Corruption is a cancerous virus, it destroys every society it permeants, one of the most pervasive types of crime that can ever happen to a Nation: it fuels transnational crime, wastes public resources, destabilizes countries, and impedes good governance. Authoritarian countries and those veering towards authoritarianism increasingly weaponize corruption to perpetuate power at home and undermine democracy around the world. Undeniably, good governance is essential for sustaining economic transformation in developing countries.
The latest socio-political development vis-a-vis “Bring Betta Edu Back” brings to fore another vista in our beleaguered history which every strong advocate of good governance and fair society like myself must condemn in the strongest terms with regards to the two different societies that produced Kemi Badenoch and Betta Edu, it is a good example of a rotten society on one hand and a decent society on the other side. Based on empirical evidence, the British society is more of law abiding, sound moral compass and fairness doctrine.
Whereas, it is the opposite of such with our system in Nigeria. These are the difference between the two societies that produced Kemi Badenoch and Betta Chimaobim Edu same age bracket and black colour. The system we run is obviously an enabler of ‘Economic Terrorism’ it is evident that corruption has been entrenched in all facets of public governance and the country. Otherwise, how else does one explain a situation where public office holders become terrorists.
Shame of a nation. Institutional fragility and systemic failure. In a decent society, there would be nothing like “Bring Betta Edu Back” she would have resigned from office including everyone connected to the fraud. But, this is Nigeria where anything goes. Before I continue permit me to share with you one of the feedback from an octogenarian from the United States of America. On the subject of “Betta Edu: Unending Era Of Profligacy Recklessness And Corruption”
Elder Oluwole remarked as follows:
“I read this your forwarded piece but must have failed to react to it. My attention was drawn to it early today by an opinion-writer I usually correspond with in regard to the latest political events here vis-a-vis my coined mantra: New America, nay, New World (in less than twelve (12) months) with implications for Nigeria AND Nigerians.
“For starters, a disclosure: I devote time to read published opinions on Nigeria by younger Nigerians (75 years and below) to see why we the “wasted generation” failed Nigeria; and also to see if these younger ones can redeem our situation or, at least, don’t walk our failed road.
“So like Nigeria whose previous government is always better than the present one, so we are. Indeed, none of Nigeria’s endemic problems is solved since self-rule of 1952. At best, it has been vicious circles of “solutions” begetting problems as democracy.
“Betta Edu today is purposely the poster boy for corruption-fighting in Nigeria. But it is the height of hypocrisy to ignore the legal maxim of coming for or to equity with not only clean hands but also clean hearts. So that it is not seen as sanctimoniousness a butt of social media joke.
“It is even more hypocritical if those prescribing solutions are products of corruption in all its ramifications. For me, regardless of re-invented analogies, regurgitated solutions don’t indicate scholarship. Let proffered solutions be products of painstaking inquiry into roots of problems.
“The primary root of Nigeria’s multifaceted problems is democracy itself which has too low prescribed qualifications for its practitioners, aka politicians. So, if politics is the engine that drives electoral or representative democracy in Nigeria it had irretrievably broken down, since the introduction of McPherson Constitution, as values that are political substructure were never installed. It’s akin to something on nothing.
“In retrospect you should today agree with late British prime minister Harold McMilan that, at the time we became self-governing, we were very ill-prepared AND ill-equipped for it.
“Let me, therefore, request for your opinion that, in our peonage, you agree with our having our own white winning Kemi Badenoch. Remember her? To that end, let me be reading you regularly please.”
Your reader
Oluwole, octogenarian
U.S.A”
These are profound, very succinct, lucid, thought provoking and eruditely factual response from one of my highly respected reader, and an octogenarian from U. S. A.
But I question the system. A system where billions of naira can be transfered to private accounts is flawed. Very flawed. It should not happen. Not in Nigeria. It is too dependent on the ‘goodness of man’, and you do not find a lot of that here in Nigeria. If laid down processes and procedures have been abused or flouted, then not only the Minister and the other ‘Shehu lady’ should be punished, but everybody in the loop. No wonder ‘nothing works in this country’.
One is inevitably tempted to think and unconsciously compare our country with the United Kingdom. How is it that these things seem to work effortlessly in the UK, with same Nigerians, yet they are not able to replicate same level of character when at home?
Olukemi Olufunto “Kemi” Badenoch, a British/Nigeria politician serving as Secretary of State for Business and Trade since 2023 and President of the Board of Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities since 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Saffron Walden in Essex since 2017.
“No Black person ever went broke telling white people what they want to hear.” is a popular saying
With that in mind, this is Kemi: “I tell my children this is the best country in the world to be Black – because it’s a country that sees people, not labels.” Back of the net. She continued: “It wasn’t a tough decision for us to reject the divisive agenda of critical race theory. We believe, as Martin Luther King once said, people should be judged by the content of their character, not the colour of their skin.”
In conclusion, I like to put it on record that integrity, dignity, and wisdom are true indicators of beauty. Therefore, it is important for the system to be cleaned up and the masquerade unmasked. This is obviously an unenviable task before our dear President Bola Tinubu.
Richard Odusanya
