Original author caption: Saraki Captured General Buhari & His Youth Brigade In Sambisa Forest
By Farouk Martins,
Have you heard that no matter how much Saraki steals with impunity, noberger can touch him? You must remember that General, the one that instituted Operation War Against indiscipline. Ah, you cannot remember Buhari and his Deputy, called Idiagbon that never smiled. Well that was years ago and Buhari is back with a different Deputy called Osinbajo. Buhari was voted in because voters were just fed up with Boko Haram, illegal and legal corruption by the politicians.
If you are talking about General Buhari, the man is tough on corruption O! He has empowered Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and (ICPC) Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to go after anyone looting the treasury, a draining basket directly or indirectly. The first action he took was to declaw Boko Haram and put them on the run from Sambisa Forest.
Okay, did he forget Saraki there? You have not heard that in Sambisa Forest he negotiated with Saraki and failed miserably. Sambisa Forest is where Saraki got his position, keeps his local loot in dollars, euro and pound sterling. I am sure you remember Bukola Saraki very well. This looter and his late father the Chairman of Societe Generale Bank (SGBN) and then Governor of Kwara defrauded Nigerians. When their Bank went under, patrons were left hanging, empty handed.
In spite of all these, Bukola Saraki is the President of the Senate today – O ti o! Reliable sources told us Buhari is playing democracy game as the house is on fire. The General does not want to be tainted by his past dictatorial tendencies. You know how many times Obasanjo orchestrated the change of Senate President each time they were found to be involved in corruption. We do not know why Buhari is waiting instead of outing Saraki as rogue Senate President, Chinekeme!
Sambisa Forest is a dangerous place. This is why it took a bit long to dislodge Boko Haram. You know, when President Jonathan implied that Danjuma’s team should go to Sambisa Forest, he told the Press that President Jonathan should lead them there. Buhari actually relocated his Army Chief Tukur Baratai to Borno near Sambisa Forest. It led to the neutralization of the most deadly force that ever devastated any part of the Country; except during the WAR.
Let me get this straight. If Saraki was assured of Senate President and his loot in Sambisa Forest as sacred cow, but Buhari dislodged Boko Haram, he cannot neutralize Saraki from office? The message from the Presidency is that he is waiting for our Youth Brigade to OCCUPY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY angered by their humiliation in Asian and African countries before taking action. Moreover, he does not want to trample on democracy, respectful of the separation of powers.
Walaitalai that is nonsense. Even the keepers of democracy know what to do when facing the greatest threat against their way of life. The way terrorism threatens them is the same way corruption threatens Nigeria. They would go to any length to get suspected – not convicted – boneheads they want to put in special prison at Guantanamo Bay. They kidnapped suspects all over Europe without the knowledge of their governments. Is that due process or rule of law? When the very existence of your country and life are in danger, you throw away formalities!
Oh well, well. Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the House has said corruption is like prostitution and cannot be completely eliminated but brought to the barest minimum. Yoruba say – tani esinsin o ba gbe, bio se elegbo. Translated into another language: where else would a fly be comfortable if not on the side of an open sore. This is unfortunate coming from a member of the House of Looters whose wardrobe allowance can pay lawmakers in other countries.
How could a man give prostitution such a bad name as corruption? In the first place prostitution na business no be joke. If you do not believe me, try a prostitute and refuse to pay her. All that work, risk of AIDS, responsibilities for dependents, not to mention servicing politicians, pastors, police and commission to pimps and madams. This Dogara must be high on something and may be ignorant too. Does he realize that some countries actually regulate and legalize prostitution?
Anyway, before we digress by foolish pandering to prostitution, only a bonehead can compare corruption in Nigeria to “barest minimum” vices elsewhere. There is no country that fulfills the twenty to eighty percent rule in corruption as Nigeria. If you do not know what I mean, listen. The poverty rate in Northern states varies from 90% to more than 50% in the Southern states.
There is corruption in United States, China and Russia but none of these countries, not even Indonesia steals eighty percent of their country’s income while they leave less than twenty percent for the rest eighty percent of their people, with impunity. In United States for example most of the rich shelter or hide their money from taxes. In Nigeria, taxes from rich individuals are almost negligible and most of the taxes are paid by the poor as they earn, anyway.
When a country spends eighty percent of its income on emoluments for politicians, senior civil servants and their cronies but only twenty percent on eighty percent of their people that are so poor, minimum wage for those that are lucky to be employed cannot buy them a bag of rice; you may understand that rule. Mind you, minimum wage are earned by those employed by government and private companies. Personal employers do not even pay minimum wage.
Shey you get? After the politicians loot the treasury legally and illegally, there is very little left for infrastructure and primary care like hospitals, schools, clean water and other necessities of life. In other words, these people epitomized by the likes of Saraki take food, wara and water away from children and mothers, not to mention men that cry that they cannot feed their families. What good is a man at home that cannot provide for a family?
This is what leads to social dislocations. When people are idle and hungry, they do anything to survive including armed robbery, 419, drug pushers, and yes: prostitution. Even after crossing the deserts. If Dogara wants to reduce prostitution to the barest minimum, he has to start from the cause. He and his House of Thieves, Saraki President of the SINATORS are killing the Country and the people. They are bloodsuckers, depriving the country and its folks their life and liberty.
The seesaw or call it ping pong match between President Buhari and the Youth Brigade OCCUPY THE HOUSE OF THIEVES should have ended actually like yesterday. Indeed it is past due and the world is watching and wondering if the Country has to collapse before leaders’ MASS BURIAL.