Israel Vibration: Pay the Piper
Corruption perception index ( is supposed to tell us how far we have come, so far )
In virtually each and every post-independence African country when there's an election coming up you find the opposition candidate (the wannabe next president) touring his country and campaigning on a platform of "Zero tolerance for corruption" but (with the current exception of Muhammadu Buhari who is sincere) once in "power"(office) you inevitably find them defaulting on their promises because, just as Bo Göransson put it, "Corruption is the system". Last night someone sent me this incredible piece of something: FORTY FULANI FACTS MOST NIGERIANS DO NOT KNOW by Zackarys Gundu. How else to respond to these "facts" but to obsessive that as I did to the sender: If it's true that all men are equal then all of the above is simply unbelievable
Corruption is the system and Might makes Right is so much the warp and woof of or emerging post-independence societies. The culture of corruption and the acceptance of immunity has to be changed.
"How do we (in Nigeria) manage to praise unexplained wealth and at the same time condemn criminality as if we don't know that unexplained wealth and criminality have affinity?"
There's a variety of responses ranging from Ayn Rand, through anarchists who say that "property is theft", to the various Socialisms, Marxism, the communal ownership of everything, Communism, Dajjal, the anti-Christ, not to forget the Pentecostal pastors who preach the prosperity gospel from one side of their mouths and from the other side of the mouths tell us the story of Jesus and the rich man and quote Jesus saying that "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God"
Ironically, those who sing hosanna & hallelujah in praise of their corrupt patron saints, ogas, leaders, benefactors, owners of ill-gotten wealth today, are the very ones who will be shouting "crucify him", "he/she must vomit or kaka the money", tomorrow, once/ as soon as he/she is found guilty by one of the anti-corruption Commissions. We must understand that to a great extent e.g. Jacob Zuma was/is/ has also been a philanthropist of sorts, a friend to the poor, a man who dispensed largess spread some of the wealth. You may describe it as "the devolution of the largesse", from the top to the bottom.
So Chidi, what do you say about the Robin Hood type of hero who relieves some of the super-rich of some of their wealth and donates it to where it's most needed; to the poor. In Sweden the Social Democrats of old used to talk about a "Robin Hood tax", anathema to the Conservatives and in the US, the Republicans who always want to lower taxes for the rich. One of the problems with some of our African countries is that the rich pay next to nothing in taxes.
The praise and sometimes admiration of the big-man who has unexplained wealth (the reason why he's big, powerful) and the disapproval/condemnation of crime/criminality is a phenomenon that is not only peculiar to Nigeria; this is particularly so wherever the rule of law, the kind of law that protects the poor, is virtually absent/ is in abeyance. In fact, there is a much wider application of the tenet to this phenomenon: "Steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king!" As someone said you don't ask for power, you take it - and if you don't succeed in taking it ( by whatever means necessary) then they ( the people) can give it to you, even make you king of "the common wealth" start bowing to you, curtseying and addressing you as " His Majesty", "Her Majesty" (as I sometimes address my Better Half) "His or Her Royal Highness", "Your Royal Highness" and you find your patriotic self or you loyal ass saluting this and that flag, making loyal obeisance to whoever happens to be the emperor/ president or commander-in-thief. Usually, all that you need to become Emperor of King is a large army, and once you've got that and the necessary weaponisation you can mow down any resistance/miscreants who stand in your way. Reminds me of this long statement ascribed to David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel :
"I don't understand your optimism. Why should the Arabs make peace? If I were an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country. Sure, God promised it to us, but what does that matter to them? Our God is not theirs. We come from Israel, it's true, but two thousand years ago, and what is that to them? There has been antisemitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They only see one thing: we have come here and stolen their country. Why should they accept that? They may perhaps forget in one or two generations' time, but for the moment there is no chance." So, it's simple: we have to stay strong and maintain a powerful army. Our whole policy is there. Otherwise the Arabs will wipe us out.
As quoted in The Jewish Paradox: A Personal Memoir (1978) by Nahum Goldmann, as translated by Steve Cox, p. 99 ISBN 0-448-15166-9
How do we(in Nigeria) manage to praise unexplained wealth and at the same time condemn criminality, as if we don't know that unexplained wealth and criminality have affinity?-Chidi Anthony Opara.
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Chidi Anthony Opara is a Poet and Founder/Publisher of; PublicInformationProjects (www.publicinformationprojects.org)
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