Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
Ken Okorie, an attorney, is a member of the editorial board of USAfrica
A group, Peter Obi Support Network (POSN), on Monday, April 25, 2022, launched the “Peter Obi N1000 challenge” in Abuja. The challenge seeks one thousand Naira contribution from six million Nigerians to fund Obi’s quest for the Peoples Democratic Party ticket for presidency of Nigeria in the 2023 election.
Another PDP contestant, Sam Ohuabunwa’s New Nigeria Group (NNG), is also raising funds across a wide mix of Nigerians, locally and in the diaspora.
Nigerian voters must groom and support such moves if we are to regain ownership and control of Nigeria’s long-hijacked political system.
Corruption among politicians is major obstacle that has put governance beyond the reach of the ordinary Nigerian. It is the goose that lays the ugly financial egg for many of Obi’s competitors. Some are incumbents in various elected offices, throwing around unimaginably huge piles of cash to steal the voters’ franchise.
At some point, Nigerians have to understand that they hold the key to solving blatant corruption by politicians. An effective route to a solution is for voters to take over funding political campaigns. Let merit and record of past performance be the yardstick for who gets funded. It will save the nation from the razzmatazz and razzle-dazzle of corrupt noisemakers that have absolutely nothing positive or useful to offer.
Having been Governor of Anambra State, Obi’s appeal through POSN would suggest that he did not use that position to self-enrich. The same cannot be said of some of his competitors, especially those who are busy bragging and puffing about their shady wealth, but are unable to prove their known source.
Obi is asking Nigerians to fund his ambition because he did not rob his State and its taxpayers. In addition to his evident superior knowledge, it is one more reason that should further stand him apart from the stinky crowd.
Unlike some other former governors, Obi did not steal Anambra dry. While I confess no personal knowledge of their loots, the activities of the EFCC and court-mandated seizures of ill-gotten wealth that have trailed some of these former governors are public knowledge and clear affirmation of their corrupt legacy. Such investigative and judicial activities don’t occur in a vacuum. Nigerians would be even better served if the EFCC did not often appear selective in identifying, and followed through on, charges. Unfortunately, the stories routinely die after the initial dust is raised and rarely is accountability achieved.
Nigerians must resist the urge, regardless the source, reason or justification, to support known public “rogues” whose claim to fame and drive to be president is how much public resources they already carted away while in office. Invariably, giving them support is license to steal even more if promoted to Aso Rock Villa.
Some of these “leaders”, so-called, have openly bragged about being richer than government! Others have remained mute over the simple, recurring question: “What is the source of your wealth?”
Nigerians have been mesmerized, bamboozled and defrauded too often for too long by corrupt politicians. Their fancy promises have routinely only yielded heftier billion-dollar accounts they stashed in foreign banks. Why then would any sane Nigerian give such crooks the new license they seek? It would simply affirm the fools the crooks have already taken Nigerians for.
A man cannot give what he does not have. Corrupt governors and legislators only perfect and heighten their corruption when Nigerians take their eyes off the ball, allow them to ascend to new levels in government.
Corruption is an addiction. It is incurable (definitely not self-curable) unless the patient is confronted with his condition; he often will be the last to acknowledge it. Not confronted, he only becomes emboldened to further indulge.
At a point voters all across Nigeria must say that enough is enough. They must stop chasing sectional, ethnic, religious and other distractions and deflectors. They must begin footing the bill of the piper so they can dictate his tune towards effective, corrupt-free governance. In the interest of reason and national sanity, what POSN has put forward deserves to be quickly elevated to binding campaign policy and election law.
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