OPINION/ED
By Vitalismary Unachukwu
WHAT’S THE APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT FOR CORRUPT PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO LOOT MADLY TO RENDER OUR SYSTEM INSOLVENT AND BANKRUPT?
I’m short of words and often fagged out pondering over the above mind-boggling subject, how our nation is infested with political charlatans, psychopaths, sociopaths, social misfits, traitors, saboteurs and criminals of all shades and forms, who’re misnomer for leadership governance.
These seemingly unelectable classes of citizens and politicians, always present themselves for elective offices during elections, while the good among us, shy away, only to become enslaved and endangered species of those inhuman elements.
Has it occurred to Nigerians, why their problems will never abate, as long as they don’t break the jinx with imponderable and unproductive politicians, whose mediocrity knows no bounds and who constantly lord it over the rest of the people, who seem weak and powerless to challenge them, to stop their looting spree?
Imagine the uproar associated with the billions and trillions of public officials of our governments at the Federal and State levels, past and current loot from public and state treasury coffers?
What does Yahaya Bello, former Governor of Kogi State wanted and wants to do with N80 billion, among others looted from his State, while owing civil servants in the state, arrears of salaries?
Why are public officials in all the 3 known branches of government so wicked and greedy, to the point of looting and depriving the people of the wealth we collectively have?
Why are Nigerians so naive, docile, gullible, flippant, hypnotized and weak to bring their incurably corrupt rulers to justice, without regard to dead laws and comatose institutions that failed to live up to expectations in accordance with our constitutional and democratic system, values, norms and standards?
The Yahaya Bellos and people of his ilk, who politically rob and loot in millions, billions and trillions, are mentally deranged with an incurable mental disorder that requires elaborate and intensive evaluation, rehabilitation and treatment.
They don’t know that the malady or disorder of insatiable looting is never satisfied by more looting.
They don’t know the gravity of their mental illness.
They hardly acknowledge their criminal atrocities in depriving the people of their collective means of sustenance and by their wicked actions and inactions starve everyone to death.
Anyone who’s incapable of knowing, understanding and admitting his or her crimes and wrongs, is mentally sick and incapable of distinguishing good from evil, because they feel that they have the right and license to loot, commit evil and destroy what we have together.
Who told them that they have rights over our public funds?
Being in office and having longer political tentacles, does not give them more right to spend, mismanage and loot our money recklessly.
We’re responsible for our predicament.
Knowing that taking recourse to the courts to challenge the heavily corruptly induced and flawed 2023 elections would end with no justice done, Nigerians would have sacked the Judiciary, INEC and other corruptly induced institutions privy to the electoral infamy of 2023, by nonstop outright, civil disobedience and rejecting INEC’s imposed results contrary to the people’s mandate.
Had the nation been chaotic and set on fire, Buhari and his fellow coup plotters on the elections, could have scampered off to safety, without swearing someone in office, until the main cause of the chaos, public outrage, anger and violence, is redressed and resolved.
You saw why our shameless detractors gained the upper hand?
Inaction by Nigerians gave vent to today’s brazen corruption and recklessness in public office.
Those who looted millions, billions and trillions, besides restitution and refunds of their loot, should be punished by due process and banned for life from running for any public office, as it’s the case in other serious democratic nations.
We failed to act and that’s why calling God now to intervene seems a waste of time.
Left for me, Nigerians by constitutional referendum, should have the last say on the appropriate punishment due to public officials busted and indicted of endemic and massive corruption that rendered our nation and states insolvent and our democratic institutions bankrupt.
There’s no need whining, grumbling, snorting, screaming and crying about our self-inflicted misery, hardships, misfortunes and predicament, without courageously doing something about them and making those punishing us pay for their murderous atrocities.
Nigeria’s sad phenomena are not hard to overcome, since other less privileged and powerful nations had taken the bulls by the horns and rejected the evil omen of bad government, without help from above.
Imagine how the Arab Spring was successfully prosecuted and managed towards the supplanting and sacking of corrupt Arab Nations Governments, how the people of Sri Lanka, Philippines, etc, effected immediate political leadership change in their nations, without resorting to elections and the courts.
Oh Nigeria and Nigerians, what’s fundamentally wrong with us?
This cry of an anguished, concerned patriot, certainly reaches God’s Throne and does not end without due response from God’s Throne of Grace.
Barrister Vitalismary Unachukwu is Philadelphia, Commonwealth state of Pennsylvania United States of America based Social Critic and Public Opinion Analyst.