The Gi-ant of Africa and the goddess, Nemesis
Overview
Nigeria is popularly known as the giant
of Africa perhaps because of its population estimated at over 250 million
people. It is a country with the largest concentration of black people in the
entire world. In her halcyon days, the oil boom of the 1970s, with an
unparallel rapid revenue expansion, peace and happiness, Nigeria began to enjoy
the reputation as epitomized in the statement by the erstwhile Head of State,
General Yakubu Gowon: “Money is not Nigeria’s problem. But how to spend it.”
Such a statement was reflected in
their leaders’ behaviours and thinking. From the 1970s to 2024, Nigeria’s
leaders have not shifted from such mindsets. Both her military and civilian
leaders continue to entertain careless, unaccountable, and foolish behaviours
that brought a jinx upon the nation. The oil boom became a curse to the people
by the Nigerian goddess called Gi-ant.
Gi-ant stands for “government issues – accountability, nepotism, thievery.”
These are the three manifestoes that are written on the forehead of every
Nigeria’s politician aspiring to power. She is the goddess of corruption.
In partnership with the Greek goddess,
Nemesis – the goddess of retribution or divine justice, the Nigeria’s goddess Gi-ant
cast punishment upon Nigerians hence, their leaders have bowed to excessive
pride and idiocy because of their oil. Nevertheless, there is always a light at
the end of the tunnel. Nemesis promises to restore their wheel of fortune to
greatness and happiness only on one condition: “cast the goddess, Gi-ant
to Gehenna.”
What happens if they refuse to cast Gi-ant away? This writing will follow this outline to briefly reflect on how a nation handles corruption and how a corrupt empire might crumble if nothing is done by visiting some historical examples. They include:
America’s Gilded Age
Corruption is part and parcel of human
history across various civilizations and eras. Wherever there is humanity,
there is corruption. But the types of corruption in a country make the
difference.
The Gilded Age is a term used to describe a
time in the United States from the 1870s to about 1900 when they saw rapid
economic growth. Many industries were established then and a small number of
business magnates (a.k.a robber barons) accumulated and controlled vast wealth
in that period.
Also, this age was marked by a great chasm
between the wealthy and the poor. There were glaring social inequalities,
political corruption, and untold hardship and poverty. Some of the ills of the
time included increased monopolies, that gave rise to labor unrest. A typical
example was the Haymarket Riot. Around that time, political scandals sprouted
like mushrooms, such as the case of Tammany Hall, a New York City political
organization that maintained power and control through bribery and patronage.
Teapot Dome Scandal
Still on American affair, the Teapot Dome
Scandal was a major political scandal in the United States during the 1920s. In
this case, without competitive bidding, the Secretary of the Interior, Albert
B. Fall secretly leased federal oil reserves at Teapot Dome in Wyoming, and
other locations in California to private oil companies.
The oil companies paid bribes to Fall. He was
found guilty, and convicted and is known today as the first Cabinet member of
United States history to go to jail for what he did while in office. With his
conviction, the US put in place mechanisms for greater transparency and
accountability in government dealings.
Corruption in the Roman Empire
In the Roman Empire, corruption was
rife: embezzlement, bribery, and election fraud. This speaks true about
Nigeria. Therefore, examining how corruption periled the Roman Empire will help
in understanding the effect of corruption on any country and the need for
transparency, and accountability in governance.
The Empire’s types of corruption
Corruption in the Roman Empire was
everywhere and everything: bribery, abuse of power, thievery, embezzlement of
public funds. There was corruption in the public service, tax collection, and
judiciary. For example, the Grain Dole incidents where public officials
responsible for the distribution of grains to Roman citizens were found to be
fraudulent which led to shortages and unrest.
A typical example of the Empire’s
corrupt practice was what is known as “bread and circuses.” In this situation,
politicians would provide free food and entertainment to the people to gain the
people’s favour and votes. This is not different from Nigeria’s method of
leadership where politicians perpetually keep the people poor only to give them
2,000 naira to buy their votes during elections. In the Roman Empire, the
provincial governors exploited their positions to their advantage as they
extorted and unfairly taxed the people. Another example was the “Verrine
Orations,” a compilation of speeches by Cicero following his prosecution of
Verres, a governor of Sicily, who was infamous for his extortion and corruption.
Those corrupt practices contributed to social
inequality and added to the factors that weakened the Roman state and its
decline.
The Impact of
corruption in their daily life
For the lower and middle classes, the
corrupt practices heavily impacted their lives in many ways:
- Injustice – People could bribe their way through. Justices were often bought and sold.
- Inequality – The rich often bribe their way through to avoid taxes or legal penalties, presenting two levels of justice: one for the rich, and the other for the poor.
- Weakened Public Services – There were cases of embezzlement of funds such that money meant for road construction or maintenance were diverted. The distribution of grains was often unreliable or sometimes inadequate.
- Civil Unrest – There was a limit to the people’s tolerance of corruption. There were social tensions, uprisings here and there, and the people were frustrated with the leadership’s inability to provide good governance.
The effect on public trust in government
The corruption and scandals in ancient Rome resulted in public distrust
of the government and its officials. It was like a can of worms; it exposed the
stench of corruption beguiling the Roman state and how its officials abuse
power.
There were public outcries for a change. People clamored for the
punishment of corrupt officials, and riots sprung up here and there.
The people called for reforms in legislation to curb corruption and
demand that officials be accountable.
Listening to the people’s cries, the Empire went into action: laws were passed to monitor and regulate the behavior of officials as well as legislate punishment for corrupt acts, such as “Lex Julia de repetundis,” that is “Julian law on corruption,” an anti-corruption law that bans governors, magistrates, and their families and employees from taking bribes to influence official proceedings.
They also engaged in judicial reforms
arguing for an impartial and fair judicial system that cannot be bribed by
politicians or anybody. The reform extended to a variety of changes to
stabilize the economy, such as the reorganization of the military, and the
creation of durable public service that helped check the spate of corruption
and opportunities for it.
Other reforms included reducing debt
and changing the calendar (the introduction of the Julian calendar), which
indirectly affected economic practices and corruption.
The inference: APC epoch
The APC is an abbreviation for All Progressives
Congress, the ruling political party formed in 2013 through a merger consisting
of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change
(CPC), and the All-Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All-Progressives
Grand Alliance (APGA) and a faction of the then-ruling People’s Democratic
Party (PDP). It was a merger of unaccountability, nepotism and thievery.
In 2015, APC ushered in a crop of politicians who are clueless and directionless but with the sole aim just to be in power. It produced presidents like Muhammad Buhari and Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and tons of senators, House members, and governors and state legislators. This is a political party that is not afraid of corrupt practices, or the consequences.
These are foolhardy politicians; they are the ‘irresponsible’ elites:
- They ask the people to tighten their belts but have not stopped fleecing them.
- They are “gorimapka” (bald-heads or empty vessels), but continually adorn themselves in gold and diamonds.
- They do not steal but have not stopped being spendthrifts.
- They do not hate the people but have remained insensitive to their plights.
- They are not morons but have always viewed the people as cowards.
- They say that they are not corrupt but the treasury is always dry.
- They are not lawyers but have the judges in their pockets.
- They are not cruel but have not stopped insuring a bleak future.
They are malevolent politicians who graduated to corrupt elites. The democracy dividends for the people are hunger, poverty, and untimely deaths.
Nigeria has never been challenged regarding
the foundations of its existence but the President’s slogan: “On your mandate, we
stand” has become the litmus test of replacement of values, displacement of civics,
and discipline. It is a slogan that draws parallel lines between ‘what is’ and
‘what should be’; ‘who is’ and ‘who should be’. It is a mandate of borrowing,
cheating, wasting and stealing from the people.
The slogan argues and promises a ‘renewed
hope’ but not for all Nigerians but for only those who look like them, think
like them, and act like them. The slogan does not want to cultivate
in the people good and decent character traits; hence it is producing a variety
of lootings, unending borrowing, and desperadoes Nigeria has never known or
seen in its 63 years of existence. Perhaps, in the next 50 years, history will
remember this era as the APC Age in Nigeria.
Summary
“How the mighty has fallen.” The giant
of Africa is today mandated by the goddess, Nemesis to consign Gi-ant to
Gehenna or else nothing remains of a country called Nigeria.
Nigerian politicians are called to reflect
upon Roman empire, and turn a new leaf and return to truth, righteousness and genuine
peace.
America’s Gilded Age did not put her
down. With her strong institutions, she rose like a Phoenix and continued to
lead the world. No corrupt nation can ever be a beacon of hope or light. Their
judiciary held on, but Nigeria’s judiciary is at the beck and call of the
highest bidder: the politicians, the business magnates, or the elites.
