Corruption and Justice

Written by Animashaun Segun Nurudeen

Corruption and Justice: Nigeria, A Case Study.

Not long, before the advent of the just concluded Olympics in Rio, was the controversial issue of the Budget Padding where a prominent figure of the Nation's ruling cabinet was caught up in the prismatic web spurned by some unknown hands, perhaps more to bite the victim's finger than to expose the corrupt practices of the said tradition; i.e budget padding which as we later come to know was a practice that has been in operation since the very birth of the nation.

This has not been the first time such alarming practice would be whistle-blown, but like fire with nothing to burn upon, the news together with the people's reaction died as quickly as it had been propagated to the knowledge of the common man. Sometimes ago was the issue of a high-ranking public office holder,  a woman in particular, who had spent some ridiculous amount of money purchasing for herself bullet-proof cars. May I remind the reader who, perhaps, may be familiar with the event in discussion, that nothing, I mean absolutely nothing was done to correct the supposed wrong that was done to the morale of a common man who, though has not a bicycle and care less about owing one anyway, could not afford a perfect two square meal a day.

If we would follow up closely the event just mentioned above, perhaps that of the subsidy scam along with the conduct of the investigating panel leader would recall to our minds.

So numerous are these cases that no sane man would dare venture into mentioning all.

However, as little as I dare mention, it is a very sharp contrast compared to how inhumane and badly the authority descends on a common man whose criminal affair is as simple as stealing a tin of baby's food for his hungry child at home, or a packet of indomie for his own consumption.

Never was there a thing like this since the world began. The corruption of ancient Rome and Greece joined together would never come near to what simmers and strain in my dear land, Nigeria. Justice seem far to the reach of the common man, and like the nursery Pinnochio who is not aware of his unhuman condition (for he was only a wooden puppet who had suddenly come to life by the handiwork of a fairy), the common man is totally unaware of his deprived condition - of social and political injustice- and sometimes when he feign some possession of this intelligence, he seldom raise a finger in objections to the direction of this gruesome situation.

Additionally, the gap between justice and corruption in my dear nation is so wide that one may be convinced that the gap between the heavens and the earth is just the starting point. And even though this is the state of affairs with the race between these duos (justice and corruption), the latter had received a state-backing approval from the  government itself that even if it chooses walk throughout the race hencforth, my doubt of justice catching up eventually is as great as the mount everest - do not be alarmed, I do not share this sentiment alone. This is no exaggeration, and unless attention is to be paid to this gap, and not the virtues themselves, the ugly monster is only just rearing its head from the bag.

"The hands that sinneth should be cut, not that of he who was passing by... " so do the Holy Books preach, or at least so do the preachers teach of the Holy Books, and from the moral sense of nature's doing, this is just fair enough.

Though a common man I am, and of the characteristics mentioned in the previous paragraph, I share a great deal. Thinking this a favourable opportunity to disengage all my sentiments upon the course embarked by the sinking ship named Nigeria, I shall do so... I very much shall do so only if the charge against this Honorable leader of the house is suddenly dropped like the similar case of the Senate leader.