During the Second World War a particular drug was widely use to simulate soldiers and reduce excessive cold and headache during the period. The drug is a mixture of aspirin, phenacetin and caffeine which was very effective throughout the war. However, the drug was banned because it causes more harm than good, as it was a major enhancer for cancer and kidney diseases. This drug was called APC.
I wasn’t taken aback when on February 6th, 2013 the major opposition parties in Nigeria came together to form a new alliance. But to my upmost surprise, ten able bodied and learnered governors brain stormed and agreed on APC as a name. Truly, I have nothing against the acronym but the shock of how it so much define their personality, governance and personal political parties’ marvels me.
For the past fourteen years our dear nation has been at the mercy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Unfortunately this political party has continually wrecked the resources of Nigeria beyond words, it has been bleeding our nation inside out and every appeal for a short-break from corruption has falling on deaf ears. From the missing twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), the walked away sixteen billion dollars ($16,000,000,000) for National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), the disappeared three hundred billion naira (300,000,000,000) from the ministry of works and housing while Anenih was in office, Eighty five billion naira (85,000,000,000) Nigeria Port Authority fund stolen by Bode Gorge, the missing foreign reserve funds amounting to billions of dollars, the over hundred billion dollars ($100,000,000,000) for oil revenue still missing till date among others, are begging funds waiting to be found.
Above all these, the level of poverty has geometrically increased and Nigeria constantly settles at the top index of any bad global statistics. It is inappropriate to say that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed but rather the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP) has ruined the present and future hope of Nigerians.
However, it will be a great injustice to create a bias line without touching our so called opposition and progressive or as Dr. Reuben Abati called them ‘holier than thou’ parties.
Unfortunately, the ten governors that sat together to forge a new way for the masses are not morally and behaviorally fit to do so. They constantly rob their various states blind with massive financial rape of the states treasury. From the governor of Imo state Rochas Okorocha, a onetime adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo and former head of the National Airport Management Authority (NAMA) who was dismissed from service on inflation of contract to the tune of one million dollars ($1,000,000) and currently facing allegation of short changing local government chairmen of their monthly allocation.
The governor of Oyo state Abiola Ajimobi and wife have set a new record as the most travelled governor in just two years with fifty two trips already made, all at the expense of the state tax payers. The governor is currently facing accusation of diversification of local government allowance to personal use, just late last year the state was thrown into turmoil over the arrest of the governor’s wife in the United Kingdom on money laundering.
Alhaji Tanko Almakura of Nassarawa state representing the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has not been different. With broad accusation of wasting one hundred and ninety million naira (190,000,000) on erecting just five traffic lights, squandering over two billion naira on NAGIS, Karu project and an unresolved missing two billion naira (2,000,000,000) from the state joint local government account.
From Ekiti, the governor of the state Dr. Kayode Fayemi has also been in the web of financial mismanagement. From the missing one hundred and thirty million naira (130,000,000) from the state treasury, inflation of contracts and excessive bond access from the capital market for ghost projects. Babatunde Fashola would have been different; however his administration seems to share the same corrupt ideology with his fellow governors. The state makes over twenty billion naira monthly on just tax while a larger percentage of this revenue goes to the pocket of his political god father and former governor of the state Asiwaju Bola Tinubu through a consulting company named Alpha Beta. Since the past few years the state foreign debt has sky rocketed to over six hundred and eleven million dollars ($611,000,000) in spite of the huge financial revenue the state enjoys.
The Zamfara state governor, Abdulazziz Yari is no different. The goldmine state is currently walloping in debt running to billions of Naira, the state governor also went ahead to purchase a mansion worth five hundred million naira (500,000,000) in Abuja when a larger percentage of the people are living in abject poverty.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun seems to be currently topping the chart in the corruption index, with just two years into his tenure the former senator is currently been investigated for hundred million naira (100,000,000) state revenue fund stolen by his aide and constant deduction of local governments allocation. The governor spent two billion five hundred million naira (2,500,000,000) to provide just text books for secondary and primary school students and whooping one billion five hundred million naira (1,500,000,000) to construct a ninety seven meter (97m) bridge.
Same has been the case in Borno state, governed by Alhaji Shettima, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state and Yobe state Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam who are currently facing one corruption charges or another, ranging from contract inflation, local governments allocation deduction and financial recklessness.
Administratively, the two political parties have failed, as evidence of lack of internal democracy; godfatherism and corruption are so notorious within their system. The big question remains, which of these parties will save Nigeria? The answer would not be just personality as the currently electoral law does not give room for individual platform for contesting election but rather a party affiliate.
Like the APC of decades ago, yes it would cure cold and headache but would Nigeria take the risk of Kidney and Cancer diseases? The choice is fully ours to make.
Adekoya Boladale is a political scientist and wrote via adekoyaboladale@gmail.com
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