By By Gabriel Oshokha
IN the olden days, much value was attached to names. Every ancestral lineage was known for a name that depicts its shared values. It was not just a case of “what’s in a name?” as in Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet, or that “whatever name is given to rose sweet will smell.” Names were not just names for names’ sake. Far from it! Names were cherished and jealously guided against blemish.
And so in the primitive African societies the behavioural traits of individuals were easily connected with the shared values of their forebears. And therefore no one dared dipped his/her hands into anything that could bring shame on the entire lineage.
At that time, when greed had not crept into the hearts of men, it was a taboo for anyone to steal someone else’s belongings. Engaging in such delinquent act implied straying off the narrow line of moral rectitude.
Therefore, no one dispossessed another of his/her property or loot the ‘Common Wealth’ of a community for his/her own good. Then, cases of desperation to live on others’ sweat were rare. Everybody was contented with the little providence bestowed on them. Because the fear of dragging the family’s name in the mud ruled men’s actions.
But all of these have since been eroded by the get-rich-quick mentality of those hurriedly journeying on the fastest lane to their life destinations.
Today in Nigeria, there is an underpinning in the fight against corruption. It’s a kind of deception. You may call it make-believe war against corruption. The apostles of anti-corruption campaign are the ones now feeding fat on the loot of corruption. Those chanting anti-corruption slogan are gradually being enmeshed in the enticing sweetness of corruption. And one after the other, the custodians of anti-corruption are becoming culprits. Names or sworn oaths to office no longer matters. All that matters is crispy hard currency.
In a Third World country like Nigeria, the gulf between the privileged and the underprivileged gets wider by the day. And it’s either one falls into the upper class or joins the majority in the lower class.
Glaringly, the middle class has been erased from the hierarchical structure that hitherto defined the status quo in a society like ours. And so, the reason some Nigerians have thrown their dignity and name to the wind is not far to seek. In Nigeria, the rich are celebrated and idolized while the poor are despised.
Corruption and criminal acts appear to be on the rise in Nigeria as our leaders do not walk their talk. Yes, our leaders are not toeing the path of our national heroes who placed their lives on the line for our independence. Our national heroes like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Ahamadu Bello, all of blessed memory, prepared the future for many of our leaders.
That apart, they even prepared them for the future. And not only did many of them enjoy free education, majority also had plum jobs awaiting them on completion of their academic programmes.
Truth be told, Nigerian leaders, who came on board after the exit of our founding fathers, ab initio, have not been transparent in the management of the resources of our nation. Many of them should be blamed for the many ills that have been afflicting Nigeria’s ailing economy, due largely to corruption and policy somersault. Thousands of jobs have, on occasions, been created by government on the pages of newspapers, just to hoodwink the unconscious public. And yet, year in, year out, the army of youths being churned out from our tertiary institutions, roam the streets in search of nonexistent jobs. So, where lies the sincerity of government?
Arguably, those who took over the mantle of leadership from our founding fathers set the stage for the current corruption hunting our total existence as a nation. Criminal and impropriety acts thrive in a society where the affluent arrogantly flaunt their wealth before the eyes of the downtrodden. And a society where government handles, with kid gloves, some individuals evidently found guilty of looting our ‘common purse’ encourages malfeasance. In such society, like ours, the survival instinct is, oftentimes, ‘get money by crook or hook’, and then go for plea bargaining.
It is possible that if cyber scammers like Ramon Olorunwa Abbas a.k.a Huspuppi and Olalekan Jacob Ponle a.k.a Mr woodbary, were plying their cyber crimes in Nigeria, there is the likelihood certain kingmakers would have honored both cyber rogues with chieftaincy titles. Of course, in exchange for ill-gotten money.
Such is our society. A society where some people easily bow to monetary enticements, and where a good name is traded for money without minding the source, and even unperturbed about the consequences.
Former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, is a case in point. And not too long ago, the media reported screaming news of the ex-anti-graft boss alleged involvement in money laundering. Sounds incredible? That was an irresistible magnetism of corruption!
Undoubtedly, Magu’s case and numerous others paint a sarcastic picture of mockery of a nation like Nigeria, where corruption has developed many deceptive faces, and breeding more corruption.
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