The Voice In The Wilderness

AMBASSADOR EZEWELE ABIONANOJIE CYRIL

              

John C. Maxwell wrote a book he called ‘Failing Forward’ which elaborated on how we can learn from failure and device a new method for advancement. And a wise man once wrote that it is not bad to make mistake, that it is very bad to make the same mistake the second time. 

It has become appallingly obvious that the known enemy called corruption that had kept us as a nation in a sorry state of affairs is being celebrated and exalted by the majority of the populace. Some had taken it as a norm that must be cooperated with in order to gain relevance and survive in our today’s society where the arrogant power of money outshines the lonesome voice of integrity.

If you can pin point the happenings in our political atmosphere, you will agree with me that the war against corruption has become a political campaign tool for the corrupt to secure public offices in order to loot public treasures. Corruption had become a national malady and many are being crushed by it day after day and still do not see anything wrong with it. Ajaokuta Steel Industry has become legal machinery for any government that comes in to loot public funds. Ajaokuta Steel Plant is an industry that if well managed could generate over 50 billion dollars per year and give employment opportunity to many Nigerians. And there is no way a nation can be industrialized without steel.

It will cost Nigeria 600 million to 700 million dollars to complete the project. Yet, no government has thought it wise to complete such an important project. Life is all about investing and reinvesting into what will be generating more money for productive advancement. The money wasted on our political elections in buying votes alone is more than enough to complete the project. The money in our external reserve is more than enough to complete the project too. Some of the stolen public funds by individual persons are more than enough to complete the project also.

It is high time we stood for what is right even if we are individually standing alone. If you must know, war is looming in Nigeria; Terrorists are conquering territories using the high rate of corruption in the land as a catalyst for growth. To keep silent in a bedeviling and a defining moment as this is cowardice and betrayal for it can only favor the oppressors. We must collectively embrace a change of attitude in order to attain a higher and a better altitude in life. If not, when our future generation shall sit to write a book of chronicle concerning the gross failure of our generation, they shall ask many questions in disgust and in sorrow. Among the questions they shall ask will be, why is it that selfish interest beclouded our reasoning faculty that ought to pursue the betterment of our society and that of our posterity? Why is it that the general public keeps adapting to any inhuman situation tossed at them by bad leaders? Why was it that the people without heads were with the caps and the people with heads could not do everything possible to hijack the caps of authorities from the shameless headless leaders? And they shall ask why was it that our leaders could easily hold sway over our thoughts and turn us against each other on the platform of tribe, zone, gender or that of humanistic ideologies called religion that had done more harm than good to humanity? They shall ask also, why was it that we could not stop and think to act upon the fact that irrespective of our differences in faith, tribe or region, that we were from the same place but arrived this great country at different periods and that we were tied together in the same ship sailing towards the same destination? Why was it that in the abundance of water Nigerians were thirsty and yet chanted behind corrupt politicians for a speck of bucks?

They shall ask many questions. And they shall ask in tears, why was it that the representatives of each tribe, zone and faith could not sit on a round table to create a common ground for enduring unity and that the government could not think it wise to create, sustain and invest in a Ministry of Unification that could bring about a united country for productive advancement? Unity remains the golden key to the store house of our collective fruits.

Please note this: To divide and rule will tear us apart. We must walk towards eliminating our common enemy called corruption. We need to enact a draconian decree prescribing in my view, death penalty on corruption for a certain amount of public money stolen. For instance, 50 million Naira and above should get a death penalty while below 50 million Naira should get imprisonment ranging from 50 years to 200 years. And any judge that plays foul to cover up the crime of a criminal in this regards should face the same fate with the criminal. Their crimes had cursed and still cursing so many deaths, pains, schisms, frustrations and retrogressions. Without fear or favour, I will put it to you that they are the bad guys that need to be erased for the good days to emerge. Enough is enough! We need a harsh penalty on corruption that will keep and scare virtually everyone from partaking in it. We have romanced corruption and condole it for so long. “OUR MUMU DON DO” It is high time we engaged in the real men’s game. The meat we don’t eat, we should not taste the water that is used to prepare it. What is African black men’s problem? Any ideology tossed at them becomes a hard drug that influences their thoughts and actions within a circle solely for the interest of the ideology they knew nothing about, at the detriment of their lives, future or that of their People. It is the visible that counts not the invincible! Everyone comes with nothing and leaves with nothing. It is only our impact on humanity within that matters. We are only living the life of no gain! After all the embezzlements, election result riggings, buying of votes and killings, you will still end up becoming lifeless terracotta. Why the wickedness? Wise up and protect the interest of your nation, that of your continent and in extension, that of the world for the benefit of humanity, for it is only when every ‘I’ becomes ‘WE’ that we shall emerge a better People.

 

Ambassador Ezewele Cyril is the author of the The Enemy Called Corruption and writes from Lagos.