Financial impropriety seems to have defied government’s efforts to tackle it. The entire process and mechanism is replete with disorientation, particularly in Nigeria. It does not encourage sincerity of purpose, equity, objective dispensation of justice, result oriented fight, optimal disincentive to possible perpetrators, and enduring tactics to stem the tide. Rather, the currently enforced strategy serves as a motivating force to would-be culprits of financial malfeasance who ordinarily could have thought twice before venturing into any corrupt monetary transactions. A critical look at what led the country to the prevailing sorry situation will reveal the root of the myriads of Nigeria’s travails.
A scenario where the law, designed to penalise wrong doers, treasury looters, and other perpetrators of financial malpractices, has failed to achieve the set purpose, is quite reprehensible. The law was supposed to serve as disincentive to the citizens against negative values but is instead serving as an installed mechanism, a state institution punishing smart individuals though developers and employers of labour whose sources of wealth remain questionable. Take, for example, this true life story I witnessed. There were five young and able bodied men in shackles at a police command downstairs with their raging investigating police officer (IPO) while their so-called victims who happened to be tall white men (Europeans from Germany) corporately dressed and comfortably relaxing upstairs in a well cozy room. Apparently, they are Yahoo Boys who have swindled the unsuspecting but gullible if not greedy white men. A whopping $700,000 had been wired piecemeal as at the last count. My investigation further revealed that three of five suspects are graduates; one a business mogul and one a computer training apprentice. Four of them are from a region in Nigeria renowned for their industry and business shrewdness and acumen. One has filial ties with one of those but from another region of the country. Enforcement of the law ought to be like a double-edged sword which does not respect the personality of the holder; it comes down on the offender all the same when and where occasion warrants. Ignorance is no excuse. The law is no respecter of persons. So the matter was being investigated with a myopic view by the security agent trying his best to incriminate these “wrongly oriented local and indigenous investors”. Yet sometimes ago, this same half baked officer of the law could have been deployed as an attaché, a personal security guard to one “money miss road” politician who goes about with blaring sirens motorcade, constituting public nuisance. This grandstanding and empty brain partisan politician although is an investor has little or no local investment in Nigeria except in foreign lands. Estates of palatial mansions, refineries, industries, whopping amount of money stashed in foreign accounts at Switzerland, London, etc are in excess, many even unaccounted for.
These are all acquired with stolen funds from the coffers of Nigeria and expatriated just to achieve a private pecuniary purpose while leaving the land languishing in squalor and penury. It is indeed heartbreaking and pathetic.
How long shall we have to embrace and endorse an imperialist influenced and sponsored constitution and legal beacons that will wink at politicians who loot us dry and export same to foreign lands to secure for themselves private estates and making other heavy investment but hysterically pursue to capture our smart vibrant youths who stay by the corner of their rooms, compose powerful and convincing letters that will make them smile to the banks, then repatriate the proceeds to Nigeria, to build plazas, hotels and industries? How paradoxical does that sound to your ears? Who are we deceiving? Not holding brief for any proponent of illicit deals, but between the two undesirable elements, there is a better evil. Let us eschew, abhor and condemn this ravaging sanctimonious syndrome that is the attitude of most Nigerian politicians. Our laws must have a face, yes considerations for foreign but especially indigenous investors locally who may not have made funds via legitimate sources.
A similar faulty phenomenon that happens in Nigeria and makes me feel the people are really shooting themselves in the leg while screaming that they are fighting corruption, is found in the weird promotion of other nation’s off shore merchants or lack of supporting the indigenous investment efforts. The government is either being insincere in the national development projects or they are oblivious of the requisite modem devices to deploy. The National Assembly has not deemed it fit to patronise a local vehicle manufacturer whose brand is made with specifications peculiar with Nigeria terrain. This may be attributed to the fact that the chief executive of the company hails from the region now construed to be infinitely marginalized. Innoson Motors is more durable than the ones our “talk is cheap” politicians settle for. His products are rugged and durable, with inbuilt capacity to manoeuver Nigeria’s tropical environment. But the government has decided to deny the man necessary support.
To wrap up this discourse, if Nigeria must outgrow the current reprobate deportment, it is imperative that our financial crimes fighting agencies and institutions are strengthened. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses (ICPC) Act of 2000 and whose operations and functions are supposed to be subsumed under those of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as well as the Code of Conduct Tribunal must be seen to run their affairs without interference, fear or favour. There is no dearth of existing laws and precepts and neither do we suffer the inadequacy of an eagle eye observatory body regarding the outflow and INFLOW of monetary transactions in Nigeria. What we’re suffering is the political will of execution. Unpatriotic politicians and personalities, who are bent on expatriating the wealth within to other climes, must desist from such wickedness. The local champions who, although are spending their stipends within, must redirect their energy to other dignifying means of livelihood that are both lucrative and legitimate. This will make our nation sound, stable and sane in all aspects.
Orajiaku, a freelance journalist and social activist, writes via 08035530832