NIGERIA: A LESSON FROM THE FRENCH PRESIDENT!
Admittedly, it sounded like another script from Hollywood when I stumbled on the news that the 24th president of France, François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande declared today, Monday, as the deadline for his reportedly-corrupt ministers to declare their assets publicly.
Unbelievably, the morality play followed the “scandalous revelation” on former Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac, who is charged with tax fraud over a secret bank account. This lone happenstance has triggered the wrath of the Socialist President earlier this month when Jerome admitted he had hidden about 600,000 euros (£509,000; $770,000) in a Swiss bank account and eventually went ahead to deny the claims and counter-claims.
To strain more nerves, each of France's 37 ministers have to obey the call by going on-line (internet) to publish details of their personal finances on their government websites (including details of bank accounts, property and other expensive items such as cars, art works and antiques).
In contrast, in Nigeria, such things might cause a blood-laden uproar in high and low places. Things will threaten to fall apart! In short, such a thing will never see the light of day but die in mere imagination of the morality crusader.
Not long ago, it was reported that no fewer than 10 ministers could be sent out of their beats. In that story, the newspaper reported that while Jonathan may show some ministers the way out of the cabinet for corruption allegations and petitions, other with political ambition would be eased off too as well as others that are non-performing. But what was the eventual outcome of the political saga? Was it a total success story? You have your response for the begging!
In a country where millions of people are drowning and frowning in stark poverty, a single person owes 104 properties worth 87 billion naira!!! Why then must we complain about kidnapping, armed robbery, militancy, terrorism in a country where many educated youths no longer know how to smile?
