Roving Informant Dialogue: "Politics, The Fantastically Corrupt And Leadership In Nigeria!

Welcome to another episode of Roving Informant's Dialogue. It's been a while, but we are glad to be on again. 

The subject on ground is the series of allegations and counter allegations leveled against each other by politicians in Nigeria's ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP). There is hardly any week that fresh cases of alleged misappropriation of Nigeria's public fund is not reported in the dailies, the issue is that we never get to hear anything more on these cases after a while, which makes me ask, why bring it to our faces in the first place, if you are not ready to keep the public informed on progress made to recover the money and bring the perpetrators to justice?. An accuser and the accused are the same, if the accuser can be bought over by compromise or what other means there is. 

Dialogue (written majorly in the local pigin English) below is staged at a local joint somewhere withing a major city in Nigeria: 

My guy how you dey? long time, person no dey see your break light again, watin happen?

It's like you are a visitor to Nigeria, you just arrive? are you not aware of the Changing wind hitting Nigerians?

(Laugh) No be small changing wind, the wind don blow everybody put for one corner. Nobody dey talk again.

Talk keh....talk nah....no be person wey don chop belle-ful dey talk? in this situation wey everybody is busy scrambling for what to eat, you dey say make we talk...

Even the person wey dey talk since...where e dey now? dem never arrange am put for one corner? (Gestures to the bar owner...madam abeg bring one bottle for me...you know my brand).

(Laugh) Abii, but him own case different, you cant be shouting  "Justice" when you have skeleton(s) in your cupboard. You cant be claiming "the people's person" when you are equally yoked with the corrupt in corrupt practices.

Even the ones shouting upanddan on the various social media platforms, laughing and doing "Ntooor" to the accused, are they better than the accused? My brother, nah the person wey them catch be "barawo" for this our beloved country. But why is it that every former administration seems to be deeply engrossed in fantastically corrupt practices? ...never heard of a former

administration that received a pat on the back for 'job well done'...just asking....(sips drink)

Nah wah for you, why you dey ask like this, if you are a President wont you be influenced to do worse? even if you don't, what about your wife, siblings, in-laws, relations, friends and even foes...every one who knows you will feel its their time to 'chop' and will embark on massive misappropriation, sometimes without your knowledge. 

(Puts down his glass of drink)..Bros hold it there, how can a Leader not be aware of massive corruption going on around him.....if I hear....(gulps drink...and puts the glass on the table with fist cupping the glass).

But why is it that we tend to define Leadership the other way round....instead of being the Influencer...if there's any word like that, we allow 'fantastically' corrupt elements in the form of 'god-fathers' and other political sponsors to influence us. 

(wipes mouth with the back of his fist and looks directly into his friend's eyes...in a slow steady tone said): I have your answer....as a business man, if I invest the sum of =N=100 billion, (wey I fit don thief) on your political ambition, and you win, am I not expected to make some returns...with interests? am I a father Christmas? ...

....As for my wife and family, how best can they rub it on your faces that we are in charge...that we run things...you know what I mean??...if not by engaging in "unwholesome" practices like fronting up companies to win and execute almost every government contracts, demand for 70% cut in every other awarded contracts, buy up 70% of shares in every lucrative sector of the economy, invest in booming sectors of economic activities in developed and under-developed countries around the world? huh...

...You see, (he said pointing to his head) our mentality tells us that we have to steal massively so as to leave a lasting 'legacy' for our children, grand- children and generations unborn.

But why?

Dey there dey ask 'why'...make boat leave you...(laughs) I can see you are a social scientist. 

No be we start this thieving, nah so them been teach us.

We come learn....and started teaching our 'teachers' newer techniques...so tey the teachers begin fear us...dey doff hat for us. 

That's why them call us Mr. Fantastic. (laugh)

But this is not funny...

We know...but we never cry reach? What is the difference between 'suffering and crying' huh? .

Come, how are you celebrating the Eid-El-Fitri? should we show up at your place? 

show up where? am I your father? 

Its only a question nah, e never reach that level.

Ok, wait until you see me carry plate dey beg for street before you understand watin dey ground...no be only 'show up at my place'....better carry yourself go Rock villa with your wife and children go show up, at least they might be organizing party for the less privileged. (laugh).

Guy, you just brought up a very good idea....seems like that is exactly what we will do...at-least if money no dey for man pocket, make man-pikin find somewhere wack nah....after-all, no be we loot the nation dry.

But nah we dey suffer am...(laugh)

Come first, how much have investigators recovered from the looters so far?

See Jamb question....which government has ever revealed how much they recovered from their 'loot chase'? even the famous Abacha loot how much did they reveal to have recovered so far, despite so called corporation from developed countries where the loot was.... abii nah 'is still' hidden?

Make them 'reveal' so that you will buy calculator and start monitoring what it was used for?

You go fear 'monitoring spirits nah...

MMMmmmm......just mmmmmm....I tire.

Bia...don't faint here ooo, which one is "mmmm" again?

So many people are disappointing me....( shakes head) them just dey fall my hand big time....

Like who?

I am not here to mention names....but they know themselves, every single one of them.

I hope I'm not among?

That is the million $ question for every one at the corridor of power....lyrics from one of late Smart Williams songs (a Nigerian singer from the Delta Ibo region) says: "O'chichi lu'yi aka, we'llee lua-oluu...makaa na' ezi afa, ka-ego nu'wa". literally means: (when voted into any position of authority (governmental in this case), do something profitable/ tangible/good etc... with it..because a good name is better than wealth". 

Dialogue copy right: Oby Denis