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Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid!

By Paul I. Adujie
Lawcareer@msn.com

New York, United States

   September 2, 2004

 

 

The Republican Party of President Bush Eliminating or eradicating corruption should not be conducted in the shadows of secrecy.

It is worrisome to learn from the pages of newspapers, that the president and high officials of the Nigerian government may now be in possession of hard evidence connecting some current governors of states in Nigeria with corrupt activities and corrupt enrichment. If this is the case, it is my belief, that the president will be more convincing, by making full and material disclosure of evidence connecting any governor or other Nigerian officials to the crime of corruption.

After all, the president has always, insisted instead, that he needed specific information to enable him pursue corrupt persons? When information is supplied by Nigerians at home or abroad or others, who are support of the president’s crusade against corruption, the president must be agile, he must act promptly, he must not be seen or appear to be vacillating or negotiating with corrupt persons, he must fight corruption in every nooks and crannies, every facets of Nigerian life… he must do so without hesitation.

The president will lend more credibility to his avowed war on corruption.
We have heard speculations of a state governor being arrested in London with millions of dollars/pounds which the governor could not explain as legitimate earnings, we have also heard of governors that are engaged in frequent junkets, overseas birthdays and sundry owambe parties! Speculations or rumors are rife, that the PDP appears to treat all these, as family affairs, because the governors engaged in these criminal and disgraceful misconducts, are of the PDP ruling party!

But I trust that the president’s heart is in the right place and that he means well, the president must as a matter of urgency reveal the names of corrupt governors, the errant governors should serve as examples of those who deserved to be sacrificed on the altar of anti corruption crusade and the long overdue house cleaning that our country has been waiting for…we surly need house cleaning!

The president must realize that Nigeria’s national interests supercedes individual or political party interests, our national interest are more important, over and above, the internal affairs of PDP or the individual governors that are seemingly being protected or shielded, at the expense the interests of more than 120 million Nigerians!

President Obasanjo for the sake of Nigeria and his own legacy, must distance himself from governors and PDP members, who are agents of avarice and greed, it is clearly unedifying, for someone who champions and crusades against corruption, to make exceptions for certain categories of persons, such as the governors in question.

Nigerians have questioned the source of wealth of former head of state, Mr. Ibrahim Babangida, some have gone as far as, adding that, Mr. Obasanjo knows of IBB’s corruption and source of wealth, but Mr. Obasanjo has chosen to look the other way, because IBB is his friend and godfather and election sponsor and now, instead of investigating IBB, so that IBB can explain the source of his wealth or defend himself, he is now actually flaunting it, as he is planning to muscle and cajole his way to the presidency in 2007 and unfortunately, Nigerians are not as yet asking or holding IBB to account; Have we suffered some collective amnesia?

Is it not inelegant and even sublime, to proclaim an all out war on corruption, while excusing some privileged few, from prosecution, does this not make nonsense of the president’s self-avowed crusade to rid Nigeria of corruption. I still want to believe that Mr. Obasanjo is serious about fighting corruption, but I am very agitated by the continued protections of certain individuals who are neck-deep in corruption. And where is the Mr. Pius Okigbo panel report? All these, are beginning to look like a pattern.

The governors of Plateau state and Edo state have been mentioned in many circles, regarding insufficiently explained activities, involving large sums of monies, that most probably belongs to tax payers in their different states, Vanguard newspapers of Nigeria, only this last Saturday, reported, credible suspicions of untoward activities by certain Nigeria governors and other public officials, who are being shielded from prosecution, those involved in these criminal activities are being encouraged to bask in their corrupt activities, as the anti corruption crusaders have unwittingly assured the criminal protection, simply because they are PDP family members?
Let us punish our friends, if they are part of the ruination that Nigeria have been going through and continues to bear/endure.

President Obasanjo must clear the air, regarding the now rampant speculations about corrupt governors and other public officials, regardless of what political party the corrupt officials belong, the president should or ought to see this as a matter of his own personal integrity, and the sorts of legacy he seeks to bequeaths on Nigerians and Nigeria from now, until the end of his term in 2007.

Most Nigerians and I, strongly believe the eradication of corruption, will be worthy achievement and legacy by President Obasanjo, as corruption is the singular bane on the path of Nigeria’s path to progress, development and advancement; President Obasanjo must fight corruption meaningfully, vigorously and with blinders on, he must fight corruption, in PDP, within family and friends and everywhere else… fight corruption, sparing no one, and history will judge President Obasanjo creditably well.

If speculations about corruption by governors and other officials are untrue, the president must address the rumors, instead of allowing it to fester and grow and take quantum leaps
The president must operate in the open, which the essence of accountability and transparency par excellence.
is employing scare tactics to cajole voters into voting to re-elect Republicans for another four year term. President Bush and his band of extremely conservative ultra religious right, are bereft of a good record on which to run on, instead, they have resorted to a sort of common denominator campaign, and it can be paraphrased this way, “there are terrorists everywhere!” Be afraid, be very afraid!

 

There are terrorists everywhere, in every nooks and crannies of the United States and the entire world, President Bush and the Republicans know terrorism, they are experienced fighting terrorism, they are the only ones who can fight terrorism, American voters must trust Mr. Bush and the Republicans to fight terrorism or else!

 

It is as if, the Republicans are harassing Americans into the elections in November 2004, saying, look, you are embarking in a life or death risks, you cannot trust anyone else to fight terrorism, because Mr. Bush and the Republicans are the only game in town and the renowned experts on the war on terrorists… don’t gamble, re-elect Mr. Bush and the Republicans!

 

What hogwash!

 

The truth of the matter is, Mr. Bush and his arch conservatives have done more to stir animosities and hostilities toward America, than any American persons or group in history. The actions and arrogant pronouncements by Mr. Bush and his fellow Republicans have generated more anger towards the US, ever in history of political development, while at the same time alienating friends and historical allies.

 

It is simply amazing how, Mr. Bush and his Republican Party cronies are attempting to pull the wool over the eyes American voters in November 2004, regarding who best qualify to manage America’s domestic and foreign policies, particularly, the Mr. Bush self-described un-winnable war on terror.

 

If it were not very important, it would have been very funny, and laughable, that, the Bush team is heightening public fear and horror, while seeking to make profit and political mileage out of public concern for safety from terror attacks.

 

As it turns out, Americans are not actually safer, now than they were three years ago, from terror, public policy analysts have concluded that, Mr. Bush’s policies have been the best recruitment weapons, any extremists could have hoped for! His so-called moral certainty and intoxicated moral clarity, with all its rigidity, has animated those who would attack the US, as it has coalesce to slight and as snob to American friends and well wishers, all, thanks to Mr. Bush and his neoconservative ideologues. Mr. Bush’s consistent inflexibility and wrong-headed policies, are being celebrated by the Republicans as attributes and even good qualities worthy of repeat, hence the admonition, to American voters to re-elect him for another four years…. For more of the same?

 

With tacit approvals from the president and higher up Republicans, all sorts of fringe groups have engaged in campaign of calumny and smear tactics to denigrate and defame their political opponents, as they disparage indecently and unsparingly.

 

None of the Republicans and their supporters appear interested in the effects of woeful economic indices, during Mr. Bush watch, economic policies, including tax cuts, that have failed miserably to stimulate the American economy, as was touted by Mr. Bush; None of them, seem interested in the repercussions and reverberations from the unlawful invasion and occupation of Iraq, that has foisted billions of dollars in bills, for generations of American taxpayers to contend with, for generations to come. Even as the US Census Board has reported astronomical rise in poverty rate/levels.

 

The attitude that permeated the Republican National Convention being held in New York this week appears to be, “It is not the economy stupid!” The pervasive feeling that the Republicans sought to create, was simply, that the average voter be afraid, be very afraid! The Republicans are urging voters to return to power in the White House for another four years, so that the can protect the public from terrorism, as if anyone can predict, prevent and provide guaranteed safety or safe haven from terrorism!

 

Republicans have all through their national convention in New York, sought to put pretty faces on their extremely ugly public policies, foreign and domestic, they exploited New York City as backdrop for their campaign, exploiting the ever fresh and traumatic World Trade Center attacks of September 11, 2001, it is shame that the Republicans are dancing on the collective graves of the thousands who died on that fateful day! And all these for some twisted and warped political advantage and benefits to the Republicans?

 

A re-election of these neoconservatives would be a huge mistake, as they will translate a re-election as a ringing endorsement by the voters, of the Republicans’ gung-ho and outlandish cum outrageous domestic and foreign policies, and that mistake, might spur the beginning of the end.

 

The elections in November 2004 are the most important elections in American history during the past 100 years and I fear that fear does not become the deciding factor that gets Mr. Bush and his team reelected for another term and that is fearful.

 

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