President Jonathan Should Check-mate This Looting
Recently, a shocking news filtered out, on how the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Madueke allegedly spent a whooping sum of N2b (Two Billion Naira) in two years to charter Aeroplanes for both her private and business transactions. This is against the fact that Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, has a private Jet for the Minister, which is maintained at a princely sum of ($500,000) five hundred thousand Dollars in a month, in a country where most people go to sleep on empty stomach.
This whistle was blown by a Civil Society Organization, by name, Crusaders for Good Governance CGC. The Group has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over two weeks now. While it could be said that EFCC is investigating the matter, and therefore could not have sprang into action yet, what about the presidency under which the accused Minister operate from.
It is heart wrenching that till date, the presidency has neither owned up, nor denied this heavy allegation.
This is not the first time Nigerians are hearing about stupendous lootings within the Presidency.
We are all aware how a Civil Servant, operating under the office of the Secretary to the federation, defrauded the Nation Billions of Naira in the pension saga, and slipped away into a jolly life in one of the over-sea countries with his loot intact, while the Security Agents looked the other side.
The Fuel Subsidy demonstration of 2012 forced the President Jonathan administration into setting up a panel, which in the end unveiled that those milking the Nation dry under the cover of supplying oil to Nigeria were all children, girl friends, relations and partners of those ruling Nigeria today.
Just this month, the respected magazine “The Economist” told the world that Nigerian Legislators are the highest paid in the world, with each federal legislator earning (N30m) thirty Million Naira a month, while their principal officers cart home (N100m) one hundred million naira every thirty days.
All these are happening in a country where the Government cannot pay Teachers, Hospitals are in ruins, roads have turned to death traps where innocent commuters die in ghastly accidents every day, the Police and their Barracks are abandoned, Electricity, which ought to power the country into development is in comatose, life in Nigeria is worth a penny due to insecurity, over seventy million Nigerians are unemployed, etc.
Since the history of Nigeria; though corruption has ever been around, but the magnitude of corruption, and the impunity which those trusted with our commonwealth are stealing now, has never been witnessed before.
Unfortunately, when the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was asked to declare his Assets, he replied that he does “not give a damn”, and this have emboldened his lieutenants to pillage the National coffers.
Although Jonathan may not be corrupt himself, he needs to rein in his Aides, and prosecute those accused of corruption for sanity to reign, or else his regime may be recorded in history as the most corrupt Government Nigeria has ever had.
This Deceit And Exploitation In The Name Of C.G.C Must Stop
The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes three Tiers of government, that is the federal, state and local governments.
In Imo State today, the government under the leadership of Governor Rochas Okorocha has created a 4th Tier government called the community government council (CGC) which they said is a product of law made by the Imo State House of Assembly.
This unconstitutional concept was sold to the people with the claim that its mission is to bring development close to the grass-root.
Alas, this 4 tier government has turned out to be a poisoned chalice.
In the beginning, the government told Imo People that every community will always receive N5 million monthly. They went further to say that each community will decide what to do with the money through the C.G.C government.
This was the proposal the government used to deceive the traditional rulers and members of their communities to embrace the 4 tier government. If we may ask, where is the N 5 million a month since the introduction of the so called C.G.C?
Another funny angle to the C.G.C game was the earlier planned election into the various C.G.C offices. Many people spent their hard earned money to purchase forms from the government offices. They even spent money buying drinks for campaign.
All of a sudden there was a stage managed court injunction. The government announced to Imo People that there was a court injunction restraining them from going ahead with the election and according to them as a law abiding government, they decided to obey the order. This was how people lost their money. This is pure exploitation. This government that claimed to be law abiding, we know have refused to obey court orders and judgements. Some example are:- the Eze Ilomuanya case, the Appeal Court judgement concerning the Imo state ALGON, the judgement given to the ten thousand jobs beneficiaries in Imo State, there is also a report of Court order obtained by the Association of Town Unions in Imo State against their dissolution by this government, etc.
Now that the various C.G.C offices are in place, the exploitation has gone down to the autonomous communities.
In my own Autonomous Community Dimagu in Ideato South L.G.A, the so called Executive secretary and his staff are trying to usurp the function of Dimagu Union by conducting Ole Uzo ie the traditional clean up and inspection of local streets.
In doing this the C.G.C engage in collecting N 500.00 and above from defaulters there by denying the community their source of revenue. The prank which this so called executive secretary played on Dimagu people was to tell some people at the Nwafor Market some time in the past that the Governor of Imo State announced that the cleanest community in Imo State shall receive a reward of N 1 million, the second N 500,000 and the third N 250,000. We now ask, is Dimagu the only community in Ideato- South or Imo State where this reward will take place? ‘We are not Mugu’.
It must also interest us to note that the environmental health officers of the local government that usually inspect and who are trained in environmental issues are not involved in this exercise.
Another way the C.G.C has been exploiting Dimagu community and denying them their source of revenue is through sales of sand. Normally Dimagu community do generate revenue through sales of sand. This revenue is usually collected by the various village chairmen and the money remitted to the town union.
Today one C.G.C official, the Government liason officer (GLO) to be precise we hear collect money from sand.
The question now is; what is the mission of C.G.C in Dimagu? Is it to bring development to the grass-root as claimed by the government or to exploit this great community through the scramble for Dimagu? Does it mean that Dimagu’s sovereignty has been taken over by an outsider through the C.G.C that we cannot control our internal affairs and manage our resources.
This deceit and exploitation must stop. I am therefore calling on Dimagu people to leave sentiment out of this matter and uphold the integrity and sovereignty of Dimagu. Dimagu the Giant must maintain her position in the Assembly of great communities.
Dimagu Ebeteghete!; Dimagu Ebeteghete!!,”Ebeteghete Dimagu!!!.
Okey Okwara
08060653058
