BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORKMAY 29, 2017
Niyi Osundare, Nigeria’s international award-winning literary icon, on Sunday dismissed Senate President Bukola Saraki as “Mr. Corruption personified”.

The English language professor spoke to SaharaReporters at the 50th birthday celebration of Jiti Ogunye.

“Most of our politicians are criminals, real criminals,” he thundered. “Many of them should be behind bars. They are not serious. Such prodigals!” he lamented.

“Look at our Senate, the band of people that you have there, where the Senate President [who says he] is talking about corruption is himself Mr. Corruption personified. We still remember how he became Senate President, he and his cohorts.”

Osundare expressed concern that Nigerian politicians only care about winning the next election and not necessarily about the people.

He commended the commitment of the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to fighting corruption, but stressed that the executive cannot be observed in isolation from the other tiers of government.

“We cannot talk about the government of Buhari in isolation from the legislature and the judiciary because this is longer a military government but a three-tier government. So, we have to take a comprehensive look at all of them. What happens when the presidency is against corruption but the legislature is frustrating it? The legislators have a reason to frustrate because they are not very clean people.”

Turning to perceived corrupt practices in the judicial system, he alleged that some judges are paid just to stall corruption cases.

“When you go to our courts, you are not sure you would get justice and then the way people buy injunctions. You’ve stolen people’s money, everybody knows you’re corrupt, now you’re to be prosecuted and then you shop for a judge and you buy a perpetual injunction. That is, nobody must even mention that case any longer. I don’t know any part of the world where that kind of thing happens,” he said.

He lamented that corruption has eaten so deeply into the country that young people have been recruited into various corrupt acts, stressing that the attitude of many Nigerians supports corruption.

"Many Nigerians do not think seriously about corruption … because they say it is God that put [the politicians] there; it is their time. That is to say, when I get there, I too will steal my own.”

Questioning how corruption can be curbed in a country where the people have such a frame of mind, he said that for corruption to be eradicated in the country, Nigeria would have to regain her lost sense of shame, and that Nigerians would have to be less tolerant of corruption.

He also noted that corruption goes beyond the political class. “In the past, if anybody associated you with theft or perjury or fraud, it was as if your family was being inflicted with leprosy; people would avoid you. Today, they will give you a horse to ride on.”

Speaking on the rate at which politicians decamp from a party to another, Osundare said the lack of political ideology in the country is partly responsible for that.

“If you want to talk about 'ideology,' I think it is the ideology of 'chop, make I chop.' It is a prodigal, extremely corrupt and corrupting belief system. That is what constitutes our so-called ideology.”

http://saharareporters.com/2017/05/29/senate-president-bukola-saraki-%E2%80%98mr-corruption-personified%E2%80%99-niyi-osundare

LocalChamp:
BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORKMAY 29, 2017
Niyi Osundare, Nigeria’s international award-winning literary icon, on Sunday dismissed Senate President Bukola Saraki as “Mr. Corruption personified”.

The English language professor spoke to SaharaReporters at the 50th birthday celebration of Jiti Ogunye.

“Most of our politicians are criminals, real criminals,” he thundered. “Many of them should be behind bars. They are not serious. Such prodigals!” he lamented.

“Look at our Senate, the band of people that you have there, where the Senate President [who says he] is talking about corruption is himself Mr. Corruption personified. We still remember how he became Senate President, he and his cohorts.”

Osundare expressed concern that Nigerian politicians only care about winning the next election and not necessarily about the people.

He commended the commitment of the Muhammadu Buhari-led government to fighting corruption, but stressed that the executive cannot be observed in isolation from the other tiers of government.

“We cannot talk about the government of Buhari in isolation from the legislature and the judiciary because this is longer a military government but a three-tier government. So, we have to take a comprehensive look at all of them. What happens when the presidency is against corruption but the legislature is frustrating it? The legislators have a reason to frustrate because they are not very clean people.”

Turning to perceived corrupt practices in the judicial system, he alleged that some judges are paid just to stall corruption cases.

“When you go to our courts, you are not sure you would get justice and then the way people buy injunctions. You’ve stolen people’s money, everybody knows you’re corrupt, now you’re to be prosecuted and then you shop for a judge and you buy a perpetual injunction. That is, nobody must even mention that case any longer. I don’t know any part of the world where that kind of thing happens,” he said.

He lamented that corruption has eaten so deeply into the country that young people have been recruited into various corrupt acts, stressing that the attitude of many Nigerians supports corruption.

"Many Nigerians do not think seriously about corruption … because they say it is God that put [the politicians] there; it is their time. That is to say, when I get there, I too will steal my own.”

Questioning how corruption can be curbed in a country where the people have such a frame of mind, he said that for corruption to be eradicated in the country, Nigeria would have to regain her lost sense of shame, and that Nigerians would have to be less tolerant of corruption.

He also noted that corruption goes beyond the political class. “In the past, if anybody associated you with theft or perjury or fraud, it was as if your family was being inflicted with leprosy; people would avoid you. Today, they will give you a horse to ride on.”

Speaking on the rate at which politicians decamp from a party to another, Osundare said the lack of political ideology in the country is partly responsible for that.

“If you want to talk about 'ideology,' I think it is the ideology of 'chop, make I chop.' It is a prodigal, extremely corrupt and corrupting belief system. That is what constitutes our so-called ideology.”

http://saharareporters.com/2017/05/29/senate-president-bukola-saraki-%E2%80%98mr-corruption-personified%E2%80%99-niyi-osundare

Sahara have started with Saraki smear campaign again,e be like sey something dey pain tinubu today,Saraki carry go jo!

If them like make them catch saraki they rob CBN we go still support

“Look at our Senate, the band of people that you have there, where the Senate President [who says he] is talking about corruption is himself Mr. Corruption personified. We still remember how he became Senate President, he and his cohorts.”

This professor should face his poems.... What arrant nonsense is he spewing?

Tinubu is the FATHER of CORRUPTION.

And d govt dat spent 600million on a botched arms probe is righteous and Saint personified abi? D same govt dats been trading $ to dem dem at outrageous prices as low as 87kobo are d saints abi?? D same one dat suddenly claimed dey were briefed about the Ikoyi cash discovery after initially feigning ignorance?? D same govt dat looked d other way wen millions were used in "cutting grass". Everything about d body odour and movement of dis govt oozes corruption so dey shld realise everytime dey try to call d kettle black, their's soot all over dem as well...

angels09:

This professor should face his poems.... What arrant nonsense is he spewing?

Questioning how corruption can be curbed in a country where the people have such a frame of mind, he said that for corruption to be eradicated in the country, Nigeria would have to regain her lost sense of shame, and that Nigerians would have to be less tolerant of corruption.

The prof. is referring to you and lots of your likes that defends corruption daily on Nairaland.

As a country, we just have to figure out how to reset the sense of shamelessness that some of our people have lost or else, the war on corruption may never be won.

CROWNWEALTH019:
If them like make them catch saraki they rob CBN we go still support

Your likes is why seun must now use facebook authentication for this website. I for one would absolutely love to know if you are nigerian, not a bot, not underage and most importantly put a face, name and profile to you and people like you. Its high time everyone bore real life consequences (good or bad) of their internet opinions

This has to be done and done very quickly! If not, someone else take up this idea and PM me about contribution towards promoting such a forum.