Recently, I was in a bus which also swallowed some students in its belly. The four students seem brilliance and intelligence to my satisfaction. As they were discussing geography, I as an uninvited guest shipped in, ‘’students, you are all very brilliance’’. Thanks sir was their response and other passengers in the vehicle began to pay attention to this unusual exchange of words. Can any of you define for me the following question? What is the question sir was the response of another student. What is Nigeria and what four characteristics can you attribute to it? To my greatest surprise, they all started laughing and I began to think if something else have gone missing. The crowds in the bus including the driver have joined the league of laughter. Suddenly, one of them said, sir, Nigeria can be defined as a country where anything happens and in other cases nothing happens. Sir, as required by the question, the following four characteristics can be attributed to Nigeria: First, it is a country without electricity since independence and there is no hope that there will be in the next one hundred years. Secondly, insecurity which claims lives daily has become a way of life of the people and even animals. Thirdly, our politicians are thieves stealing our money from the local government, state, federal and every government parastatal. Finally, the country is endowed with electoral violence and election rigging to the extent that if you cannot ring an election there is no way for you in the country. Oga, I can still name more and more if you want to hear more. Sorry, you have done enough but is there no way we can reduce these negative tendencies in our country? Immediately I asked this question, one of them started shouting, oga, just leave that thing, just leave that thing jare. Which country oga?
Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, a former military president of Nigeria is not new to controversy. The recent alarm and wine drinking by the operators of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation on the purported profit from their recently operation activities just after the Petroleum Industry Bill that was passed and signed into law by the President reminds me of the locust years of operators and the then taunted Nigerian National Shipping Line which has its headquarters in Lagos. The Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) which was established by the Nigerian government in 1959 and despite heavy investment and subsidies, the state-owned company was unable to compete favorably and did not have any report of one naira profit earned throughout its existence. Much of the investment went to enriching the political elite. Corruption became the hall mark of the organization. Political consideration became the other of the day rather than giving room to merit and diligence. In 1987, world Bank study of the facility shows that the investment had made no significant contribution to Gross Domestic Product, employment, the balance of payments, exercising countervailing power, national security or the country’s image. While most of the works carried out on behalf of the government were not paid for, constant changing of the top management hierarchy also contributed to the problems which the organization passed through. Deeply indebted, the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida decided to not only liquidate the company but sell its assets while government will make effort to pay its liabilities since the government can no longer bear the losses arising from the organization. However, the year the company was to be liquidated, the audited account of the company shows that it makes a profit and Nigerians from all works of life raised the alarm to high heaven. How does a company that has not made any profit since inception becomes profitable in the year it is billed for liquidation was another riddle for mathematicians to solve and in 1987 thereabout, Babangida will not be deceived with imaginary profit and the place was liquidated.
The just publication of the audited account of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation is still raising dust all over the country. As usual, the presidency and operators of the government parastatals have been celebrating it to high heavens. Who will not support such an achievement? The more they celebrate the more Nigerians took exception to the figures being beamed at them. To make it worst, the corporation which have been in existence like its late sister liquidated agency, Nigerian National Shipping Line has not declared a single kobo as profit for a day. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation or, as we simply call it, NNPC is a Nigerian oil and gas corporation. It was created in 1977, April 1 to be precise. It was created from merging the Nigerian National Oil Corporation, or NNOC, with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel. By decree №. 33, it acquired the liabilities and assets of the NNOC and took on the responsibility for some of the Ministry’s functions. For a company that have been operational in the country without anything to show for it other than corruption and suddenly declaring profit could be termed as one of the wonders of the year 2020 which Covid-19 took its better share off the business communities throughout the world. Now that the financial statements shows that the corporation is profitable for the year, I have no doubt that it was profitable but that should not be the end. For an organization that operated for forty-four years without any profit to show for it is not worth continuing.
With the signing into law of the Petroleum Industry Bill, there is the need to liquidate the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. There is no justifying reason or reasons for keeping the dead horse. The corporation is not different from a dead horse. One of the former managing directors of the corporation is still facing prosecution for corruption charges. The corporation is a haven for looting like the Niger Delta Development Commission. Today, corruption have become part and parcel of the government. When Buhari was campaigning, he told us that he was going to fight corruption but as it stands today, his government appears to be competing for medals in the corruption circle with the previous governments. As I always say, every sector of the country is corrupt and most importantly, we are now in an era where those that criticized government were later found to be corrupt when they found themselves into the same government. A civil servant who works all the years for government was reported to have called his children and told them to follow his footsteps so that they can have their peace of mind in life. One of the children told his father point blank that he is dying without a fat bank account, house and property while the neighbors who worked with you and occupied lesser positions in government are dying leaving wealth for their children. This is the situation with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation. Whoever is appointed to the place will want to set a new record of corruption which the place has been known for all the years of its existence.
The founders of democracy in Ancient Greece classified people into three broad types namely, (a) The idiots (b) The tribalists and (c) The Citizens respectively. The Greeks were quick to note that the idiots were not mentally deficient, but rather private people who were weld-centered and very selfish. The idiots look for personal gain and self-interest in everything that they do. Evidently, they lack public philosophy, knowledge and skills that contribute to the greater good. Everything is about them and their pleasure. In the modern-day Nigeria, these group of persons abounds in all spheres of life. We have the idiots in every office, markets, churches, companies and in government and unfortunately, they are more. They immediately form a class of people whose primary objective is maximizing personal gain by cutting corners at every turn and overlooking ethical issues. Their main concern was the embezzlement of the national treasury in the name of development, as long as it helps their bottom line. When a group of idiots assume positions of power and leadership either knowingly or unknowingly, they never work for he common good of society instead, use their power and the people’s resources for their personal benefit. They pretend to be advocates of the people’s cause but in the real sense, they are advancing their selfish interests. They operate and are motivated by greed and egocentric mentality. This simple fact fits into the decoration of the people running the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and there is no going back on the looting of the enterprise.
Briefly, before independence corruption was low in the country but after independence it gradually grew to an empire promoted by General Ibrahim Babangida. The Obasanjo democracy to was not different. While that of Yar’dua could be credited for its short term in office, that of former president Jonathan went hell wire. However, it appears that Buhari’s eight years in office have dusted Jonathan’s corruption history. This was how China started gradually with corruption and at a time it became difficult to the masses to exist. Since tough situation needs tough solutions, Chinese called for death sentence on corrupt officers in government and since then the country has seen another light making waves all over the world. The China economy is one of the best in the world today with focus on transportation especially railway construction, airports, technology gadgets and other economic benefits. This is what a good nation should do. When China was doing it, there was nothing like Islam, Christian, Hindus and what have you. They collectively agree to tame the devil that has brought the country down from the mountain and they succeeded. I call on the National Assembly to enact a law to be assented to by the president so that all those found to be corrupt by the courts are sentenced to death by firing squad.
Sometime a go, the top personnel of the liquidated Bank of the North was fined to pay few sums which he graciously did and went away to enjoy his look. Such should attract death penalty and we are waiting for such law from the legislators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
_____________________________
Joseph Esivwenughwu is a Chartered Accountant, Politician and Analyst.
