On Thursday when he appeared before the Senate for screening as a ministerial nominee, former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, made a statement which has left not a few Nigerians wondering where to actually lay the blame for corruption in Nigeria.
While answering a question about corruption, Amaechi told the senators and those who were watching on television that he has never received bribe in his life, adding “if there is one man that doesn’t like corruption, I don’t like corruption”.
Though Amaechi’s assertion is yet to be proven, not a few of his colleagues will also claim that they are not corrupt and never received bribe in their lives. This, at least, is the picture they present before the public. For many of them, corruption is outside; they’ve never engaged in it directly or indirectly. It is others that are corrupt, not them. How sad!
Can this really be true? If public office holders in Nigeria are not corrupt and have not received bribe in their lives as they often claim, then who is? Is it the ordinary Nigerian who is far removed from where public resources including money are domiciled and who does not know the button to press to divert these resources, that is corrupt?
It will be heart-warming if Amaechi’s assertion that he has never received or given bribe in all his life turns true. So will be if the claims of other public officers that they are not corrupt turns out to be true.
However, facts on ground show that the claims of most public officers in Nigeria that they are not corrupt can only be believed by the naive. Many of them cannot in good conscience defend their claims of not being corrupt as they use proxies to siphon public funds, acquire property, among others.
Public officers in Nigeria can only prove their hatred for corruption by the way they live, conduct state affairs and oversee resources at their disposal. Until the way they live privately and publicly show hatred for corruption, only the naive will believe their sermons.
source-->Dailytimes.com.ng