Is The Culture Of Praising Stolen Money Responsible For Nigeria's Predicament?

i think this is the root of all our problems. The outrageous looting has got to stop. Less than 1% own all the wealth; lets discuss.

@topic

YES

Corrupt people are seen as celebrities.

@POSTER You're right. Only if we open our eyes and bring the corrupt to justice will we move forward

So how do we go about shaming these useless people?

there is no country in the world that doesnt have corruption its the level of corruption in nigeria that is the problem

Im more like the george bush, tony blair, chenneys of the world who use their political influence to better their private businesses, not the naija type where you just steal/loot from your own states treasury- thats lame.

Culture of praising stolen money? Where?

where have you been in the 50years Nigeria has been in existence? . The people that are praised and are the role models for wealth are either 419'ers, Armed robbers, Yahoo++, politicians, and any other criminal. The younger generation really do not have hard working, decent role models. There are no idealists with morals, and even the hardworking people never make much of themselves if they do not follow the thieving crowd. This needs to end. The issue is how can this be done?

Agreed!!!!

The churches should also be fingered in this crime scenario. Prosperity preachers have made it so easy for these unrepentant criminals to thrive in their act, by telling them fake lies that the more they give the more they receive, underminding how they got their wealth.

Total clean up of the law makers is also required. working with the same people over and over again does not change anything at all. This whole thing is frustrating my people, don't even know where to start from. Make we pray for the country!!!!!

Hmm, maybe there's a culture of looking up to rich people but it's not the same as a culture of praising stolen money. But I guess it's all semantics, right?

Perhaps if we all learn to appreciate honest individuals and highly acknowledge those with a genuine interest about others, maybe more people would be encouraged to pursue the right course.

We're in a real predicament with the corruption issue. We might try to vote the right person in, then have our votes set aside because of corruption, meaning that corrupt individuals make it to government seats and choose to continue corruption. I think that there is absolutely no hope for current politicians over the age of 45, but feel that once people around the age of 35 now make it into gov't, we're going to see an enormous amount of change.

Yes it is.

When we should be putting bullets in their head and chopping off fingers, we are celebrating these buffoons.

^^ yes you are right.

The issue is not just corruption but a culture that amplifies it(as if Corruption needs further amplification) I hate to bash Nigerian culture because conversations like that tend to gravitate towards unnecessary self-hate if not well moderated. But I agree with those who seek for a broad cultural revolution as a solution to Nigeria's problems rather than a purely political or economic revolution.

I don't think 10Billion megawatts of electricity will empower us enough to fight corruption neither will a fully privatised economic system. Not even electoral reform. But the solution, to my mind may lie in a deeper assessment of the cultural ideologies that rule our lives in Nigeria. We can't develop beyond where our culture can carry us. I don't think so.

The French had to rise up and seek for a culture that placed reason over religion or spiritual hierarchy for example, and the English who eventually became new-world Americans had to break from a culture that limited the socio-economic advancement of the commoner while sustaining the status, class and wealth of the elite, privilege royal class.

Or we can look at the Chinese Cultural revolution, although imperfect and brutal at some point( and later corrected by those who sought progress over blind power and control) and imperfect still, it was the beginning of a break from a backward, purely agrarian society to an industrial one ready to compete in the modern world, and the fine tuning still continues, but it started with a radical revolutionary change. Mind you, all revolution do not have to lead to massive Bloodshed. Some unfortunately do.

I know we don't all share the same cultural beliefs in Nigeria but, at least the commonalities are more than the differences I think. As a people,  we need to remove some cultural blinders and finetune some of our beliefs.

For example, we need to look at the the issue of status in society, the rights of the individual, the effect of our religious beliefs. We need to determine what our cultures believe about personal responsibility and justice, community and individual responsibility. What our cultures say about values such as honour, bravery and self-determination-or if we consider them values at all, maybe something is wrong with how we are translating those cultural beliefs into the time and age we are currently in.

I believe that until we address these issues we can't even scratch the surface of our problems.


or what do you think?

there has to be a form of wealth re-distribution in nigeria either by over-taxing the super rich or by outright seizure of ill acquired wealth and subsequent redistribution.i'm suggesting this because we may be heading the way of argentina soon where the public will invade banks and share any cash found.

we need a revolution

I raised this same issue some time ago. We really need to look at why we have gotten this bad. If you steal, you are worshiped and praised, if you no steal you are called a loser.

Look at the politicians

We have lost the ability to feel shame in our society

I simply don't trust people who talk in extreme terms - show me where stolen wealth is praised in Nigeria. If you are in the circle of those who express approval for stolen wealth then you have a problem - to equate your problem as a Nigeria problem is not fair. We have Ben Murray-Bruce who is a household name in Nigeria, Dora Akunyili who was loved because of her works - Nuru Ribadu and the rest of them. Tell me who's praising the criminals like Bode George, James Ibori or Lucky Igbinedion.  Maybe you define praise in the context of those the holder of the wealth pay to sing praises who are effectively performing a function they were paid to do.

Nigerians like to blame - not praise stolen wealth holders. Look at our schools, our roads, electricity and everything while the politicians are up there eating our money - this is the nagging line that keeps coming up in every serious conversations. I have been on this forum for quite sometime and i am yet to come across a serious conversation where a looter is regarded.

It is a very serious problem indeed, but its not just stolen money. There's money from drug dealing and similar sources as well:

www.nairaland.com/attachments/139269_tinubu_ole_jpge8c6e7feecc37f33c9cedd7e7171ddad

The United States of America, by its attorney, Michael J. Shepard, United States Attorney for Northern District of Illinois, for its verified complaint of forfeiture, states as follows:
1. This is a FORFEITURE action under 21 U.S.C , ss88 and 18, ss 981,
2. The DEFENDANT funds are located in the above-described accounts and were SEIZED pursuant to PROCESS ISSUED BY THIS COURT,
,
4, beginning as early as 1998, Adegboyega Mueez Akande, WITH OTHERS OPERATED a organiszation (sic) which DISTRIBUTED WHITE HEROIN, a controlled substance under Title 21 of the United States Code.
5, this DISTRIBUTION OPERATION was conducted on a LARGE SCALE and the PROCEEDS of the operation SUBSTANTIAL. The defendant funds represent proceeds of this OPERATION of property involved in MONEY LAUNDERING.
6, the defendant funds represent proceeds of NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING , and , MONEY LAUNDERING, the funds are therefore FOREFEITABLE to the United States,

JUDGEMENT:
j, Neither a claim nor answer has been filed on behalf of the defendant funds , accordingly, it hereby
ORDERED that the funds in the AMOUNT of $460,000 in account, in the name of BOLA TINUBU represents proceeds of NARCOTICS or were involved in financial transactions in violation of 18 U.S.C ss 1956 and 1957 and therefore these funds are forfeit to the United States,

www.nairaland.com/attachments/139268_BolaTinubuHeroinforfeiture_jpgb084d334c74cec7150ee9588a3aed2fc