The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District,Senator Ali Ndume, has raised fresh concerns over the persistent problem of corruption in Nigeria, stating that the country continues to celebrate individuals who steal public funds.
Ndume while speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Kano on Sunday, highlighted how societal values have contributed to the normalization of ill-gotten wealth.
The senator expressed dismay that in Nigeria, those who embezzle public funds are not only unchallenged but are also praised for their riches. “Our major challenge in this country is corruption. Up till now, we have no law that can proactively or even reactively address the issue of corruption in the country,” he said.
Contrasting Nigeria’s situation with that of developed nations, Ndume noted that while wealth is scrutinized abroad, it is admired without question in Nigeria. “In developed nations, people question the source of one’s wealth, but in Nigeria, you are venerated for flaunting ill-gotten wealth,” he remarked.
The senator did not mince words in describing the culture of impunity that surrounds corrupt politicians.
“If you see somebody in our system, especially in politics or government, and he is not corrupt, then he is lucky that he is God-fearing. Otherwise, it is only in Nigeria that you steal money and you walk freely, and then you are celebrated,” he lamented.
Ndume recounted how the ostentatious display of sudden wealth is often met with admiration rather than suspicion.
“It is only in this country that somebody had no money yesterday or last week, but the following week he buys 10 cars, buys jets and his brothers would fly with him, his mother would fly with him, his uncle would fly with him, and they would say Allah has blessed our son,” he said.
The senator also disclosed that his previous attempts to introduce a law on unexplained wealth in Nigeria have been unsuccessful.
He shared how he even sought the help of a former head of state, but his efforts “never saw the light of day.” “Up till now, there is no law on Unexplained Wealth Act in Nigeria and there is no Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth in Nigeria,” Ndume emphasized.
In addition to addressing corruption, Ndume called attention to the pressing issue of hunger in the country. He urged the government and citizens to prioritize agriculture as a means of combating food insecurity.
“There is hunger in the land and up till now we have not cultivated up to five percent of our land… blessed land in Nigeria,” the senator stated.
on insecurity, Ndume said activities of insurgents and bandits could be tackled effectively in one year if the federal government was determined to restore the security of lives and property.
While imploring the present administration to give adequate funding to the relevant security agencies to improve the number of personnel, arms, and the needed motivation Ndume said “These bandits are not trained and not equipped. Most of the equipment they used was delivered to them or taken over by our armed forces. In today’s technology, with advancement in ICT, if they can trace where an individual or politically exposed person is effective, what stops you from tracing where Turji or other criminals are? So there is something fundamentally wrong there.
“I have been Chairman of the House Committee on Army, and I am from Borno State, where it all started. We fundamentally have three challenges in the country: Boko Haram, bandits or kidnapping, and IPOB. All these three, interacting with all security agencies, if the government is very serious about these, can be addressed in six months and at most one year.”
