When consequences are damned and truth is told

The unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the North-East caused by Boko Haram has no doubt created strife. In recent times, reports of hunger, squalor, disease, deprivation, rape and all sorts of negative tendencies emanating from the IDP camps calls for concern. According to the United Nation crisis reports as recently reported, Nigeria may likely face starvation […]

The unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the North-East caused by Boko Haram has no doubt created strife. In recent times, reports of hunger, squalor, disease, deprivation, rape and all sorts of negative tendencies emanating from the IDP camps calls for concern. According to the United Nation crisis reports as recently reported, Nigeria may likely face starvation with estimation of over one hundred thousand children dying, particularly in the North-East, for lack of food.

With this worrisome situation, some few persons in their negative tendencies continue to undermine the good intentions of many. Thus, the recent report by the Senator Shehu Sani ad hoc committee  did not come to many Nigerians as a surprise. As expected in Nigerian style, the report should have gone the way of “Nigerian, allowed to die an unnatural death as we are familiar with, but the Senate rose to the occasion to ascertain the causes of the problem and subsequently adopted the report for action.

However, contrary to what a great philosopher, Martin Luther King said, “The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict,” the man Shehu Sani, who was given the responsibility by his colleagues in the Senate indeed justified his choice for such a task. The ad hoc committee report which investigated the activities of Presidential Initiative on North- East (PINE) indicted the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir David Lawal afterwards calling for his sack for taking undue advantage of the vulnerability and circumstances of the North East to awards contract to cronies, family members and close associates. 

The conviviality that preceded the Sen. Sani-led ad hoc committee report and the immediate action on those indicted or involved in this huge and scandalous contract scam confirmed what has been bandied about forever, how top government officials use their offices to subvert contracts. Under the 8th Senate, there has been set a record in the annals of Nigerian history. As a student of history, I know our nation has not been privileged to carry out investigation of this nature indicting a serving government official. Rather, what we often witness are investigations influenced by predetermined outcomes. 

 And just like the Biblical saying that, ‘Many are called; but few are chosen’ among the many that were selected to be part of ad hoc committee, Senator Sani with very few stood firm to do the right job and to also be part of history by visiting the IDP camps in Maiduguri and Damaturu against all sorts of security risks. 

Maybe because most of us always see Nigeria as a country where nothing works in the past or held down by forces of descending spiral violence predicated on multiple lies and fabrications. The Senator Sani known to some of us, in line of his reality on moral backgrounds has brought tremendous hope to governance through his handling of the matter. We must however commend President Muhammadu Buhari for refusing to practically practice washing my back and rubbing your shoulders politics as it is often been played or exhibited in our body politic. 

Nigerians are immensely grateful to the President for allowing all arms of government to freely exercise their power and function with their responsibilities. This wave is demonstrated in the president’s subsequent order to investigate  top officials in his government especially those that subvert our wealth. This further suggests that it is no longer at ease under the present administration, the uncommon commitment by Mr. President must be supported by all Nigerians to incinerate the menace of corruption and other negative tendencies. 

But the obvious, shameless attempts in recent times, particularly after the Senate’s decision calling on President Buhari to sack (SGF) Engr. Babachir David Lawal for his alleged complicity in the misappropriation of funds meant  for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East by some individuals and groups, to divert attention from the substance of Senator Sani’s investigation, which brought to fore the alleged uncharitable dealings must not be allowed to continue. That is if the world must take us seriously, as a nation that is prepared to fight corruption head-on. 

Although, for Nigerians, the years of embarrassment, maltreatment, hopelessness and  victimization is not expected to disappear within a day, the debacle has shown us with the speed of the adoption of the ad hoc committee’s report, that there still exist Nigerians who believe – and work towards – a solitary vestment of purpose and focus to do effective jobs with noble affections, that whatever affects one person directly, affects all Nigerians indirectly.

 Salihu writes from Unguwan Rimi, Kaduna.