…a change of attitude in dealing with existing or evolving cases of corruption within government ranks will go a long way in refreshing public interest in the much needed collective sacrifice for change in our institutions and society in general.

…a change of attitude in dealing with existing or evolving cases of corruption within government ranks will go a long way in refreshing public interest in the much needed collective sacrifice for change in our institutions and society in general.


A cursory look at the unfolding events in the lower House of the country’s bicameral National Assembly, following the suspension of Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, the member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State at the House of Representatives, is clearly bolstering the sentiment that corruption and its implicitly pernicious influence is strongly at the very heart of our democracy.

At one time, the suspended Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, now turned whistleblower, had served as Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Finance in the Seventh Assembly.

In a recent letter to the lower house titled “Burden of Proof of Evidence: Running Cost of Honourable Members of the House of Representatives”, Jibrin advised his fellow members to return “illegally” taken or stolen money meant for the running of their offices for their entire stay in the House, else he “will proceed with necessary legal action to compel them to make the total amount each of them has received public.” He has also threatened to further expose “monumental corruption in the House”.

Truth be told, the allegations he has leveled against his colleagues in the House are valid.

As a result, some say he is a hero, while others think otherwise. I particularly respect the fact that he has not, so far, alluded a heroic status to himself since the break of his new-found anti-corruption drive. In fact, in his own words, “a whistleblower is NOT necessary a saint but he or she is supported for what he reveals that is of benefit to all”. I also respect his newly framed slogan “Committed to a Corrupt Free Nigeria”, as maintained on his Twitter handle.

For the most part, many would agree that he deserves commendation for spilling the beans on the deeply-rooted and darkened culture of budget padding in the National Assembly. But I must confess I have a small problem here: His letter failed to mention if he has returned his own part of the largesse and why he had to wait five years in the National Assembly to expose what he now sees as “systemic corruption in the house”. Besides, no true enemy of corruption should have had to wait this long to expose systemic corruption in a public office, especially where he had privileged insider information.

…as the shameful drama continues to unfold in scenes and pages, we may never get a chance to see the prosecution or incarceration we expect. As in the past, they will only put the conflict footage on the media but the case would undergo a ‘natural’ death in the hands of an ad hoc committee.


Honourable Jibrin would have to, by all means, do more than engaging in a social media tiff to deeply convince Nigerians that his aggressive “anti-corruption crusade” is beyond a malicious plot to get back at the Speaker, and then his colleagues, for removing him, first, as Chair of Appropriation Committee, and now suspending him for 180 legislative days.

Owing to all of the above, we surely would love to hear from Jibrin on the whereabouts of his own share of previous paddings. In any case, I am well aware that such response might be difficult, given that he would have kept mute if things had not gone odious between him and the House.

However, as the shameful drama continues to unfold in scenes and pages, we may never get a chance to see the prosecution or incarceration we expect. As in the past, they will only put the conflict footage on the media but the case would undergo a ‘natural’ death in the hands of an ad hoc committee. That is why no corrupt official has ever gone to jail and very few, if any, have been punished for the abuse of office.

source...http://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2016/10/07/175235/