Today, looking for an incorruptible person in Nigeria is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The most endangered species in Nigeria are the incorruptible men and women of integrity.
Majority of Nigerians are corrupt in their lifestyles from telling lies in conceit and deceit without conscience and without shame (and many of them live in denial of the truth) to celebrating and supporting crooks and rogues.
When it comes to corruption, all the tribes in Africa's most populous nation are guilty, but the three major tribes of Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo are the worst.
Many people say northerners were not corrupt until southerners spoilt them and taught them how to lie and steal after the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970. Then afterwards, the Hausas and Fulanis joined the bandwagon of the crooks and rogues in both the public and private sectors.
In fact, people who knew Alhaji Sir Tafawa Balewa said he was incorruptible to a fault. He was too humble, gentle and noble. He was a paragon of nobility with dignity, integrity and probity.
It is almost impossible to find such an incorruptible political leader in Nigeria today.
The war against corruption cannot be won when majority of the crooks and rogues are still in the political leadership of the ruling class and ruling with the impunity of their immunity as political godfathers and office holders. And their beneficiaries are celebrating their ill-gotten riches everyday.
The masses follow them like dogs after their masters.
And waiting for the opportunities to have their turns to loot the national treasury.
The news reporters who should expose corrupt practices have compromised the principles of journalism and once you give them big brown envelopes and juicy appointments and contracts, they write eulogies of their corrupt benefactors and life goes on.
They say if you cannot beat them, join them.
Those who refuse to join them are targeted for demotion or even elimination to perish the truth.
The only solution to end widespread corruption is to expose every act of corruption without compromise and without partiality.
Religion and tribe should not divide us in the war against corruption at all levels.
Tribal bigotry and religious bigotry have done Nigeria terrible things. But majority of Nigerians have refused to learn lessons from the terrible mistakes of the past. And when we fail to learn from the mistakes of the past, we are going to repeat them.
Patriotism is the way forward in the war against corruption and examplary role models should be in the leadership of the youths in the national reformation and transformation of Nigeria to secure the future of our nation.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima.
Follow @247Nigeria on Twitter.
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