wetin I don get and u know wetin happen…opportunity dey wey u fit use get ur own.
John: Johnny, I can see what you have but the question I will pose to you today is whose money has been used to procure these items; yours or that of the electorate?
Johnny: Na who e concern ehn?
John: IT CONCERNS ME! (Johnny flinches) It concerns the Nigerian electorate that voted you into office; it concerns the underprivileged in the Nigerian society, IT CONCERNS NIGERIA! You’re a lying, thieving, corrupt individual and I insist that I will not join you and your pack of scavenging wolves to commit such outrageous sins.
Johnny’s mouth is wide open, he cannot understand some of the words that just came out of John’s mouth but that is not the problem, it is just that he was expecting a handshake, a pat on the back, something like: “Johnny! You don hammer”. So Johnny takes the only feasible option that is available to him; tuck tail and run. John does not approve, he'd rather go find someone else who approves, at least: "unlike birds do not flock together"
Let's boil this down to the Nigerian situation, imagine that 99% of Nigerians were like Professor John; they see evil and they speak out against it we'd gradually be saying goodbye to corruption by now. However, this is not the case, most Nigerians prefer to be indifferent and some even wish they were in the shoes of the individuals perpetuating evil in our society. To solve the problem of corruption in our nation, we should take a cue from 1 Thessalonians
5:22 which says "Throw out anything tainted with evil" (MESSAGE translation). In place of evil let's substitute corruption; shun, speak out against and expose all vices of corruption that are prevalent around you; treat anyone who perpetuates corrupt activities at the expense of his/her nation as an outcast and I'm sure we'll start to see some change. Once we begin to publicly (not privately) disapprove of the activities of our politicians they'll have no other choice but to change or run; and since it is said that a leopard cannot change it's spots, they just might have to run, thus paving the way for sincere, change-hungry citizens to populate the corridors of power.

I Have a Dream:The Nigerian Dream

On the 28th of August, 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his electrifying speech “I Have a Dream”. He visualized the day when the Negros will be free from the shackles of segregation and will be treated just as equally as the Whites; and yes his dream did transcend the dream world to the world of reality. Well……I also have a dream;the Nigerian Dream.
I have a dream that one day our great country Nigeria will no longer be seen as the stronghold of corruption but will be seen as the citadel of integrity, loyalty and accountability.
I have a dream that one day the wealth under our feet (our natural resources and the like) will no longer be concentrated in the hands of a few individuals but will be spread across the coffers of all Nigerians.
I have a dream that one day the corridors of power will no longer be populated by thieving, corrupt, visionless politicians but will be traversed by honest, capable and above all change-hungry patriotic citizens.
I have a dream that Nigerian workers (especially those occupying posts in public offices) will no longer rely on the “get what you can while you can strategy” but will acknowledge the fact that there is dignity in labour.
I have a dream that every Nigerian worker irrespective of his class or duties will take to heart this quote by Martin Luther King: “If a man is called to be a street-sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say here live a great street-sweeper who did his job well”.
I have a dream that one day the love affair between oil and Nigeria will cease and other sectors of the Nigerian economy will receive as much attention as the oil sector is receiving and will be treated just as well as the oil sector is being treated.
I have a dream that one day the words most spoken in our ministries, our schools, in the labour market will no longer be “who do you know” but will become “what do you know” and “what can you do”.
I have a dream that one the Nigerian society will no longer thrive on the principles of nepotism and favouritism but will thrive on the principle of meritocracy.
I have a dream that every Nigerian will recognize the fact that we must shoulder some responsibility and that the task of electing leaders who can deliver rest in our hands, because the so-called politician who is rigging the elections is doing so by enlisting our help.
I have a dream the: The Nigerian Dream. You may say: “forget o jare and thank God you are just dreaming because before all you are talking about can be achieved in Nigeria only God knows”, well Martin Luther’s dream saw the break of dawn, so can mine. I believe that Nigeria will become the most desirable nation to live in by 2025 and you and I are going to make it happen. We are in crucial times here in Nigeria; this is the moment of truth, and we have no other choice but to answer the clarion call, throw off the shackles that have come upon us as a result of past events and break forth into a future of endless possibilities.

Can Poverty Be Eradicated???

Statistics show that almost half of the world’s people (over three million people) live on less than $ 2.50 per day and at least 80% of all humanity live on less than $10 per day. In Nigeria alone, 64% of the population lives below the internationally recognized poverty line of $1.25 per day. Virtually all nations have on their agenda the eradication of poverty, every potential government latches on to the catchphrase “the eradication of poverty”. However the elephant in the room (the question we never ask ourselves) is “Can poverty really be eradicated?”
Let us start by looking at this question from this perspective: There is this principle called the 20/80 principle (the pareto law). Economically stating this principle and integrating it with all this talk on poverty; it means that 20% of the world’s population controls 80% of the world’s resources. According to statistics, the richest 20% accounts for three-quarters of the world’s income and the world’s wealthiest countries (approximately 1 billion people) accounted for 36.6 trillion dollars out of world income of 48.2 trillion dollars (that is, 76% of world income) in 2006; these statistics thus validate the 20/80 principle as it regards the world’s economy. Given these statistics and the fact that as individuals we tend to think foremost of ourselves, I mean so long as it does not affect me how is it any of my business; it simply means that the world’s resources will remain in the hands of the smaller 20% and the problem of poverty will by no means be solved. However, let us factor in the possibility that some of these smaller 20% are blessed with kind hearts and then they are engaged in so much philanthropy as is the case nowadays, how come poverty is by no means being assuaged since some of the world’s resources are now being diverted from the 20% to the larger 80%. This is where corruption, inadequate policy programs and inefficient administrative techniques come in. It is no secret that the larger proportions of the 80% reside in the developing nations and that these nations are in dire need of aid to battle poverty and in fact large amounts of aid has been sent over, but over the years the effect of this aid has largely not been felt. A large percentage of aid sent has knowingly found its way to private pockets and a substantial percentage has been used up on inadequate policy programs and even policy programs with potential have been inefficiently administered. Also government funds earmarked to tackle poverty have by no means fared better. In the face of these statistics and problems that confront us, let us seriously ask : “Can poverty really be eradicated”.