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By Kres Wyse

Corruption seems to be turning to a national culture in Nigeria. Any morally sane person would easily reach such a conclusion. Wherever you turn, corruption stares you in the face without even looking for it. Last week a report trended about corruption in Nigeria, which is very disheartening and lamentable. The allegation by Binance executive, Tigran Gambrayan, that Nuhu Ribadu and DSD (Directorate of State Security) and three House of Reps members - Phillip Agbese, Benue; Peter Akpanke, Cross River, and Obinna Onwusibe - jointly and collectively demanded $150 million from him to facilitate his release from detention in Nigeria,
provides yet another proof of degeneracy of the public service and how deep corruption has eaten into its social fabric and our national life.

Remember, that another Binance executive in DSS custody had mysteriously escaped from their country with his passport through the airport; an outrageous story, but no consequences. Corruption has become so routinized that it doesn't seem to attract frown and concern from Nigerians any longer. It now has another name - the Black Tax - coined by an Indian business person, Mr. Deepak Chandran, which he said is the reason Nigerians, in spite of the miserable level of their salary, and at any inflation level, can cope with it, and still indulge in ostentatious financial frivolities.

In 1984, former president Buhari, then military head of state, jailed many state governors for as little as N2 million financial infractions. However, under his second regime as president, the Accountant General of the Federation carted away N120 billion, and three years later, he is still a free man. Two of the heads of the anti-graft agency, EFCC, were implicated in huge financial scams. One of them, Abdulrasheed Bawa, was earlier accused of selling a seized fuel tanker worth N100 million for N100,000, when he was head of operations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, still he was appointed chairman of EFCC, simply because he is related to former Attorney General and minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. 

Our people say that you do not give a rat fish to keep. As EFCC chairman, he looted confiscated loots, and sold forfeited assets secretly. His trial has been forgotten like those of Farida Waziri, Ibrahim Lamorde, and Ibrahim Magu, who was indicted by a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Ayo Salami (retd); remember him? the man, as President of Court of Appeal, miraculously award election victories to Adam Oshiohmole, and Rauf Aregbesola as governors in 2011. It was later revealed that he had communications with leaders of Action Congress, which earned him early retirement. Talk of sending a thief to catch a thief.

A few days ago, Transparency To international, TI, released the global corruption index, GCI, and Nigeria miraculously placed in 36 position, which we celebrate because we used to take the gold medal. Surprisingly, government has not reacted, perhaps, as an endorsement of the report and a sign of progress; unlike the previous regime, which would have gone to  war with the agency. 

But anybody resident in Nigeria may have cause to question the credibility of this report given the daily expose of looting and plunder of public funds in, wait for it, billions of naira. Stealing in millions no longer attract attention or being reported; even the ones in billions now hardly raise eyebrows. Nigerians are becoming extremely immuned and indifferent to cases of corruption for their own mental and psychological sanity.

How can anybody focus with the daily pervasiveness of corruption cases and still be sane? Sometimes, you wonder why the treasury has not be emptied. Perhaps, it could also explain the mindless desperation of this government and the predecessor to borrowing, and you can add for this administration, tax. With so much looting going on, it is a miracle the government can still function. 

Before you label us unpatriotic and disgruntled, or better still, in their own parlance, wailers; imagine what goes on with the annual budget, which the National Assembly has just passed; have you seen anything so prone to corruption anywhere else? Nigerians don't care again; they have simply resigned themselves to fate and accept whatever comes to them.

Nigerians are generally said to be resilient, but in the case of corruption, they are the most fatalistic and docile. The level of corruption being reported - mark this, reported - would bring down governments elsewhere; but they just shrug it off and move on with their daily bread, hoping that their own turn will come.

It is really unimaginable that such brigandage could be going on and the people are actually indifferent and lethargic about it. Are you surprised that nothing works in the country from electricity, energy, transport, health, education, security etc; it is just rot everywhere, because those it is their responsibility to do these things are never held accountable. They steal the money meant for such provisions, and when they are caught, they return a little back and walk away to enjoy their harvest; or get a corrupt lawyer to tie up the case in court forever. 

The first question is why this mountain-high level of corruption in the midst of the multiplicity of anti- graft agencies, such EFCC, ICPC, FIU, BPP (Bureau for Public Procurement), Auditor General's office etc? The simple answer is that they are all Nigerians, and corruption has become our culture. So, how can they fight corruption, which has become a statutory function, when they too want to make it big? It is most unusual for EFCC to sack as many as 28 officers for looting evidence room of its contents of gold, hard currencies, and drugs etc.

But you still wonder, what qualifies Nigeria to be so uncharitably called a Corruption Republic? If such is your concern, then it suggests you may not be paying careful attention to current developments in the country. Let's look at the dubious and infamous statistics that could easily garner the country a center position in the podium of any global competition on corruption. 

In 2006, then EFCC Chairman Nuhu
 Ribadu, came before the Nigerian Senate and listed five most corrupt governors in the country who deserve to pay for their collective abuse of office. They include: Orji Kalu, Abia State; Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Lagos State; Ahmed Sani Yerima, Zamfara State; George Akume, Benue State, and Chimaroke Nnamani, Enugu State; and we can add Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, who was blackmailed by EFCC to decamp from being Minority Leader of PDP to APC if he wanted his "sins" forgiven.

Today, in 2025, 19 years after, see the metamorphosis to prove that corruption is truly working.  Orji Kalu is high ranking Senator; Bola Ahmed Tinubu is President of the republic; Ahmed Sani Yerima, the 'paedophile', who should be facing child abuse charges, is Senator; George Akume, Senator and now Secretary to Government of the Federation; Godswill Akpabio, the "Uncommon Governor,' is now Senate President, and Chimaroke Nnamani is Senator; and Ribadu himself, the National Security Advisor.

The perfidy has not finished; there is more since you want proof of Nigeria's qualification as the Corruption Republic. The husband of former president of Court of Appeal, Senator Musa Bukachuwa, lamented how his wife, Justice Amina Bukachuwa, "helped" many politicians of the APC, to thwart the mandate of the electorate by awarding them unmerited victories at the poll; of course, for something in exchange. Now look at the damning revelations on the judiciary at the highest level in collusion and cohort with senior lawyers by Mr. Dele Farotimi in his best selling book, Nigeria and Criminal Justice Administration.

Again, look at the record of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kekere Ekun. By seniority, he merits her position; but given her competence and notoriety as the chair of the panel on the obnoxious judgment that gave victory to the fourth placed candidate in the Imo governorship election in 2019, which threw up Hope Uzodimma as governor - an act that thoroughly disgraced the temple of justice, and brought it into complete disrepute. She should have been forced to go home dishonorably to enjoy her ill-gotten wealth. But today, she is sitting pretty cozy as oracle of justice.

Let me ask you: would you be confident of her decision on any case, whether right or wrong, knowing her iniquitous past record? You be the judge. Where else, but Nigeria, would the head of a Task Force on pensions steal N100 billion? What about the former AGOF, who siphoned N120bn? There's also Hajia Fadiya Umar Farouk, who plundered N1 trillion of Social Investment Program, and incredulously claimed that she was feeding school pupils when the entire world was on lockdown during Covid 19 pandemic.

What more can we say; for time will not allow our searchlight beamed on ministers and governors, and heads of agencies. You can now see for yourself that the apparition, 'Corruption Republic', is well deserved. Which Way Nigeria? This is the best team that can reposition our nation, and every one of them has a proven case of corruption against him. A team to give  Nigerians a RENEWED HOPE. Hope, indeed?

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