₦airaland Forum

Monstertrucks: "Is there any amount too big for them to steal?? - October 4, 2013.

According to some estimates, late Gen
Sani Abacha, who was head of state from
1993 until his death in 1998, allegedly
siphoned over $4 billion from Nigeria’s
treasury. How he managed that
monumental feat at a time when crude oil
prices barely averaged $10 per barrel
reflects a measure of financial genius.

But that is no longer a record; James
Ibori improved on the Abacha Paradigm
and somehow managed to steal N80
billion from the coffers of just one state,
Delta.
Abacha and Ibori are by no means
unique:

It was estimated that the now
pardoned Diepreye Alamieyeseigha made
off with over N126 from the coffers of
Bayelsa state during his six year as
governor; an unheard of perpetual
injunction has stopped the investigation
of former Rivers state governor, Dr. Peter
Odili that might have uncovered
allegations of even more godless theft.
Not to be beaten, former governor Saminu
Turaki used his mathematical genius to
milk an alleged N34 billion from prostrate
Jigawa state.

When former Central Bank governor
Charles Soludo unveiled his banking
reform and consolidation project, many
thought he was a genius. As it turned
out, his genius was not in his economics,
but ability to market flawed policies and
contrived statistics to a gullible public.
In the end, trillions of naira worth of
depositors’ funds was ‘consolidated’ by
some bankers: Oceanic Bank’s Cecelia
Ibru was convicted of stealing over N191
billion from her bank; Intercontinental
Bank’s Erastus Akingbola allegedly
helped himself to about N164 billion while
PHB’s Francis Atuche and others are still
dancing around our legal systems in court
over allegations of massive theft.
If previous administrations thought they
had set unbreakable records in thievery,
they were baldly mistaken.

Without
breaking sweat, the Jonathan
administration managed to ‘lift’ N2.6
trillion from Nigeria’s treasury in the name
of fuel subsidies and other unwholesome
practices – including payments of billions
of naira to companies not even
registered; over $1 billion was recently
wired into the accounts of several public
officials from the Malabu oil scandal.

Not surprisingly, one year after Nuhu
Ribadu submitted his panel’s report on
the petroleum sector, who really
remembers, or cares about its findings
anymore?

This kind of impunity is not the exclusive
preserve of politicians and bankers: What
has become of a former director of
Pension Accounts, Dr. Sani Teidi Shaibu
and his accomplices who allegedly stole
over N12 billion? Did a director of police
pensions, Mr. John Yusuf, not also not
steal N27 billion in broad daily light?
What happened to the judge that set him
free? A mere suspension before he
returns to the bench to continue to sell
justice to the highest bidders.

These humungous thefts came to light
only because some of the perpetuators
are dead, are out of favour with
government, greedily refused to ‘spread’
the loot, or were simply careless. Not that
public knowledge has led to penalties:
the Abacha loot was never returned; only
a fraction of what Ibori stole was
recovered; Odili’s perpetual injunction
may protect him until death; the Ribadu
report on the oil sector is dead and
buried; the Halliburton and Siemens
scandals are long forgotten and many
notorious ‘election miracle’ judges are still
on the bench.

Add these to several allegations of
impropriety against the country’s minister
of justice and attorney general – Mr.
Mohammed Adoke, and it becomes clear
that the rot is deeply rooted.
Since most large scale thievery not only
goes unpunished, but is sometimes
admired and praised, no one seems to
pay much attention to theft at smaller
levels, thus Nigerians now steal things
like metal manhole covers – leaving
gaping holes in the middle of roads that
pose grave dangers to both drivers and
pedestrians; it is common to find bridge
and pedestrian crossings missing metal
and aluminium railings – stolen in the
dead of night; even public trash bins that
are chained to streetlamps get stolen, as
do light bulbs, solar panels, power cables
and anything that apparently belongs to
government, even if they have no real
value.

Petty theft is commonplace: police siphon
fuel from patrol cars for sale on the black
market, and valuable evidence in police
custody regularly disappear; customs
officers steal and sell seized contraband;
bureaucrats have been known to steal
files and even entire records of service of
staff; security guards steal diesel from
generators on property they are supposed
to guard; drivers steal parts from the cars
they drive; domestic helps steal foodstuff
and anything they can lay their hands on;
even babies get stolen.

Unfortunately, because so many of our
political actors – in the executive arm as
well as the legislature – came to
government through stolen mandates,
there seems to be little that can be done
about theft – large or small. Which is
Nigeria has become a place where
anything and everything is fair game for
theft, thus the question:
Is there anything Nigerians will not steal ? posted by Monstertrucks

jhydebaba: African no need this crap joor


Serve me my amala with ewedu make I nak am with my bare hands.


Ur hands can never deceive you.