A
former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, on Saturday
said it was not possible for any Nigerian to be a billionaire without
being corrupt.
Akinyemi stated this in Akure, the Ondo
State capital while delivering the second term inauguration lecture of
Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
The professor of International Relations and Diplomacy spoke on the topic, ‘Leadership, Democracy, and Development.’
He said at the event chaired by a
former Nigerian High Commissioner to United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher
Kolade, that “being a billionaire in Nigeria today without corruption is
impossible.”
Akinyemi said, “No one can be a
billionaire in Nigeria today without being corrupt. If you are a
businessman, you would have evaded tax or other levies like import
duties with the active connivance of those in charge.
“Your entire income as a political
office holder, either elected or appointed, cannot make you a
billionaire without indulging in corrupt practices. It is also not
possible for you to work and retire as a civil servant in whatever
capacity and become a billionaire without being corrupt.
“I know I am stepping on sensitive toes
but I can handle that. Unless our leaders tackle the issue of corruption
and offer selfless service to the people, our democracy may not produce
the desired development we are all expecting.”
Akinyemi lamented that Nigerians had
sacrificed value systems on the altar of greed, indiscipline,
selfishness and insatiable craze for material wealth acquisition.
He said, “There are no more values to
hold on to. Parents not only encourage their children to cheat in order
to beat the system but also aid and abet them in their nefarious
activities. No one believes anymore in the concept of society.
“Nigerians have created their own God in
their own image. In my youth, to be accused of theft or any other
criminal offence was tantamount to being banished from the society while
to be convicted was tantamount to suicide.
“However, today, no one asks for the source of wealth. People in jail, accused of murder run for, and win elections.
“More than a score of members of the
Senate have EFCC court cases hanging against them. Only in Nigeria do
you steal billions and escape with less than a million naira fine.”
Akinyemi noted that Nigeria problem,
which invariably led to its backwardness in all ramifications, started
after the military coup which displaced the first civilian generation of
Nigerian leaders.
“Only three years after independence,
whatever system existed was shattered by the thoughtless overthrow of
the western regional government and from then on, politics of
development was replaced by politics of looting,” he stated.
He also blamed the judiciary both at the
bar and bench, for the upsurge in corrupt practices in the country by
granting frivoulous bails to those indicted for corruption.
He suggested that for the country to
move forward, “the political elite must make a conscious effort to
arrive at a consensus that will be outcome of negotiation, give and take
and compromises.”
The occasion was attended by seasoned
diplomats, senior citizens, politicians, former governors, traditional
rulers and religious leaders from within and outside the country.
PUNCH
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