Letter from Lagos 3

The stories circulating in Nigeria now that the elections are over have highlighted the continued evils which will befall a nation in the grip of corruption. In essence, Nigeria is still controlled by a ruthless ‘oiligarchy’, which 10 years ago conceived a clever way to retain power while gaining some measure of acceptance from the outside world. Possibly the biggest 419 scam Nigerians have ever perpetrated took place: the pretence that Nigeria is committed to a civil democracy. The oiligarchy which lives a life of ostentation that outrivals the excesses of even the most extravagant Hollywood film stars, has public money gushing into its private bank accounts around the world on a grand scale. A friend who was a disgusted observer of the Presidential elections on April 21 and who afterwards met the Minister of the Interior, listened to him openly admitting that corruption took place at every level of the elections, but insisting ‘that is the Nigerian way.’

More shame to those developed governments and major corporations, eager to exploit the country’s massive resources, who became party to the scam.

The opposition parties that won a majority in many states, made only half-hearted protests at the wresting of power from their hands because they knew that to make too much noise would mean their share of the pie would be less. President Obasanjo was however reportedly furious with Musili Obanikoro, his own party’s candidate for the prized Lagos State because the senator assured him that he had control of at least seven of the twenty local government areas and needed money to buy off six more, thus ensuring a majority for the PDP. After this huge outlay, Obasanjo was justly incensed to find that Obanikoro had secured only two of the local government areas and that the money had unaccountably disappeared. Wily Governor Bola Tinubu had for a third time ‘rescued’ Lagos from the clutches of the PDP.

The corruption permeates the life of every ordinary Nigerian. Education systems have long since collapsed with many rural schools having neither desks nor books. The police through road blocks loot the pockets and car boots of ordinary travellers and run a mile when armed bandits do likewise in broad daylight. Polio is rife and half the population seems to live on the streets.

To the outsider Nigerians appear to be aggressive, noisy and outspoken; in fact the spectre of the 30 years of military rule and the devastating Biafran war stalks them daily. The fear that boat-rocking will lead to the oiligarchy proclaiming a state of emergency and a return to the old days, prevents many from speaking out. The huge number of ordinary citizens who want nothing more than to earn their daily bread and give their children a decent education, are so far from that ideal that they accept the handouts from the people who want to keep them quiet – a vicious circle which will not be broken in the short or even medium term.

ends