ANTI-CORRUPTION SUMMIT ORGANIZED BY ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNMENT: MY REACTIONS TO DR. UMAR ARDO'S OBSERVATIONS AND LAMENTATIONS.
ANTI-CORRUPTION SUMMIT ORGANIZED BY ADAMAWA STATE GOVERNMENT: MY REACTIONS TO DR. UMAR ARDO'S OBSERVATIONS AND LAMENTATIONS.
'Sorry for the country' finally wrote Dr. Ardo, the Adamawa State born politician, activist who contested the governorship position in Adamawa State sometimes back. A vibrant young man with a broad world view, with a cosmopolitan outlook and a beacon of hope for Adamawa and Nigeria who always present a non ethnically biased views to the disappointment of his kinsmen.
I've been following Dr. Ardo's views on Adamawa and indeed Nigeria's socio political happenings. I found him unique and miles away from what his 'people' expect from him. In most cases his views are always on the side of truth and justice. Partisan politics not withstanding, Dr. Ardo's outlooks have always inspired and excited me as his one time teacher in his secondary school days. In spite of the reality that we are not of the same ethnic background; he is the son or grandson of an ARDO (a fulani title) while I'm the son or grandson of a GANG (a sama title) for Mai Jimilla or Chief.
Be it as it may, Umar Ardo's observations and lamentations called for further scrutiny and in depth analysis in order to expose the inherent attitudes, behaviors and cabal like gang up in the state, especially, that for decades have stunted growth and development, divided the people on ethnic and religious grounds, entrenched corruption and made it an art that has spread to other parts and sectors of Nigeria. In fact, I submit to the general claims that Adamawa is the mother base of corruption in Nigeria. The cabal or the gang of the so-called 'daka'en' had a way of having a grip control over whoever was the chief executive of Adamawa from colonial times to present day with varying degrees of intensity and grip. The military era offered broader opportunity for even non conformists, non establishment persons who weren't in the centre circle to partake in the shortchanging of the poor citizens. Today all types of persons, who are not sure to make it in the government through the right way, by merit, use all methods, foul or crooked, to penetrate the chief executive in order to pollute and control his mind. Thus forming a thick skin around the chief executive not to see nor be seen by the common folks for truth, justice and fairness to pervade in the state.
To begin with, we cannot agree wholesale that every submission by the SSG at the submit on corruption organized by Adamawa State government was all but lies. We agree that Adamawa State as the mother or home base of corruption in the country should not have been the first to stage such summit for the obvious reasons of contention with such unresolved corrupt issues as the un paid salaries, distribution of gift items to IDPs, etc.
We also agree that the President should have ceased the opportunity of the corruption summit to visit victims who survived the senseless murders late last year who are still lying in hospitals. Though we do sympathized with the President having to come straight from Daura where he received condolences for losing two family members coupled with probably protocol arrangements in Yola that excluded such niceties on his part. The whole corruption summit, we fear, could have been intended to divert attention from more serious state issues. If this postulation turns out to be true then it is typical, true to character for Adamawa. The cabal are always first in Nigeria in crafting any route around for corruption to nest.
For the other obvious submission which are in conflict with the truth, such as 15 kekenapeps in 2015. If it was a campaign for Bindow then it is a negative one. When two wheeled motorcycles were banned by the military during the period of emergency in the three north east states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, good number of kekenapeps replaced the banned motorcycles.
Added to the above, is the statement that Adamawa state government is not owing a single kobo when a day to the President's visit teachers and civil servants were on street demanding payment of salaries. If that was what happened then the level of deceit and taking of the people for granted has assumed frightening dimensions. For literate teachers and civil servants to be so ignored. That is exactly the point I want to highlight herein because it has been a recurring decimal for a long time that knowledgeable and enlighten public servants are taken for granted.
Social justice and equity was maintained during the brief colonial period some of us witnessed; 1955 to 1960. Corruption was not condoned. This continued even in the first six years of post colonial era, 1960 to 1966. When the military came to power, which was not their familiar terrain, they were stuck. The military officers who became governors, heads of state etc, turned to the top civil servants, top traditional rulers and top academics for the way forward. There lay the beginning of Nigeria's problems. Many of our top leaders colluded with the military men and rules and regulations were broken. Personal and selfish interests became dominant in government affairs. Appointment became skewed to favour candidates of top men. No longer merit, good character or hardwork formed bases for selection into civil service, military, police or contracts were awarded to favoured contractors. The whole system that was based on justice and equity, inherited from the colonial and early independence eras were undermined and denigraded as 'old fashion colonial system'. No honest or reasonable systems that could stand the test of times could replace the discarded system. Any replacement was crafted to give room for selfishness to fester. Thus setting Nigeria on the path to the worst governance, worst corruption and impunity ever in the history of governance in Africa or the world.
End of Part I, Part II To Follow
'Sorry for the country' finally wrote Dr. Ardo, the Adamawa State born politician, activist who contested the governorship position in Adamawa State sometimes back. A vibrant young man with a broad world view, with a cosmopolitan outlook and a beacon of hope for Adamawa and Nigeria who always present a non ethnically biased views to the disappointment of his kinsmen.
I've been following Dr. Ardo's views on Adamawa and indeed Nigeria's socio political happenings. I found him unique and miles away from what his 'people' expect from him. In most cases his views are always on the side of truth and justice. Partisan politics not withstanding, Dr. Ardo's outlooks have always inspired and excited me as his one time teacher in his secondary school days. In spite of the reality that we are not of the same ethnic background; he is the son or grandson of an ARDO (a fulani title) while I'm the son or grandson of a GANG (a sama title) for Mai Jimilla or Chief.
Be it as it may, Umar Ardo's observations and lamentations called for further scrutiny and in depth analysis in order to expose the inherent attitudes, behaviors and cabal like gang up in the state, especially, that for decades have stunted growth and development, divided the people on ethnic and religious grounds, entrenched corruption and made it an art that has spread to other parts and sectors of Nigeria. In fact, I submit to the general claims that Adamawa is the mother base of corruption in Nigeria. The cabal or the gang of the so-called 'daka'en' had a way of having a grip control over whoever was the chief executive of Adamawa from colonial times to present day with varying degrees of intensity and grip. The military era offered broader opportunity for even non conformists, non establishment persons who weren't in the centre circle to partake in the shortchanging of the poor citizens. Today all types of persons, who are not sure to make it in the government through the right way, by merit, use all methods, foul or crooked, to penetrate the chief executive in order to pollute and control his mind. Thus forming a thick skin around the chief executive not to see nor be seen by the common folks for truth, justice and fairness to pervade in the state.
To begin with, we cannot agree wholesale that every submission by the SSG at the submit on corruption organized by Adamawa State government was all but lies. We agree that Adamawa State as the mother or home base of corruption in the country should not have been the first to stage such summit for the obvious reasons of contention with such unresolved corrupt issues as the un paid salaries, distribution of gift items to IDPs, etc.
We also agree that the President should have ceased the opportunity of the corruption summit to visit victims who survived the senseless murders late last year who are still lying in hospitals. Though we do sympathized with the President having to come straight from Daura where he received condolences for losing two family members coupled with probably protocol arrangements in Yola that excluded such niceties on his part. The whole corruption summit, we fear, could have been intended to divert attention from more serious state issues. If this postulation turns out to be true then it is typical, true to character for Adamawa. The cabal are always first in Nigeria in crafting any route around for corruption to nest.
For the other obvious submission which are in conflict with the truth, such as 15 kekenapeps in 2015. If it was a campaign for Bindow then it is a negative one. When two wheeled motorcycles were banned by the military during the period of emergency in the three north east states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, good number of kekenapeps replaced the banned motorcycles.
Added to the above, is the statement that Adamawa state government is not owing a single kobo when a day to the President's visit teachers and civil servants were on street demanding payment of salaries. If that was what happened then the level of deceit and taking of the people for granted has assumed frightening dimensions. For literate teachers and civil servants to be so ignored. That is exactly the point I want to highlight herein because it has been a recurring decimal for a long time that knowledgeable and enlighten public servants are taken for granted.
Social justice and equity was maintained during the brief colonial period some of us witnessed; 1955 to 1960. Corruption was not condoned. This continued even in the first six years of post colonial era, 1960 to 1966. When the military came to power, which was not their familiar terrain, they were stuck. The military officers who became governors, heads of state etc, turned to the top civil servants, top traditional rulers and top academics for the way forward. There lay the beginning of Nigeria's problems. Many of our top leaders colluded with the military men and rules and regulations were broken. Personal and selfish interests became dominant in government affairs. Appointment became skewed to favour candidates of top men. No longer merit, good character or hardwork formed bases for selection into civil service, military, police or contracts were awarded to favoured contractors. The whole system that was based on justice and equity, inherited from the colonial and early independence eras were undermined and denigraded as 'old fashion colonial system'. No honest or reasonable systems that could stand the test of times could replace the discarded system. Any replacement was crafted to give room for selfishness to fester. Thus setting Nigeria on the path to the worst governance, worst corruption and impunity ever in the history of governance in Africa or the world.
End of Part I, Part II To Follow
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