Looters Running Koloba-Koloba
Why are the looters taking covers, reallocating their families and running helter skelter? There is an Igbo proverb that when you see a toad in the afternoon, something is after its life. It could be because of the new found dedication of President Jonathan to fight corruption if given four more years. After all we learned from Ibori that you are better off fighting to stay out of jail in Nigeria than running out. You see, Akingbola just won his Appeal at home. Enough is enough.
It was Danjuma that said he would go into self-exile if Obasanjo did not win in 1999. The rich and powerful are scared to death as if Tsunami is going to hit Nigeria. Action speaks louder than voice. Folks are fed up, sick and tired. There is some fresh air of fear of being held responsible for acts of looting, abuse of power, indiscipline, man pass man and position pass power.
Thank God for our born again President, otherwise crazy man may take over. Kick out Attorney General Adoke dedicated to the rule of law and due process, send back Ngozi Nweala to World Bank to be congratulated for job well done and Segun Aganga back to international investment bank. But please, not our Diezani Madueke Minister for oil. The lady is too pretty to fire. It will be an insult to lady's liberation to send back Darisgod O, to State Ministry. What a tough job, eh!
If President Ebele Jonathan loses, we will miss him. God forbid bad thing. Satan you don lose O. Na magomago you dey do you don pafuka (courtesy Ebenezer Obey).
The working class and the poor could care less but would welcome anyone that would infuse a sense of accountability into Nigeria political and socio-economic landscape. It is overdue and most people cannot wait. There is a sense of sanitation and accountability looming over those that have made it better than bandits wondering if their remaining loot left in Nigeria is going to be confiscated. The rule of law or due process to beat the system has turned it to an ass.
It is urgent to bribe the courts, EFCC and ICPC right now, where business as usual prevails; than take your chances after the election. One would think that the Customs and Immigration would be very vigilant with those suitcases full of foreign currencies on their way out to safe arbor. But then, this might be the most lucrative time to loot your way out before that thunder strikes. It will strike. There are whispers all around that folks have had enough with the status quo.
The good omen is that vultures and vagabonds are very apprehensive; covering their tracks just in case the inevitable happens. Pastors, Alfas, Oshogbo and Okija shrines all over the Country are busy predicting the winner of the election. Nigerians like to second guess politicians' good motives. Otherwise, there is no reason to ridicule the urgency of fighting corruption after years of impunities, barefaced stealing and damned consequences displayed by people in high places.
Out of desperation, do or die and usual impunity, some politicians are calling for deployment of Police and Army to intimidate voters and rig the election as we usually do in Africa. It has been done before in Nigeria but the consequences are grave and we have never recovered from the lingering effects. Moreover, it is much easier to rig in your strongholds and bloody at others' backyards. They do not care when they become desperate, a sign they are expecting defeat.
It could also be the fear of War Against Corruption. We heard about the wise cripple that took to the road well before the war. Under no circumstances can anyone call our looters cripples. They have personal planes and can take off at any moment. They just have to be careful where they flee to. Remember that Umaru Dikko almost made it back to Nigeria in a diplomatic bag.
The problem with that uncivilized kidnapping was that we thought only Nigerians and Israelis would do that. We have learnt over the years, civilized countries like Britain and the United State, when faced with the greatest threat to their ways of life, they did worse. They did it in Italy and that country protested as if they did not do the same with their own Mafia. The only criteria it seems, is that it has to be gruesome and egregious threat to their civilization.
More money and resources have been stolen out of African countries than investment and aids coming in. Nobody can doubt the fact that corruption is the greatest threat to either Africa's or Nigeria's civilization. How we punish those that have brought country to its knees and recover some of the loot stolen is a different matter. Whatever it takes, it has not stopped “civilized” countries from carrying out special operations to stamp out these threats against them.
So be warned, no matter how much you steal and wherever you hide, Nigeria will kidnap you and bring you back home to answer under our new diligent rule of law and due process to account for your loot. The same way civilized countries kidnapped those posing threats to their way of life. Nigeria and the whole of Africa have been bled to death. Our parasites must be dealt with. No place to hide in this universe. Not even space.
The last time we had this level of optimism spreading in Nigeria was during the time of Ribadu. The argument then was whether he was witch hunting. Today, the argument is the difference between corruption and stealing, habah! Ribadu finally rubbished himself declaring a man he had called a crook of international proportion: whole and innocent because of little porridge.
It has been a losing battle and we kept hoping and praying that God will come down and fix it. It is not going to happen because heaven helps only those that help themselves. In this case we trust the premonition of the looters that a big bang is going to happen after the election. The bigger surprise will be if Nigeria returns to business as usual. If corruption cannot be kicked in six years, it cannot be cleansed in four years.