Make Past Leaders Return Nigeria's Money
July 3 2017 By Abiodun Giwa
Nigerians, who are today calling for restructuring of the country, know that the problem facing Nigeria: The blind stealing of the country's money by past leaders.
When most of the beneficiaries sat down and recommended restructuring of the country to former President Goodluck Jonathan, they may have done so to dodge the most important issue about recovering Nigeria's money in private hands.
Many Nigerians still don't understand what these guys calling for restructuring want restructured. Yet, the people against the call for restructuring are not talking about the solution required without restructuring.
But there are silent Nigerians, who believe the solution to Nigeria's problem is not restructuring.
These silent Nigerians say that the solution to Nigeria's problem is to force all former office holders , who have illegally enriched themselves in office, to return their loots - as a lesson against corruption tendencies among Nigerians. These silent Nigerians believe that so much money stolen in the past unaccounted does and nothing done to make the looters return the country's money in their possession does not show that Nigeria is fighting corruption. It is here that the current government in the country has lost its direction in the effort to reduce corruption and save the country..
Perhaps, if the current government in the country has been made Ibrahim Babamgida to account for his massive wealth, his call on President Buhari to quickly restructure Nigeria before Nigeria goes under would have made much sense. But sitting on Nigeria's massive wealth and telling Nigerians that restructuring is the solution to Nigeria's problem is empty talk. Many Nigerians believe that it is not the structural issue that is Nigeria's problem, but the massive stealing by past government officials and their cronies.Such Nigerians will be delighted to hear Babangida has surrendered Nigeria's wealth in his possession than hearing him talking about restructuring to save Nigeria.
Many Nigerians have questioned the reason the Buhari's administration has not extended the inquisition about corruption to past military leaders with unaccountable wealth. These Nigerians point accusing fingers at Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalam Abubakar and a host of other military officers, who served as federal ministers or state governors. They say from the beginning that not questioning the unaccountable wealth of former military leaders signals the failing of Buhari's administration. These Nigerians know that the treasury has been bleeding from independence, and that to stop the bleeding was the reason for the military's entry into political office.
Unfortunately what Nigerian had witnessed was that the military continued the bleeding of the treasury rather than arrest and stop the stealing. Now, these former military leaders and their boys and girls in politics are asking for restructuring of the country to undo the damage caused by their pilfering or cover the damage their pilfering may have done to the country.
Rather than submit to further butchering of Nigeria, which restructuring seems to suggest aside from real definition, young Nigerians should seek transparency and accountability in government and that any other thing can follow. With the current situation in the country with Buhari's unwillingness to seek accountability concerning past military office holders and their cronies, there is no type of restructuring that will save the country. It means that after restructuring, the culture of stealing by government officials can continue.
When most of the beneficiaries sat down and recommended restructuring of the country to former President Goodluck Jonathan, they may have done so to dodge the most important issue about recovering Nigeria's money in private hands.
Many Nigerians still don't understand what these guys calling for restructuring want restructured. Yet, the people against the call for restructuring are not talking about the solution required without restructuring.
But there are silent Nigerians, who believe the solution to Nigeria's problem is not restructuring.
These silent Nigerians say that the solution to Nigeria's problem is to force all former office holders , who have illegally enriched themselves in office, to return their loots - as a lesson against corruption tendencies among Nigerians. These silent Nigerians believe that so much money stolen in the past unaccounted does and nothing done to make the looters return the country's money in their possession does not show that Nigeria is fighting corruption. It is here that the current government in the country has lost its direction in the effort to reduce corruption and save the country..
Perhaps, if the current government in the country has been made Ibrahim Babamgida to account for his massive wealth, his call on President Buhari to quickly restructure Nigeria before Nigeria goes under would have made much sense. But sitting on Nigeria's massive wealth and telling Nigerians that restructuring is the solution to Nigeria's problem is empty talk. Many Nigerians believe that it is not the structural issue that is Nigeria's problem, but the massive stealing by past government officials and their cronies.Such Nigerians will be delighted to hear Babangida has surrendered Nigeria's wealth in his possession than hearing him talking about restructuring to save Nigeria.
Many Nigerians have questioned the reason the Buhari's administration has not extended the inquisition about corruption to past military leaders with unaccountable wealth. These Nigerians point accusing fingers at Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalam Abubakar and a host of other military officers, who served as federal ministers or state governors. They say from the beginning that not questioning the unaccountable wealth of former military leaders signals the failing of Buhari's administration. These Nigerians know that the treasury has been bleeding from independence, and that to stop the bleeding was the reason for the military's entry into political office.
Unfortunately what Nigerian had witnessed was that the military continued the bleeding of the treasury rather than arrest and stop the stealing. Now, these former military leaders and their boys and girls in politics are asking for restructuring of the country to undo the damage caused by their pilfering or cover the damage their pilfering may have done to the country.
Rather than submit to further butchering of Nigeria, which restructuring seems to suggest aside from real definition, young Nigerians should seek transparency and accountability in government and that any other thing can follow. With the current situation in the country with Buhari's unwillingness to seek accountability concerning past military office holders and their cronies, there is no type of restructuring that will save the country. It means that after restructuring, the culture of stealing by government officials can continue.
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