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I join millions of advocates of change to welcome the anti-corruption crusader to a familiar yet different turf. I want to remind His Excellency that in 1983 when he first ascended the enviable position of the Head of the Nigerian State, the terrain was different. The mode of operation different. The dressing different. The people’s worldview parochial. Back then you were a military dictator. You ruled by edicts and unquestionable decrees. You used the boot, gun and the threats of imprisonment to get conformity. Now, you have to get a nod for all or almost all decisions from the upper and lower Houses of the country. In fact, you have to lobby. You are now at the mercy of the lawmakers. And the most devastating is that for what would appear to be an act to bring sanity to the nation, you may have impeachment hanging over you. Let me tell you that any law to disadvantage the poor is corruption. What is plea bargain but an instrument to protect the very thieves of this nation? To the rich, agree that you stole, then return a part and you are free. To the poor, plead guilty to stealing a chicken, and you lose your right to lead this nation, branded a ‘jail bird’ for life. In fact I wonder where the good-intentioned president is going to start the fight from. Is it the educational sector, where Chief Inspectors of Education connive with students in exam malpractices, because money has exchanged hands? The implication is that teachers no longer teach and students no longer study. Or is it PHCN, where consumers are billed for electricity not consumed? Or is it the Police Force, where the police stations have become extortion and intimidation centres where money determines your detention or freedom irrespective of the offence? Or is it in the manufacturing industry, where products such as insecticides are below standard yet sold at exorbitant prices? Or is it among your peers in government, who have defrauded their states and plunged their citizens into abject poverty because they are sacred cows? Or even the judiciary, where cases are adjourned at will and the hope of the common man is dashed because according to law, ‘justice delayed is justice denied’? If you must retain the confidence of your teeming fans, the petroleum industry should be probed. Finally for now, cultivate the friendship of people like Babatunde Fashola, Godswill Akpabio, Rochas Okorocha, as well as Mrs. Veronica Ogbuagu, Mrs. Farida Waziri, General Yakubu Gowon, General Abdusalami Abubakar and a host of others, who have put the interest of the country above theirs. The Bible, and I believe the Qur’an also, advocates good governance.   Congratulations!   About the Writer: Ruby Pryce is a fitness instructor and politics enthusiast. He writes under a pseudonym and can be reached via SMS on 09099039006.  
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This article was first published on 30th May 2015

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