Sir: The senator representing Cross-river north (PDP), Rose Oko had drawn the attention of her colleagues in the upper chamber to the increasing report on rape in the country. She observed that children are being raped on a daily basis and based on this, advocated for stiffer laws against the perpetrators of this heinous act. Indeed, raping minors and infants is tantamount to destroying their future and subjecting them to emotional turmoil. However, the upper chamber forgot that corruption is an evil worse than this scourge.
President Muhammadu Buhari once described corruption as the greatest form of human violation. I agree with him based on the fact that it denies citizens access to basic needs of life. I refer to the lecture deIivered by the secretary of EFCC on behalf of Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the commission whence he explained that over U$3.6 billion (N1.3 trillion) was stolen from public treasury between 2011 and 2015. He said that one third of the stolen funds could have been used in constructing over 5000 kilometers of roads, build 200 schools, educate about 4,000 children, build 20,000 units of two bedroom houses across the country.
Where are the officials of government that served between this period of time? Are they in jail? They are walking free because our laws for fighting corruption are weak and no effort is being made to amend them because those that will do it are also culprits.
Between corruption and rape, which one is more dangerous to the survival of our country as a progressive and corporate entity? The victim of rape is subjected to emotional turmoil while corruption is a monster and cancer that destroys the entire aspects of human life.
The administration of President Muhammad Buhari came into power because of the promise he made to extirpate corruption but not much has been achieved after four years. Neither the president nor the lawmakers of his party made any attempt to strengthen our laws. No effort was made to establish special courts for fighting corruption despite its obvious need. In short, the fight against corruption is narrowed to individuals neglecting the institution. This is as good as clapping with one hand. Of course, the administration succeeded in recovering billions of naira and assets stashed in different parts of the country and banks; yet missing is the institutional focus on the fight against corruption.
Senator Oko should be thanked for drawing attention to the issue of rape of minors and infants. Nigerians are expecting the senator as a patriotic citizen to also draw the attention of her colleagues on the need for capital punishment against the rapists of the economy since they destroy the future of the next generation.
- Hasheem B Ahmad,
<hashimbahmad@gmail.com>
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