Fighting for booty or fighting to deliver?

 

I am tempted to ask, why are the All Progressives Congress members fighting all over the place? Backstabbing for Senate and House of Representatives leadership, throwing blows and rejecting to shake hands. Raising issues of “federal character” and what have you. Are these legislators desperate for these offices because they wish to deliver to Nigeria from the capacity of the positions, or are they fighting for personal ambition and self-aggrandisement? You chose the second, right? I did too.

The APC won the last general elections and there are much spoils of war to be shared. And like gladiators of Rome, they are throwing blows for the bounty. Did I say bounty? Perhaps, booty is a better word. Booty means loot. The plundered commonwealth of the masses. Yes, we are still on about that N150bn. I used to respect some senators; in fact, I have defended the actions of some against all odds including controversial ones like Zamfara’s Ahmed Yerima. But in character, I despise Yerima more than anyone does. I have lost every ounce of respect for any Nigerian who has been a legislator in the past 16 years.

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There is no explanation for the N150bn ($1bn) being shared by 469 men/women in secret—they being conscious and too ashamed of their criminality to make public their books. None whatsoever. Even the Roman wicked were not so callous. While the nation wallowed in poverty, suffering and disgrace, these legislators and other benefactor executives swallow sums of money that can only be dreamt of with no moral justification for their earnings in work done. Sitting at that Senate three days a week if at all and barely passing bills. So, what are the APC senators squabbling for? Booty just as their Peoples Democratic Party predecessors enjoyed or are they trying to resolve Boko Haram terror and impeach any President if and when he fails to act and act responsibly? Are they fighting for advantageous positions to cut up that stupendous budget, or positions to help Nigeria hold to account their very parliament, the executive, the judiciary, the service chiefs, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Central Bank of Nigeria, police and all other institutions of the nation?

I bet none of these people toggling over these positions have for a minute thought about a plan for Nigeria’s millions of dying and suffering. Scrap the Senate, and of course, half of the representatives need to go along with them. They legalised corruption by simply setting their earnings in the billions formally, and turned running the nation into a personal business, using state money to officially pay for their politics and their sponsorship of political thugs and terrorists. I always ask, why do they have to steal for their children and children’s children? Are they expecting their offspring to be as hopeless and useless as they? Send your kids to school and teach them virtues and the value of hard work and you will not have to embarrass yourself stealing for them so.

I assure these lawmakers fighting for whatever real reason it is that another fight is coming. We will fight this war against them at home and abroad. Nigeria is ready to fight for its survival and wage a thorough and final war against all enormous emoluments. We will make public office so unattractive and risky of harassment, disgrace and conviction, these legislators will opt not to serve. For the first time, we will see senators and reps resign from office.