Corrupt leaders: Who will cast the first stone?

Corrupt leaders: Who will cast the first stone?

Posted by Sylvester on Tuesday, December 31, 2013 0

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The governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi has challenged Nigerians to make sure that they stone their corrupt leaders if they want to stop graft. Will this not lead to anarchy, asks SINA FADARE.

The governor of River State, Rotimi Amaechi recently challenged Nigerian populace about their docility towards corrupt politicians and public office holders who stole their money, saying if the public have been pestering them with stones on the highway, they may have learnt their lessons in the hard way and will no longer dip their hands into the public coffers.

According to the governor, “if you see a thief and you allow him to be stealing, what have you done? You have stoned nobody; that is why we are stealing. Who have you stoned? They came out and started dancing oil subsidy, oil subsidy. They told you that they stole N2.3 trillion, what did you do?

The governor further said: “You’ve heard that $50 billion is missing and you have done nothing about it. In some countries people will go on the streets until they return that money. It is N8 trillion and it can change Nigeria.”

However, as logical as Amaechi’s theory of self help was, there is a political school of thought that believes that such should not be allowed to happen in our political space otherwise the country would be heading to anarchy.

With the amount of money that have been siphoned by public officials including the governors in the past, one may be tempted to toe the line of Amaechi, but the question on the lip of average Nigerians is that who will pronounce them guilty when the system is rotten, including the judiciary which ought to be the last hope of the common man.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, some of the past governors who were indicted for corruption include former Governors Orji Uzor Kalu (Kalu); Boni Haruna (Adamawa); Ayo Fayose (Ekiti); Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu); Saminu Turaki (Jigawa); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Joshua Dariye (Plateau) Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (Bayelsa); James Ibori (Delta) and Gbenga Daniel (Ogun).

Could it be that Amaechi, who was once a power broker decided to make such a suggestion out of the political frustration he is facing? Could it be that the institution of governance in the country is so tainted to the extent that only the people’s revolts can stop it?

Whichever way one thinks about it, it is obvious that the country is facing fundamental challenges foisted on her by the political elites who have turned our common patrimony into a personal belonging and taking it away with such an arrogant and impunity.

Reacting to Ameachi’s statement, the Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Comrade Yinka Odumakin noted that the governor was one of the looters of public treasury, therefore if he is now asking that they should be stoned, it will come to reality not too long a future.

His words: “For he (Amaechi) to be blaming us, when we expressed our grievances on oil subsidy; that we are only dancing instead of throwing stones, there was an insinuation that he actually bank rolled the operation of the soldiers who came and disrupted that rally at Ojota. Now that he has fallen out of the power equation and insulting us that we have not done enough. What we did then was why the price of petroleum has not been increased further. If it is stoning that they prefer, then they will get it someday.”

Speaking in the same vein, the former presidential candidate of the National Action Council, NAC, Dr Olapade Agoro said that Amaechi is only exhibiting his political frustration, adding that such a pronouncement was an invitation to anarchy.

He said: “The pronouncement by the governor of Rivers state that public officials who are found guilty of corruption should be stoned, sound logical. But it is inciting to violence which is capable of causing conflagration. How do you judge who is corrupt? It is not for anybody to take the law into his or her hands.

“If you want to take the law into your hands, all your cards must be on the table. The case of Bode George is a typical example. He was convicted by a High court and the conviction was confirmed by the Court of Appeal, only to be turned down by the Supreme Court. What could have happened if Bode George had been stoned to death?

“Amaechi was taking out of the defeat of the moment. I agree that majority of public officials in the country are corrupt; what about the case of Nasir El-Rufai who was indicted for corruption and the court freed him. I will still say that the rule of law in any democracy is the best thing anybody can have. If you remove the rule of law from democracy you have anarchy. Despite the challenges we are facing in our judiciary, l do not think we should result to jungle justice.”

However, another political school argued that after all, Amaechi may be right in the sense that instead of the society embracing all the public treasury looters and give them traditional titles, they should be ostracised and stoned in the public to let them realise that they are not wanted.

They premised their position on the fact that immediately a section of the society is condemning such an ugly act of the past, some people quickly put sentiment and political colouration into action and the next thing you see is a placard supporting those thieves who have looted public treasury.

Perhaps more worrisome and pathetic aspect of the whole episode is the fact that the institution that is saddled to put the record straight, the judiciary is equally tainted with corruption to the extent that victory is for the highest bidder.

Against this backdrop, Agoro argued that the issue at stake is beyond individuals, but rather that of an institution. “I can tell you authoritatively that 99 per cent of the public officials in the country are corrupt. In fact we eat, drink and sleep with corruption; therefore the common man who is at the receiving end is hopeless and helpless,” he said.

This line of argument tallies with that of human right activist, Bamidele Aturu, who pointed out that it is difficult for the common man to have access to those who stole their wealth because of intimidating retinue of security.

“Amaechi might have said what he said out of the political persecution he is facing. It is true that the people should stop the wanton corruption that is going in public offices. Clearly whom do we stone? For somebody that goes about in the convoys of about 20 cars with tight security almost every day, how do you pester stone on such a person?” Aturu asked.

According to him, it is not out of place that the people must put their destiny into their hands in order to put a stop to all those who are daily siphoning their wealth with impunity.

He said: “The point is that people must kick against corruption and save the country from abyss. The question is how many people did Amaechi prosecute on corruption in his state? We have the criminal code which is applicable in River. When people have political problems, they should not expect the people to do the battle for them. He has made a valid point that we need to fight people who are corrupt. We need to examine whether he is also fighting corruption.”

Political pundits are of the view that as long as the people are docile and allow those who have looted the public treasury to go free in the society, all will pay for it in the long run.

To Comrade Mark Adebayo, the Publicity Secretary of KOWA party, Amaechi is a product of corruption; therefore he cannot run away from the wrath of the society when his cup overflows.

His words: “I think we are too soft on looters in this country and their collaborators including Governor Amaechi. They flaunt their stolen wealth at our faces and all we do is grumble. Nigerians must develop the courage to destroy the corrupt political clique through organised mass action.”

He pointed out that the day of reckoning is fast approaching for all those that have looted the public treasury and they will not have any hidden place, no matter the level of their ill gotten wealth and influence.

But the question begging for answer is: Is the Amaechi antidote the panacea to corruption, which has become endemic and placed the country in the top ladder of corruption index of the corruption watchdog, Transparency International?