Kleptocracy: The Real Form Of Government In Nigeria


by Olukayode Akingbogun

KLEPTOCRACY - [alternatively cleptocracy or kleptarchy], is a term applied to a government that takes advantage of governmental corruption to extend the personal wealth and political power of government officials and the ruling class (collectively, kleptocrats), via the embezzlement of state funds at the expense of the wider population, sometimes without even the pretense of honest service. (Culled from wikipedia)

I have seen the light my people. Before now, I genuinely believed that the form of government we were practicing in Nigeria is the same as obtains in countries such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom and other developed countries. I fervently believed that we (Nigerians) were embracing the democratic system of government, like what obtains in France, Canada, South Africa and so on.

However, I took pains to look at the characteristics of Nigeria's democratic dispensation, and it did not bare similar semblance to that of the many countries I mentioned above. There are elections every four years like in the case of the United States of America, but unlike the US elections are seldom free and fair. Elections in Nigeria is always fraught with ballot box stuffing, falsification of results, political thuggery and intimidation of candidates, lack of internal democracy within most of the political parties and endless electoral litigations.

Dividends of democracy are oftentimes not felt by ordinary Nigerians on the streets, largely because the first preoccupation of elected politicians on assuming office is to recoup the expenses they incurred during the electioneering period in multifold. In the developed countries, service to the people takes precedence, over and above personal interests. Our politicians are supposed to declare all their assets on assuming political office, but a large majority of them seldom do.

In the United Kingdom, all members of parliament are not only expected under the ethics and privileges rules to declare their assets, but must also make their interests in public or private enterprises known. Where there is a chance of conflict of interests, such MP is required to resign his role immediately. Our Nigerian political officeholders not only refrain from declaring their assets, but they sheath their business interests in secrecy, and continue to chase such interests with wanton disregard for both the office they hold, and those who elected them into office.

'Nigeria loses $10 bn annually to treasury looting. Tim Daniel of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in Abuja yesterday (25 May 2009). This means that Nigeria has lost about $490 billion to treasury looters in its 49 years of independence. Out of this amount, the late head? of state, Gen. Sani Abacha was said to have allegedly looted $3 billion." --- Champion Newspapers. Tuesday May 26, 2009'.

Above is just one of the many estimation of the cost of corruption to the Nigerian people, perpetrated by those who claim that Nigerians had entrusted their faith in them to do what's right. On the balance of the evidence available in the public domain, it is clear to me that Nigeria hasn't started to practice democracy as a form of government. The intentions to do this is evident to all if the 1999 constitution is anything to go by, but a small cabal of powerful individuals have hijacked the whole democratic initiative for their self - seeking interests.

No matter how much we continue to cloak a 'wolf in sheep's skin', one cannot ultimately replace the other. What the Whole of Nigeria aspire for is DEMOCRACY, a political form of government where governing power is derived from the people, either by direct referendum (direct democracy) or by means of elected representatives of the people (representative democracy). However, the usurpers of democracy have stolen democracy away from the good people of Nigeria, and in its place have forcefully entrenched KLEPTOCRACY.

Sometimes when I think about the current state of Nigeria, I can only weep. So much potential, yet our thieving politicians only know how to loot instead of legislating.

The politicians are very lazy and they encourage easy money without working,buying houses with looted money and waiting for the rent,which value does this add to the country,we need to produce something

olas2u:

The politicians are very lazy and they encourage easy money without working,buying houses with looted money and waiting for the rent,which value does this add to the country,we need to produce something

I wonder how they sleep at night. Knowing that you did not earn the money. I would feel less of a man, if I earned my money through stealing. Do they even care?

MaziUche0:

I wonder how they sleep at night. Knowing that you did not earn the money. I would feel less of a man, if I earned my money through stealing. Do they even care?

The more money you have the more politcal power you will get ,because campaign funding is still a problem.Its diificult to get a politican that will not steal

If you knew how much the government makes off of each oil well alone not to talk about taxes from business,,etc. you would wonder how paving a common road is such a hard task to complete or even a bridge  thats been promised reconstruction for years. Its sad how Amaechi, the rivers state governor, although hes better than most, is fussing about not getting allocated the proper amount of oil wells. He's only fooling the people from the outside not the people of the state. I say this because hes only using money to build port harcourt, he knows by doing this it will make him look good and people will just focus on PH and take their eyes away from the other parts of Rivers State. That way he can pocket the money for the other areas without people paying attention. I recently was in Rivers earlier this yea, I was so upset and anger at how terrible the other parts of Rivers was. I was rediculous. Rivers state alone makes more money than Ghana, a whole country, but ghana cant afford to fix its self up better that Rivers, which is just a state? makes no sense at all.

chyz,

I understand what you are saying. As a person who grew up in Port Harcourt, I was ashamed how other areas of Rivers State were being neglected. But Rivers State is not alone though. The governors who are deemed as "good" governors, often focus on their main cities while neglecting other towns and villages. I pray for a better day, but I don't see it happening anytime soon as long as we have these politicians ruling the country.

Uche, so what do you propose the Nigerian people do about these leaders? and why do you think militant groups like Mend, etc. can fight against those in the JTF and Army but find it hard to take out these corrupt politicians?

chyz:

so what do you propose the Nigerian people do about these leaders?

Politicians and leaders guilty of economic crimes such as corruption or kleptocracy should be punished by receiving the death sentence. The Nigerian government should empower our courts and the anti-graft agencies by introducing death penalty in our laws as soon as possible to punish hardened criminals looting our resources.

chyz:

Uche, so what do you propose the Nigerian people do about these leaders? and why do you think militant groups like Mend, etc. can fight against those in the JTF and Army but find it hard to take out these corrupt politicians?

Only death. . . I don't care what tribe that these politicians belong to, they only desserve death. One bullet per head. And some of these militant groups are linked to these politcians in which they get funding from them. That is why I do not think that some of these militant groups are actually fighting for their people.

RichyBlacK:

The Nigerian government is the most useless in the world.

I wouldn't say most useless. There are other governments that can be compared to Nigeria such as Afghanistan, Iraq and the almost non-existent Somalia government.

Northern politicans will die more ,because they are  the most corrupt and laziest set of politicans,they will turn it to  tribal killing after.

MaziUche0:

I wouldn't say most useless. There are other governments that can be compared to Nigeria such as Afghanistan, Iraq and the almost non-existent Somalia government.

How could you compare Nigeria and does countries,even iraq is better than Nigeria interms of infrastructure and Oil managment .That is a wrong comparision

RichyBlacK:

The Nigerian government is the most useless in the world.

i would have doubted you but they are not really worth it.however,i will be surprise if zimbabwe government is better than nigeria government.too bad

olas2u:

Northern politicans will die more ,because they are  the most corrupt and laziest set of politicans,they will turn it to  tribal killing after.

I think we have an equal amount of thieving politicians from across the country. "South-South" maybe where the most bloodshed would happen, followed by the Southwest and then the Southeast. North is a feudal system where the people wont rise up against their leaders who have been ruling them for centuries.

MaziUche0:

I think we have an equal amount of thieving politicians from across the country. "South-South" maybe where the most bloodshed would happen, followed by the Southwest and then the Southeast. North is a feudal system where the people wont rise up against their leaders who have been ruling them for centuries.

Looters in Nigeria are not equal,who told you that,The Politicians in Northern Nigeria ,are  full time politicans,when they smile,eat,talk is politics,the southerners have part time jobs like lawyers,doctors,and bankers who work in day and do politcs part time.They have ruled since independence and are used to easy money from the Nigerian state.The south south leaders just started to loot when democracy started.

Horus:

Politicians and leaders guilty of economic crimes such as corruption or kleptocracy should be punished by receiving the death sentence. The Nigerian government should empower our courts and the anti-graft agencies by introducing death penalty in our laws as soon as possible to punish hardened criminals looting our resources.

I hear where youre coming from but unfortunately its not america. the nigerian government ARE the thieves. The thieves are the one who make the decisions and best believe that whatever they do its going to be in their own favor. The only thing is for the masses to rise up against the government and dismantal all of their possesion and silent assassinations. GJ is not going to turn nigeria around, he's just the lesser of the evils.