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LEGACY OF PHARAOH STILL LIVES DEEP IN THE HEART OF OUR POLITICAL LEADERS

Jun 9, 2023
MORSI

THE LEGACY OF PHARAOH STILL LIVES DEEP IN THE HEART OF OUR POLITICAL LEADERS

By Chucks Dominic Morsi

Whatever that was said or done aforetime, is for our learning and admonition. At such, there’s nothing as it is often said, new under the sun. For example, that there is corruption commonly practiced by most government and non-government officials in Nigeria, is not something new or unheard of.

By inference, we already know that the Holy Bible has the genealogy and records of men who supposing it was in our contemporary time, such individuals couldn’t have come before equity with clean hands. The reason is that, who knows, society would have found them guilty. If you think that I am joking, ask Judas Iscariot and he will explain it better. If Judas Iscariot was guilty then, it is therefore logical to think, from the same evidence, that most Nigerians (with few exceptions though) government officials and our politicians are without any gainsay, corrupt. And in the strongest terms and even so, they are avariciously very corrupt!

I could remember when the former British Prime Minister said (while he was caught on camera) that “Nigerians are fantastically corrupt” writers everywhere took up a fight with their pens in hand, including my humble self, we wrote in the newspapers and tabloids throwing stones at David Cameron for making what some of us then thought was an inflammatory statement so despicable an utterance against our dear country and its people. Yet, we never forget that though a white man had said the obvious about us, but for self-defense or call it patriotism or selfish motive, we all shut our eyes to the simple truth; yet we know before us, the nation is grieving and suffocating, bearing on its shoulders the huge burden of corruption. This is orchestrated by our political leaders and gladiators, who are not often too far from corrupt practices.

Permit me to jokingly infringe on the reserved copyright and credit to the President, who once said, “From top to bottom”, wasn’t out of context after all, in the real sense of it, if you relate that to what is happening in and around the government circle, there is decadence from top to bottom. Judging also by what is happening from the head down to the bottom, at the local government level, what you get can only be an infernal story to tell and yet, they wouldn’t want us to say it out loud.

Whether we say it or not, it still remains an undebatable fact that corruption in Nigeria is not an inexact description of our people, but corruption among us, has come to stay (whether for good or bad), it is a fact and reality that we must have to leave with, except otherwise.

Many scholars have expressed their views in many ways that if we fail to fight corruption, Corruption is going to keep fighting us back. And, I do sincerely hope that the incoming-President will be ready and capable to fight this fight and win the battle against corruption and its influences bedeviling us.  Judas Iscariot betrayed his master because of money gotten through a corrupt means and so all so, our leaders are betraying Nigeria because of money, they are doing all sorts of unimaginable things provided that the shoddy deal can put food on their table, nobody cares whose ox is gored.

Talking about corruption, that was what killed NNPC to the extent, the government could not revamp our refineries to meet the supply need of Nigerians.  And yet, NNPC is there monthly paying humongous salaries to people for incompetence and unproductivity. Meanwhile, it took a single businessman, Aliko Dangote to build in Lagos, Nigeria, the largest refinery in the whole of West Africa and Buhari and his men were all so happy to attend the opening ceremony of the refinery. What a shame! What Buhari government could not do, Dangote has done. Weldon Alhaji Dangote. More feathers to your cap.

Recently, there was a publication in the Punch Newspaper dated Monday, 17th April, 2023, with a bold headline, “FG spent N13trn or $74 trillion on subsidies in 16 years (and yet, Nigerians are buying a liter of fuel at N230), and thieves stole N16trn oil. This had happened in 2005-2021. To start with, to do oil bunkering or oil swaps, takes the knowledge and resources of those who are money bags. Those who have oil blocks whether legit or the thieves who have stolen N16trn worth of oil are among the corrupt practices hindering the oil industry, enriching few individuals and impoverishing other majority. That was the heart of Pharaoh who built his joy and affluence on the insufferable pains the Children of Israel had to go through.

SEE ALSO: AGBOR INDIGENES, ANOTHER KIND OF PEOPLE By Dominic Morsi

By the way, Poor men do not have what it takes to steal Nigerian oil, but the rich people do. Those days, Abacha was accused to have looted Nigerian money and he was called a thief, but now, Abacha is gone, but the thieves are still very much around. Paradoxically, many of those thieves emptying our treasury today, are everywhere in our localities collecting triple chieftaincy titles. Nevertheless, the power and effect of corruption operates everywhere and in all sector of the economy. For that reason, when Buhari assumed office 8 years ago, he introduced what is called, Treasury Single Account (TSA) where supposedly, all government cash flow is domiciled and properly monitored. Of course, people should be held accountable.

In that instance, the former EFCC chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu was discovered to have defaulted and became one of the scapegoats. If you may recall, from November 2015, until he was suspended in July 2020 (by the same Buhari administration who appointed him) and replaced him with Muhammed Umar and after the suspension, Magu became a caricature and object of ridicule. But he wasn’t the only one involved in this dereliction of duty, just that the dog who is found with excreta in its mouth, often bears the wroth of the master.

Today like as always, everywhere across the country, we have worst men who are stealing from government and in turn, they use those booties on nonessential and ladies as easy prey! This is true and justified of what David Cameron had said and subsumed Nigerians to be, “Fantastically corrupt”.

Today, no doubt, those who are emptying our treasury and the oil bank at the expense of the nation’s interest – whether they are men in uniform or politicians wearing overflowing Agbada, are still around plundering all that we have. This is an endemic attitude among Nigerian government contractors and public office holders. Yes, corruption is endemic in the system and it cuts across board. It is not a surprise though that those who should ordinarily be in Kirikiri maximum prison are somewhere in the street blowing siren without shame.

I know that President Buhari did not abandon his maxim principle of Nigeria must be corruption free, rather, he’s poised to be the soldier though retired but never tired in fighting corruption; and for how much success he was able to record on this, is a topic for another day. All the same, we are thankful and appreciate his efforts. However, let it be on record that, corruption is very much alive among us. In some quarters, there is this misconception that (perhaps) this government of APC Led by Buhari, is the worse that Nigeria has ever had.

Right or wrong, Mr. President has done his best and May 29th 2023, will mark his exit from ASO Rock and finally, he bids us goodbye! But what exactly, will he be remembered for? For me, I will not forget what he said on the day of his swearing in as a President and as part of his inauguration speech, I quote: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”. With that strong message, he awakens my consciousness to believe that Nigeria belongs to all of us and no single individual should be made a demigod or so powerful to be above the law. Otherwise, the law becomes syncopated.

In fact, whosoever that would not allow the steps to abate corruption, the hammer of justice will soon land on their shoulders. As Buhari has left office, Tinubu must follow his footsteps to fight corruption to a standstill. And in this fight, nobody is a sacred cow. No stone should be left unturned. More than ever before, frantic efforts should be made to completely sweep corruption web out of the country. This is a matter of national interest than being a sentimentalist. We must correct the abnormalities in Nigeria and the task must be done.

It is so sad to see how by hook or by crook, all we can do is that, Majority of us Nigerians must do all we have to do just to keep milking the nation dry while impoverishing others. Pharaoh in the olden days, kept the Children of Israel under slavery and bondage having slave masters over the people. You think that was treacherous, isn’t it? In like manner, our political leaders have kept Nigerians grinding under perpetual poverty and deprivation. And, the cruelty of Pharaoh compared to the insufferable pains Nigerians are going through, is not so different.

Though the method that Pharaoh applied may be different from the method of operandi that our politicians are using against the people, but at the end, the resultant effect are the same psychological trauma and travail. Same emotional and mental side effect is so common. Pharaoh was wicked and treacherous and so are our leaders. Serving us in such a bad light is not good at all.

And don’t forget as a leader or a politician representing any constituency, Mohammad Ali is advising you that “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth”. That’s a food for thought.

This article is written by Chucks Dominic Morsi, you can reach him via: 07068659640 or email: chucks.morsi2@gmail.com