Our elites are the way they are because the word "credibility" does not exist in their cultural dictionary. And they are aided by a fawning populace of fellow intellectuals. Culturally they are raised to believe that their actions are irrelevant to their words. Do what I say, not what I do. Philip Emeagwali can lie through his teeth but he can get away with it. Akinjide can conveniently forget his escapades, because of course the history books have been expunged of his perfidy. And here on our playground, people who know better will shout down anyone who dares yell at Nuhu Ribadu for being a rabid hound for the worst leader Nigeria has ever been cursed to know, the man that makes IBB look like a saint, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo. That country is cursed. Because no one believes her thieving leaders anymore. We may be stuck.
- Ikhide
From: "Anunoby, Ogugua" <AnunobyO@lincolnu.edu>
To: "usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Cc: Charles Gansah <lesgansah@yahoo.com>; Jude Echema <jude_echema@msn.com>; Benson <ucheb@sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Thu, December 16, 2010 5:15:52 PM
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - NASS members are looting treasury – Akinjide
Richard Akinjide may be seeking to rewrite history if he indeed believes what he is reported to have said about Nigeria's National Assembly (NASS) members' compensation, in his address to the congregation at the 3rd Convocation Ceremonies at Lead City University, Ibadan. Does he accept any personal responsibility for any role that he might have played as a senior politician in helping to get Nigeria to be what it has become? Should he be believed when he claims that the politicians of his day were driven by public service and not personal aggrandizement? 840 pounds in 1959 Nigeria for part-time employment was a lot of money at that time. Is he aware that Chinua Achebe's "Man of the People' is widely believed to tell the story of Nigerian politicians of the time he presented in his convocation Address as the "golden age of politics" in Nigeria? Does he not remember that the reasons given by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu for the 1966 military coup, in his (Nzeogwu) address to the country included corruption, and financial profligacy and other rascality of politicians.
There are many who would argue that Independent Nigeria's politicians have always being corrupt treasury looters. These people would argue that what is new is that corruption is more flagrant and creates more wealth for the politicians. Nigeria is also a more wealthy country.For these people, corruption is a tradition in Nigeria's politics and a radical change needs to take place. The question is how.
Richard Akinjide it seems, has not learned well. He argues in his address that Nigeria's challenges are the "handiwork of colonialist", fifty years after Nigeria's independence from Britain. Is there anytime in his opinion when he like other Nigerians of his ilk will take responsibility for Nigeria's failures. British colonization is not by any stretch of the imagination, the reason for the scandalous compensation of Nigeria's NASS members. Britain does not pay its parliamentarians as stupidly as Nigeria does. Even if she did, would that be the reason for Nigeria to do the same? Nigeria operates a different government system than Britain it should be added.
Richard Akinjide advocates the dismantling of the British Colonialist Lord Frederick Lugard's political structures, for Nigeria to get her bearing right. This from a man who has held federal cabinet rank positions including Attorney General is very worrying. The said structures have been dismantled but there will sadly always be neanderthals that resort to them for convenient personal political advantage.
If Richard Akinjide wishes to serve Nigeria better than he has so far, he should start by acknowledging what many Nigeria's believe is his not insignificant role in helping putting Nigeria on the wrong political path that she has continued to travel.
oa
_______________________________________
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kolawole Adegbola [okebadan@peoplepc.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 9:31 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Cc: Charles Gansah; Jude Echema; Benson
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - NASS members are looting treasury – Akinjide
NASS members are looting treasury – Akinjide
News<http://www.vanguardngr.com/category/national-news/> Dec 15, 2010
By Ola Ajayi
IBADAN—FORMER Attorney- General and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), has condemned the take home pay of members of the National Assembly, describing it as looting of treasury.
Chief Akinjide who spoke as a guest lecturer at the 3rd convocation lecture of the Lead City University, Ibadan yesterday, expressed regrets that he had never seen such outrageous allowances since he started practicing as a member of parliament since 1959.
Lamenting that the salaries of our lawmakers were higher than that of American President, President Barak Obama, he stated that "what is happening at the National Assembly nowadays could be aptly described in two words— "treasury looting".
The legal luminary who spoke on the topic, "the risk of Implosion "explained further that during his own time, they were there for public service and not for poverty alleviation as we have today.
He said: "I became a member of parliament in December 12, 1959 and I was there during the independence and after independence. I have never seen anything like what is going on today."
What is going on at the national Assembly can be summarized in two words: treasury looting.". When I entered the Parliament in 1959. I started practicing as a member of parliament at the age of 24 and I entered the parliament at 27. Then, my pay was 840 Pounds per annum.
There was no car; there was no house. We only had free tea and coffee whenever Parliament was meeting".
To him, "the revelation by the CBN governor is unbelievable. We are now subject of ridicule all over the world. I have been to the Parliament of several countries like Israel, Japan, London and there is nothing like that. It is alarming; it is worrying. You go there for public service not for poverty alleviation.
The honour then was being a member of Parliament."
He said that we don't really have a nation but a country adding that the problem we are encountering to day was the handiwork of the colonialists.
Akinjide added that until we change the structure made by Lord Lugard, the country may not get its bearing forever. "What we have today is a country and not a nation and until we have a nation we cannot have any progress., he stated.
He attributed the nagging problem the country has to lack of good leadership noting that the problem became worse because those who don't know are the ones governing those who know.
Due to bad leadership, he reasoned that our economy is regressing. He asked that people should go to various Houses of Assembly and look at the quality of those legislating for the states. to check this ugly development, he advised that all people should join politics so that bad people would not continue to rule us.
Kolawole Adegbola
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