IN MY DREAMS

Good morning my friends. I had a dream last night, please, let me share with you.

U know it's good to always think good of and pray for Nigeria because this is the only country we have. As a matter of fact, I was just imagining a corrupt-free Nigeria under a disciplined leader last night when I slept off and had a dream. I saw a Mr. President scolding his Customs Officers on the heels of a video evidence of corruption against them, and here's what he said to them:

"I'm really upset & I think that I should let U know. I was waiting for the announced video to be shown; and that confirmed the reports that I've been having all along.

Officers of Customs, you are -.-.-.- citizens. You have to help us to build a better -.-.-.-, but if this is the kind of behavior, this is the kind of attitude that you have, you are not helping us in any way.

Indeed, today, I came to express my DISGUST and my REVULSION at the way some of you are helping to erode the benefits that we are making or we have to give to our people. You are in charge of revenue.

Everyday, we hear reports about malpractices, people collecting bribes with careless abandon; people who think they're entitled to take bribes. How can we get rid of corruption?

I'm not saying that nobody should appreciate the work that you are doing, but when you make it a condition - somebody should give you some money before you perform your duties...

I've known Customs for quite sometime; I was Commissioner of -.-.-.-, and the announced video confirms the fears I've had for quite some time. Look at yourself, I want to talk very frankly to you. Somebody joins Customs 2, 3 years, the person is putting up a building, the person owns a car; in what organisation will it take you 3 years to build? And it is not the exception, it is the rule.

Very often, my Minister for Finance is WORRIED, about the fiscal gap that we have; and your duty is to collect, to display transparency in the way you operate. And I'm happy in the initiative that -.-.-.- has taken, and I give him my full support. My brothers and sisters, let me be honest with you, if it means transferring everybody I will give him the authority to do so. If it means changing all the people in Customs I will do so, because we do not owe anybody anything. But I know there are good people amongst you; the good people should be influencing the bad ones, because your reputation now has been soiled, and this is something that we have known all along.

I want to use this occasion to send a signal to your colleagues at -.-.-.-, I'm aware of what they're doing, and very soon, we'll descend on them. And then -.-.-.-, one of these days they will find me there.

My brothers & sisters, this is a good opportunity for us to showcase -.-.-.- This is the gateway; when people want to do investment in -.-.-.-, they come to the gateway and they're met with corruption; go & come, go & come, go & come, because there are some who don't want the reds, you want the blue, you want the pink.. you will collect the green and the other colours.

Yes! Don't be surprised that today I'm in an angry mood, and I have every reason to be angry because you are depriving the generality of the people of their entitlements. Look at the number of people who can hardly make ends meet. Look at the number of people who cannot go to school because we don't have the resources, look at the number of people who go to school under trees, look at the number of people who cannot even have access to medical care and we need the revenue to be able to do that. And what is happening??

The money you collect does not belong to you, it belongs to the NATION, and nobody has a right to appropriate what belongs to the nation. And I've told -.-.-.- that he has every right to do what he thinks is right.

Of course, some allegations have also been made against -.-.-.-, their day of reckoning is also going to come. I'm not going to judge them on the basis of this, but the matter must be investigated.

And let me also say this: who is watching the watchman? You have security agencies, which are operating here, I wish that the revelation from -.-.-.- could have come to me through the security agencies, which are here. NO! That has not been the case. You have a situation where all kinds of task forces have been created. There are people who come here throwing their weight around, dropping names of so called high arms - I have told -.-.-.-, if anybody comes with the President's name, the first thing you should do is to arrest that person..."

The problem now is I didn't see the face of the President, but I'm anxious to know because whoever is so disciplined and can fiercely confront corrupt officials deserves my our as the next president. Who do U think spoke like that?