The irony of it all is that all these people who inflict these economic and social pains on their brothers and sisters are front row members of different denominations in the Christian church. They are regularly and religiously seen parading themselves with every sanctimonious approach in the church with bogus, amorphous and appetizing Christian titles that lack salvation and redemption in the door-steps of the characters concerned.

In this case, church is therefore a very comfortable camouflage in the hands of these dramatis personae who feel and believe very strongly that the best way to conceal their looting of the treasury and financial misconducts in their official positions is by competing with the common masses who have taken solace in God and churches for all the injustices meted out to them, in attending church services devotionally and leading different pious societies devoutly. What a sinful society!

Informatively, another vice that is appended to public service and politics which makes them more lucrative, juicy and lush is sycophancy. Sincerely, sycophants in government business seem to be more gainfully remunerated with money, properties, rapid promotions, good positions in offices, more accepted by the powers that be, more regarded at the corridors of power, financially and socially taller than their mates in the peer group looting spree in public service and politics. In Nigeria, once you are very close to any government in power you become untouchable and any fraud committed by you attracts sainthood to you which might be crowned with a merit award.

Before independence in Nigeria, when the white men colonized us and even some years after independence, ranging from 1960s to late 1970s, there was stability, orderliness and decorum in the system. During that period, this country witnessed financial discipline, tremendous progress and development, peace and tranquillity, equity and fairness, justice and love, growth in education through scholarships, proper implementations of annual government budgets and appropriations, good judicial system, proper training of staffers through routine courses arranged for them for efficiency and proficiency, accountability and probity, good professional conducts and thorough exhibition of professionalism amongst all cadre of our security operatives and agencies. But today, there is abysmal rottenness in our present day government and their system of governance which are rooted in the abracadabra services witnessed in the hands of our well-positioned and opportune public servants and politicians.

There is every indication that the thoughts, ideas and insistence of paying newly approved N18,000.00 (Eighteen thousand naira only) minimum wage to only levels 1-6 in public service by some state governors seem to be anchored on this notion expressed and exhibited by this write-up. For, it is believed that it is only this cadre of public servants that need to be empowered economically, for they seem to be marginalized with the highest level of corruption and insincerity going on in the top echelon of the order.

The plundering and ransacking of public treasury by most public servants and successful politicians in this country is pitiably a systemic overture that has been torturing the common masses of this country economically, thereby rupturing their sensibilities which are witnessed in their idiotic and idiosyncratic attitude to life that have been baptized and branded indiscipline and insubordination by the initiators of the misdemeanour.

Most recently, the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi made this country Nigeria and the world to know the monumental, unprecedented and unacceptable fraud and financial scam that had been going on in our banking sector. No thanks to the directors, chief executives, managers and staffers of the banks in our country. This unfortunate but criminal incidence had led to the sweeping away of some of the perpetrators of these inhuman and ungodly acts from their plum positions/jobs. Most of the workers of the financial institutions in our country who cleverly resigned, retired or were retired before Alhaji Sanusi hurricane-force wind had been thanking their God for escaping from being exposed in the substantial fraud and swindle they committed against the Nigerian depositors, Nigerian economy and the entire Nigeria populace that would have thrown them into jail. They are comfortable but with a heavy moral burden in their hearts, enjoying their loots through incessant trips to abroad and mindless accumulation of properties within and outside Nigeria.

Honestly writing, a visit to most of the ministries, parastatals and local governments will definitely force tears down your cheeks because of the deplorable conditions of the offices and the monumental infrastructural decay and decrepitude witnessed. Most of the offices do not have window blinds, chairs, tables and even writing materials. Most of the chairs and tables seen are only good for re-designing somebody’s attires, if not used with absolute care. The questions are: Where are the moneys and funds appropriated for the maintenance and upkeep of these offices? Is the negligence and defrauding caused by the government in power or the chief executives, bosses and directors of these offices? The commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors, chairmen of both local governments, chairmen of different boards, heads of personnel and executive officers of all sorts should answer these questions.

How time changeth! In the 1970s and early 1980s, the economy of this country was controlled by business men and private sectors. Public service sector was treated and regarded as a quiet place for average earners and disciplined people. Politics was even seen as an occupation meant for idle citizens and retirees. Then, there was little or no corruption. People were doing things with good conscience. Justice was adequate and offenders were properly and appropriately punished. Creativity and self-realization were encouraged and upheld. Hard work was promoted and supported. But today in this era of corruption, reverse is the case. Most business men are presently living beggarly life. They are merely existing and living life of hand-to-mouth arrangement with bleak future. Most of them are seen selling their properties and household utensils in order to sustain their living and pay their children school fees who are in public schools which they can afford.

But today, all the magnificent edifices, tall and gigantic buildings with state-of-the art architectural designs seen built or springing up in our society ubiquitously, all the exotic and posh cars, sybaritic and voluptuous vehicles and heavy duty automobiles are owned by our public servants, politicians and their cronies. No thanks to corruption that has given license and credence to looting and squandering of the economy with impunity that collectively belong to all of us. Buying of empty lands and finished buildings in choice areas in our environment is just like paying for chin-chin and sachet water to them.

But our consolation in this country is that nothing is permanent. Everything changes except change. Honestly, Nigeria will not remain like this. God forbid! There is every hope that all these rubbishes prevalent in Nigeria today will one day be a thing of the past. I am of a very strong opinion that in no distant future, this country Nigeria will be a better place with equal opportunities for all of us to live and smile before kissing the dust. But my candid and foremost prayer is: May the Almighty God keep me and my family alive to see that promised period. If you are comfortable with this prayer and that is your own prayer all the time, I simply want you to echo A-M-E-N!

May the Almighty God continue to bless us in Jesus Name. Amen

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