“Everyone Is Corrupt” Mantra By Remi Oyeyemi

"The conquest to the sea is now in sight. When our god-sent Ahmadu Bello said some years ago that our conquest will reach the sea shores of Nigeria, some idiots in the South were doubting its possibilities. …….. Lagos is reached. It remains Port-Harcourt. It must be conquered and taken."  

- Mallam Bala Garuba. West African Pilot Newspapers, December 30, 1964   Internal Colonialism is an extension to and of Neo- Colonialism. Osagyefo Kwameh Nkrumah in his book “Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism ”published in 1965, described “Internal Colonialism” as “local neo-colonialism.” “The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.” Thus “local neo-Colonialism” in this context, describes the political, social, religious and economic ambition of the ruling class in Nigeria which in a way, is more extensive, but not opposed to the objectives of the outside power seeking to control its internal economic and political fortunes.    The features of neo-colonialist states are not different from that of local-neo-colonialists as to their ultimate objectives. As Nkrumah pointed out, the character of the neo-colonialist include but not limited to the following:    • “For those who practice it, it means power without responsibility and for those who suffer from it, it means exploitation without redress.”   • “The rulers of neo-colonial States derive their authority to govern, not from the will of the people, but from the support which they obtain from their neo-colonialist masters,” who often more than not give tacit support to rigging of elections, arrest and jailing of opposition leaders etc.   • “They have little interest in developing education, strengthening the bargaining power of their workers employed by expatriate firms, or indeed of taking any step which would challenge the colonial pattern of commerce and industry, which it is the object of neo-colonialism to preserve.”   • Graft and corruption becomes part of the system and is fostered and subtly sustained to undermine the social stability, economic viability and political independence of the polity.  “..… if the social conditions occasioned by neo-colonialism cause a revolt, the local neo-colonialist government can be sacrificed and another equally subservient one substituted in its place.”    To this extent, I can safely add that just as the international neo-colonialist power has its own minions across several countries all over the world, the local-neo-colonial power in Nigeria has its own satellites – “a hired agent or obsequious follower; minion, sycophant”  - across the country.   More often than not, when public commentators come out with facts about the machinations of local neo colonialists, it is not unusual to hear defeatist comments like “everyone is corrupt.” The naivety of this retort, which also shows a level of frustration, by those who make it is that all they are doing is merely looking at the surface without digging deep to see the operationalization of the system that is engendering corruption and potential failure of Nigerian State.   In the first Republic, attempts to install satellites in the Western Region led to crisis that brought in the Military. A review of most governors since July 15 1966 (with few exceptions in the Second Republic October 1979 –September 1983), shows they are all part of internal colonialists. As long as those governors did what was expected of them, they continued to enjoy power at the state level. The Military Government throughout its span in power appointed Governors to rule any state in all parts of the country and carry out its instructions. No military governor has the discretion to use its own initiative on major projects without the approval of the Supreme Military Council (SMC).   Between October 1983 and December 1983, the oligarchy imposed on some states, governors that the people did not elect. This led to varying degrees of revolt that once again brought in Military Regimes who used force to accomplish what could not be done under the civilian administration.   The agitation that followed the June 12 crisis led to the forced return to milito-civilian politics in 1999. But the oligarchy tarried, just like in the First and Second Republics, for a few years before bearing its destructive fangs in 2003 when the power of state was used to rig and install selected acolytes and satellites across the country. In the First Republic the instrument of the oligarchy was the NPC/NCNC alliance. In the second Republic it was NPN/NPP. It was because the oligarchy represented by NRC did not win power that the June 12 election was annulled and the Third Republic remained a stillborn. In the Fourth Republic the oligarchy is represented by the PDP.   To explain this in a more graphic way, in 1976, Olusegun Obasanjo was said to have agreed to become the Head of State “reluctantly” after he got the assurance of Musa ShehuYar’Adua and T. Y. Danjuma. Those two, with their cohorts were the power behind Obasanjo’s throne and dictated the tunes. In 1999, the oligarchy was trying to assuage the Southwest for the injustice done to M.K.O Abiola. But they would not allow the Southwest to choose whomever it wants. Despite their protestations, Obasanjo, a trusted tool and satellite was imposed on Yoruba and the country. The Goodluck Jonathan succession tribulation is still fresh in our memories, because he was not trusted initially..   In 2003, the oligarchy with Obasanjo’s face on it, rigged elections across the country and imposed their satellites that descended like locusts on us all. More powerful satellites, supported by the power of state, were propped up across the country to do their biddings as in LamidiAdedibu in Oyo, Andy Ubah in Anambra, just to name the most prominent. This system has lately been dubbed “godfatherism.” Those who challenged them were ousted in kangaroo primaries at Ward, Local Government, Senatorial and State levels. The main objective of the oligarchy (local neo-colonialists) is political control for economic exploitation. Ross Alabo- George in his article “Derivation and deprivation: Why the North is poor,” showed how the oligarchy controlled 80% of our oil resources.   If you see any man evocatively singing the songs of ‘one Nigeria’ as is presently constituted, effusive about its indivisibility, eloquently advocating a tortuous ‘unity in diversity,’ exuding unguarded patriotism about it, emotively feeding you on hope while you crave to extricate yourself from grinding poverty, want, need and  insecurity; movingly asking you to persevere in this unending malaise as he forcefully gives unfounded assurances about the future of Nigeria; check him out very well.   He or she is an active participant, a satellite or a sentry of those angling to exploit and dominate at all costs and by all means.   Thus when you hear the mantra: “everyone is corrupt,” recognize the success of local neo-colonialism. The oligarchy through the use of local satellites recruited from amongst every locality has successfully given corruption a semblance of national character with the sole objective of hiding the true powers behind the throne and  undercutting the ability of the victims to provide a united opposition to its continued existence. And remember, as Nkrumah contended, “a State in the grip of neo-colonialism is not master of its own destiny.”

 

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