A Thief Called Diezani
Only a hardened criminal caught red-handed will deny being a thief. But it was with falsified remorse Dame Diezani Allison came to Nigerians looking like a haggard hermit claiming she is innocent and didn't steal Nigeria's money. Weeping crocodile tears of a cherub, she asked for pity from Nigerians claiming she had ovarian cancer and was on treatment receiving sub-lethal deforming doses of chemotherapy.
Many fell for the Nollywood drama and nurtured sympathy for this woman, however with the arrest of the MD of Fidelity Bank, one of her money laundering conduits, the ghost of Diezani's crimes has been resurrected. $115 Million dollars looted from the treasury and shared amongst a select few is alleged to have been directed by the former oil Czarina. Her son was the lead beneficiary reaping where he did not sow.
While millions of Nigerian children were being born in decrepit health facilities, Diezani's offspring were squandering the commonwealth on raves, orgies and delinquent parties. While scores of Nigerian women were dying preventable deaths due to poverty and ignorance, Diezani's progeny were spending the equivalent of the nation's health budget per annum on living a life only kings and queens dream about. For a country that produced the great Dora Akinyuli (RIP), the great antithesis of this late diva is Diezani.
She was answerable to no one. Even when the legislature tried to probe her excesses, court orders and mouth watering kick backs closed shut the mouths of the restless Senators. Hence only a simpleton would ascribe innocence to Diezani, who is facing money laundering charges in her chosen safe haven, England.
Diezani I fear must be called an alleged thief until a court of competent jurisdiction jails her. But the signs have been there for years for all to see but only her principal who is now hiding in shame in the UK collecting various canned meaningless awards, pretended to be blind to her misgivings. Now the chickens have come home to roost, Nigerians are left with eggs on the faces, wondering what could have been.
Nigeria is a nation of missed opportunities where women like Diezani, Nenadi Usman, etc have poisoned the milk of human kindness, as the satanic lure of ill gotten wealth and luxury items have murdered sleep in Nigeria. And these are the role models that have mentored the upcoming class called "runz girls". These ladies aspire to use bottom power to get to the inner recesses of the corridors of power which lead to the wealth of the land and acquire the pictureques lifestyle of Diezani and co.
Low it is not to uplift their mother in the village toiling in a subsistent plot of land terrorized by Fulani herdsmen and kinsmen who want to strip a poor widow bare! For even Diezani the alleged thief did nothing for her sleepy village in Bayelsa as her people still squirm in the pains of abject poverty.
No it is to buy Brazilian hair, go shopping in Dubai, Drive a Range Rover Sport and be the painted bleached concubine of a man of power (FFK). Hence one wonders how the morals of educate a woman you educate a nation has now been replaced by educate a runs girl to be like Diezani and the riches of the land shall be yours.
Diezani is the ultimate Runzgirl who is not afraid to sap a resource of its last kobo provided the panting camel on its last legs can fund her extravagant lifestyle. May we never see the likes of Diezani in public life ever again in Nigeria. One Diezani is bad enough, but to give birth to a second one, is a catastrophe even worse than a Nuclear meltdown.
Usman Mohammed
Department of Mass Communication
IBBU, Lapai-Niger State.
07060815443