WE MUST ACT FAST.

It pains me whenever I hear my mother say life was very sweet in the 70s and 80s. With #12.00 then, one could buy foodstuffs, pay for utility bills and still have much left. Although, there was distinction in the class of people, but everyone had access to the necessities of life. Jobs were in excess, teachers were well motivated, and students had the passion to study; hardly would you find anyone who was in a haste to make it. This is not the same today. What really went wrong? CORRUPTION!

Corruption is the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery. It can also be regarded as any abuse of a position of trust to gain an unfair advantage. When you deviate from what is ideal or pure, it means you are corrupt.

When you abuse public resources to enrich yourself, family and friends, then, it also means you are corrupt.

In both the military and civilian governments, we have had corrupt leaders who were involved in money laundering at one time or the other while in power. Notable among them are:

·       James Ibori: a former governor of Delta state, in the south-south geo-political zone, sponsored various oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region. He embezzled a lot of money, and is currently serving a jail term abroad.

·       Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida: a former military head of state known for his “maradonic” lifestyle. He is known for siphoning public funds, assassinations of various prominent Nigerians, etc.

·       Sanni Abacha: also a former military head of state, who, though was corrupt, yet the price of a litre of fuel was not more than #22.00. His looted public treasure has been confiscated, but the family members claim that they can never be as poor as Dangote.

·       Tony Anenih, Dimeji Bankole, Farouk Lawan, Patricia Etteh, Femi Fani-Kayode, and many others.

Corruption is like a cankerworm which has eaten the tender vines of our nation. Before you can get a job in any ministry, department or agency of the government you must know someone that knows a third party. Companies which conduct job aptitude tests do so, on mere formalities as part of their corporate obligations but internal postings have already been done, and the number of vacant seats are occupied.

The home is sick. Some parents directly or indirectly encourage corruption in the education of their children/wards; hence, they are ready at all costs to see their children gain admission into schools, without taking into cognizance their academic capability.

The religious bodies which are supposed to inculcate behavioural changes in the citizenry throw encomia on corrupt people, even offering them front seats in churches and mosques.

The corporate world will not be left out as theirs is more appalling. Before a young girl would be employed in a company, she is expected to offer herself for sex. She can go up the ladder of management if she welcomes patronage from the management staff. How do we stem this rot out of our national life?

To restoring our past glory, we need to take the bull by the horn. Ghana is enjoying today because J.J. Rawlings and his team decided on revolution. It is note-worthy that delegates at the on-going National Conference in Abuja have advocated the introduction of capital punishment in the statute book of the federation, so as to address the issue of corruption bedeviling our nation. With this, every public servant will sit up, and our posterity will bless God for us.