by Japheth Omojuwa

  There will be no fight against corruption under this government.

Nigeria will not win the war against corruption under the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. You can’t win a battle you don’t fight. In fact, based on the administration’s parley with corruption, one should not be surprised when the corruption statistics of Nigeria get compiled after the Jonathan administration, based on all that has happened so far, it would easily be the most corrupt government in the history of government in Nigeria.

The numbers are glaring for all to see and here we have on record a celebrated state pardon for one of the country’s most renowned corruption symbol Diepriye Alamieyeseigha who himself is being positioned to run for the Senate in 2015. Add that to the unprecedented levels of oil theft, plus the state backed fuel subsidy hemorrhage of 2011, you have a nation virtually on its knees as corrupt people run the show. How can all this be if there is no tacit support from the President? Indeed there is because at numerous fora the president has denied corruption being an issue in Nigeria. He chose the path of ignoring the truth because when looking at the truth reflects your own guilt, you either look away or deny the truth in its entirety. You only look on if you are ready and willing to take in that truth hook, line and sinker.

Many Nigerians are not aware the British Government made a request to have Diepreye Alamieyesegha extradited to the United Kingdom to face corruption charges he escaped from in 2005. The Nigerian government has consistently blocked this. While being a powerful resident of one of Abuja’s posh areas and living the life of a king in Nigeria, Mr. Alamieyeseigha remains a fugitive of the laws of the United Kingdom. His case reflects the reality of corruption in Nigeria and the length which the Nigerian government is willing to go to protect its own – its own not being that they are Nigerians but being that they are Nigerians connected to the current government and with some level of political capital to be used in the 2015 elections. There will be no fight against corruption under this government. One reality sums it up; the man burdened with the role of charging corrupt public officials to court through the various anti-corruption agencies is himself embroiled in several corruption cases, notably the Malabu Oil deal. Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke is regarded as one of the most corrupt officials in this administration. If this allegation is remotely true – and there has been a lot for one to consider the allegations – then whoever expects a serious fight against corruption might as well expect Nigeria to win the 2010 World Cup. It is a lost cause.

The ASUU strike is now 100 days old. There is no end in sight even today. 100 days is significant because various Nigerian governments like to celebrate their successes in office in the first 100 days. Never mind that most of what they celebrate are mediocre efforts at getting things done. That the strike is now in its 100th day is not as mind troubling as the fact that there is no solution in sight. The President has been very busy with other personal matters. Top of which is his battle of power with the so-called New PDP. While these oppressors of the Nigerian people settle their scores, it appears Nigerians will have to wait for any meaningful governance. Nigerian students must prepare to stay at home for even longer. Except of course they disrupt the peace of the land one way or the other. They do not matter because no one hears their silence. If you want to be heard in Nigeria, silence is not your best shot.

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.