Tradition, corruption and democracy – The Nation Nigeria

Dayo Sobowale

The raging information just like the raging killing pandemic in Nigeria is the presidential probe of   Ibrahim  Magu, Nigeria’s anti-corruption boss of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC),  our  very  highly effective anti- corruption   flagship.

In  journalism, there  is a typical saying that ‘when a canine bites a person it’s no information,  however when a person  bites a canine ‘then  that’s information. That basically is the plight of the person on the helm of affairs of   the EFCC  within the  current  FGN dedicated anti-corruption conflict. To  me,  his trial is proof  that the  Buhari  authorities has not gone to sleep on its self-set objective  to  battle corruption  to a standstill,   because it has definitely  performed on the problem of safety and provide  of electrical energy to Nigerians.

At the moment,   my focus  is  on the anti- corruption conflict  in Nigeria  and I say  once more  that the trial  of the EFCC  boss  in  the presidency with  the media  locked  out however with  information and allegations  of   corruption  filtering out in a media trial  of  types,  exhibits  fairly clearly that  there is no such thing as a sacred cow within the Buhari  authorities  anti – corruption   conflict. As typical, I count on  the opposition  PDP  to assault  the federal government extra on corruption.  However now  that  the EFCC boss  himself  is being probed  and a  governorship  aspirant of the ruling APC in Edo State,  Mr   Ize  Iyamu is  in  court docket on allegations of fraud  of  700m naira,  so quickly after the ruling   get together guber primaries,  I  do  not see how the PDP can nonetheless  insist that  the federal government  is simply hounding opposition figures in its  anti- corruption conflict.

Actually conflict, any conflict, is a messy  bloody  enterprise on any  entrance and on any challenge and a few smart man has cracked properly   that  ‘conflict  is politics continued  by different means ‘. That’s the strategy I take  on  right this moment’s evaluation  of  occasions and points  within the final week. Of  course we are going to  talk about this Magu Probe. I’ll  additionally  talk about the praises showered  on the outgoing Chinese language  Ambassador in Nigeria by the Nigerian  authorities praising China  for its enormous infrastructural assist  for  Nigeria  throughout the tenure of the Chinese language diplomat in  Nigeria. We will additionally take a look at the American President Donald Trump’s July  Four Independence Day speech  wherein he actually declared conflict on these he referred to as anarchists destroying statues of nice People and wherein  he condemned  these  he stated are utilizing the’ Cancel Tradition ‘ to denigrate and desecrate  American heroes and stifle free speech within the US. This actually shouldn’t be solely  Trump’s personal anti-corruption conflict,  it’s the foundation  of his marketing campaign to be reelected within the November 2020  presidential elections simply  4 months away. These then are the problems we are going to decipher right this moment.

Certainly the trial   of the EFCC  boss   has proven  that  corruption can actually battle again powerfully not solely from  exterior  of  authorities  however even  inside it,   because the  probe has proven.  Actually, the prosecutor on this Magu Probe is the Lawyer Common of the Federation Mr.  Abubakar  Malami SAN,  who’s the Chief  Authorized  officer of the land. It  is noteworthy that  a part of the allegations towards  the EFCC boss was the   reported  leaking of particulars of the EFCC instances  to the media   as properly  as insubordination.

Now, the EFCC  boss   is having a dose of his medication even  although   the media  thus far  has been  barred  from his trial.  Of  course some   senators who’ve instances  with the EFCC   will  be pleased with the predicament  of the anti -corruption boss,  however that absolutely   is  pretend  information,   as a result of with or with out him in cost,  the federal government via its  Chief Authorized  Officer, has proven  that there is no such thing as a sacred  cow within the conflict  towards  corruption,  and the legislature shouldn’t be  a  authorized  sanctuary  towards  corruption on this authorities. That certainly was why the Senate by no means authorised Magu’s appointment as required by regulation as he has been appearing ever since he was appointed earlier than his rumored suspension and current predicament. His trial and the stunning revelations have proven that he has not heard of the Shakespearian injunction that ‘Caesar’s spouse should  be above reproach‘. All  the identical,  he ought to be given  a good trial in response to the rule of  regulation  and presumed  harmless  till  confirmed in any other case. That  is the one  manner  that  authorities  can  present that within the battle  towards  corruption,  which  is a serious objective  of  this  authorities; ’these  who  stay in glass  homes  ought to  not  throw stones‘. That definitely  is the ethical of this evolving  EFCC  probe saga.

We go now to the commendation of the Chinese language Ambassador by Nigeria officers    praising China for infrastructural assist in Nigeria. Nothing  improper with that besides  that  he ought to   have been  reminded that Nigerians are shocked  by the messy remedy given Nigerian college students  in China on the outbreak  of his  world   pandemic  which US   President  Donald  Trump  has referred to as  a Chinese language  virus. Nigerian college students in China   have been racially discriminated towards and a few ejected from campuses.  That  is a sore  and    ugly  story  on  China.

Secondly  on,   China’s  assist  isn’t any free  lunch   and authorities  ought to  be cautious  as a result of  the  Chinese language   all the time    make certain their  loans are  paid  as at when due  and don’t give free  loans. They  have seized airports  and  sea ports  from   some nations  in  Asia   which   couldn’t redeem their  loans  when  due. Even in Nigeria they’ve been hostile in treating Nigerian staff and plenty of Nigerians should not pleased with  that. The   Ambassador  ought to  have been  advised that on his manner  out that Nigerians deserve respect  each right here  at house and extra so  in  China as  residents  of a sovereign nation with  equal  rights  with  any  Chinese language in any half  of the world.  That  actually  is the  essence  of diplomacy  and the  obligation  of  diplomats  all  over  the world.

We  go on to  the US  the place in   a moderately fascinating method US President Donald Trump  intentionally   forgot  the pandemic  and declared conflict on these he referred to as the unconventional  left   on July  4.  In  his extensively revealed speech  he stated  ‘We  are actually within the course of  of defeating the unconventional left, the anarchist, the agitators, the looters‘  and folks he stated had no clue on what they  are  doing. Of   course  the American  individuals by now know that their president is an uncommon  one  and a perennial  verbal  conflict  monger  on many points together with the pandemic and his weapon of alternative,  peculiar  to him is Tweeter, a expertise that  appeared firstly of his tenure   and   which he has used  massively  and successfully  to battle  the opposition towards  him  until  the raging pandemic broke his  stride  within the run as much as this November presidential  election.

Trump  is making an attempt his finest  to deride the achievements and protests of Black Lives Matter by diverting consideration to historical past  and the preservation of statues of former American presidents, generals and politicians whose statues and legacies are being pulled  down as a result of that they had slaves of their time. It  is a quick  political  diversion and it’s his personal manner of salvaging  his reelection plans, particularly,   as his opponents are utilizing  his dealing with and defiance  of the severity of the  pandemic to marketing campaign furiously  towards   him.  This  has  made  the election 4  months away  a do or die matter  for each  events  on this   November presidential  election. If  Trump  will get to win  and be reelected this  yr, he definitely will  be  regarded  because the Houdini  of US  Politics and  his  statue  will  absolutely  be within the Backyard  of  Heroes he promised on July 4   2020  to create in 2021.  Which means he’s assured of reelection in  November 2020.

As soon as once more, From the fury of this raging pandemic, Good Lord  ship  Nigeria.