2 BMWs at $1.6million: The final Bus Stop but still counting with little time left.

THE HEADLINERS

In the last fortnight, the Nigerian Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah has been the headliner of major dailies in the country and across the internet climate, not for being a heroine on her transformation of the Nigerian Aviation industry but cruelly and despicably purchasing 2 armoured BMW cars to the tune of $1.6million.  

Cruelly because Nigeria is a country with a widespread poverty rate and many economic developmental handicaps have falling victim to corruption and despicably because a Minister having such ambition only rubbishes the so called fight against corruption by the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. It is no news that the Nigerian economy has in recent years been grappled with corruption which have hugely contributed to inhibiting the expected placement of the West African giant in the league of the developed world.

Though as interestingly observed by the President with his words "Fellow citizens, in every decision, I shall always place the common good before all else.  The bane of corruption shall be met by the overwhelming force of our collective determination, to rid our nation of this scourge. The fight against corruption is a war in which we must all enlist, so that the limited resources of this nation will be used for the growth of our commonwealth" during his swearing in ceremony  on May 29, 2011 as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Aviation's Minster's latest $1.6millions (for 2 armoured BMWs) addition to her fleet of official automobiles has only made the zero tolerance on corruption a deafening sweet talk to the Nigerian populace and the world over. 

Many headliners contradicting the corruption stern by the current administration include the two years imprisonment with the option of ₦250, 000.00 fine on Mr. John Yusuf, the director of the Police Pension Office, for stealing ₦2billion in the ₦38.8 billion Nigeria Police pension scam and the publication titled "Corruption massive under Jonathan - US" by the Punch Newspapers (Nigeria) which highlighted notable headliners in the Nigeria media climate that have in the last two years (2011-2013) further weakened the President Jonathan's regime zero tolerance on corruption.

But despicably, the current headliner and title of this article is the height and should be a motivation for the government to have a final NO to corruption, due to the fact that earlier committed acts as earlier mentioned has been a shadow of earlier stressed zero tolerance on corruption by previous aministrations.

STILL COUNTING WITH LITTLE TIME LEFT

2 years down the line and 2 years to the 2015 election in Nigeria, the Goodluck Jonathan administration is still considered to showboat corruption as against flushing it out in a bid to edge the nation closer to the well sang vision 20:2020 ambition which is now a tall ambition, as the chances of its achievements is far from a dream.

So far so short, too much has been squandered making headlines but sadly the concluding investigation are not made for public consumption, in as much as such funds were public fund, tax payers money, funds that if appropriately used, would have contributed in their bits and pieces to a fast paced growth of the Nigerian economy.

Corruption they say is everywhere and having an ugly position is no lip service but an action with its ugly end in terms of penalties and punishments to its perpetuators opened to the public so as to be a deterrent to other erring elected and appointed government officials, not forgetting the led or general public. 

China for example is one nation that was among the most corrupt nations in the world but since its frown at corruption, the Asian economic giant has had its economy remarkably strengthened, thanks to the capital punishment, the death penalty or at worst, a suspended death sentence (life imprisonment) meted to erring individuals, especially government officials.

It would be incomplete to mention that the frown against corruption in China has hugely contributed to the Chinese economy having a facelift and widely considered as among the fastest growing economies of the world. In this vein, a recent corruption case in the Asian giant is its anti-graft authority's punishment of eight people at a state-owned rail construction firm for spending more than $100 million on hospitality last year (2012).

Also, the recent bribery scandal to shake the US Navy, which has the culprits, senior officers in the Navy, arrested and investigated with no delay is another example the Nigerian government should take a cue from because in Nigeria, such individuals would be left in office with the government's investigation and persecution move, a cat and mouse race until a persistent public outcry which leads to the relieve of such persons from his or her duties and corruption motivating penalties (very light and unreasonably punishments) meted to such culprits.

Image courtesy http://eaaaca.org via google images

 

THE GAME CHANGERS

To win the heart of Nigerians in the forthcoming polls in two years, it is imperative for the present government to assiduously effect two stern policies, policies that are not just about being headliners across all media platforms but a reality, long yearned for by Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.

These two policy framework, the GAME CHANGERS are:

1.         Achieving an uninterrupted power supply and

2.         Having a stern frown at corruption, which would be measured by the quality of justice meted, the nature of punishments to be "enjoyed" by the offenders as a reward for stealing the monies of 150 million people and the consistency with which such culprits are immediately brought to book whenever they are found wanting of perpetuating acts of financial crime.

Among the remarkably words mentioned by the President during his inaugural speech is "We must grow the economy, create jobs, and generate enduring happiness for our people. I have great confidence in the ability of Nigerians to transform this country.  The urgent task of my administration is to provide a suitable environment, for productive activities to flourish."

These words majorly speak to the first point, as the incessant power failure has hugely been a handicap to the creation of a conducive productive environment expedient to efficiently empower Nigerians to the economic recovery and spur of the nation.

The days of lip serving government is fast fading away, as a GAME CHANGER is all Nigerians want as these series of corruption episodes exudes one thing, Nigeria is indeed rich and it is high time the resources is on the widespread as against being confined to the gluttonous few elected/appointed government official whom disrespect public office with no shame but pride as indicated in the words  "In the days ahead, those of us that you have elected to serve must show that we are men and women with the patriotism and passion, to match the hopes and aspirations of you, the great people of this country.  We must demonstrate the leadership, statesmanship, vision, capacity, and sacrifice, to transform our nation. We must strengthen common grounds, develop new areas of understanding and collaboration, and seek fresh ideas that will enrich our national consensus" during the swearing-in of President Jonathan in 2011.

The President Goodluck Jonathan's administration having a firm hold on corruption would be defined by the 2 BMWs at $1.6million episode, starring Princess Stell Oduah, being the final of the vast seasonal and mega corruption series that have in the last two years (since 2011) dishonourably brought the administration under scrutiny by millions of Nigerians, in addition to the wasteful and appalling expenses by the administration. For example, in an article dubbed "A President's fleeting fancy", published in The Punch Newpapers (Nigeria), disclosed that "With 10 aircraft from five different brands, maintained annually at an estimated cost of N9.08bn, Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet is one of the largest in the world.

Ironically, the country grapples with economic issues not limited to the widespread poverty, developmental challenges, very poor power supply levels,  various levels and degrees of criminal activities; ranging from Kidnapping, armed robbery, fraud/scam, ritual activities to mention the least (obviously the resultant effect of a bleeding economy) and lastly, an embarrassing struggle to regularly pay its military and civilian pensioners, not forgetting long awaited upgrade of the education and health standards in the country.

The administration has less than two years to exude its zero tolerance on corruption, an instrumental stance in the ruling party's (PDP) victory at the polls in a free and fair election, come 2015.