Bankole and the next generation of treasury looters – By Emeka Chiakwelu

Posted by admin Articles, Columnists, Emeka Chiakwelu, House, Legislature, NNP Columnists Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

By Emeka Chiakwelu, NNP – June 14, 2011 – The alleged financial misappropriation, fraud and loan shenanigan in the
hands of the erstwhile Speaker of House of Representative, Mr. Dimeji
Bankole is quite troubling. “Bankole is already facing a 16-count charge
of allegedly misappropriating N9 billion capital project fund through
contract inflation.”

Then it was reported by Vanguard newspaper that the “ex-Speaker and his
colleagues shared the N10 billion loan which was an outcome of an
executive session wherein members insisted on enhancing their allowances.
According to reports, the members had prevailed on the former Speaker to
source and share the N10 billion loan, with Bankole getting about N100
million whereas his deputy got N80 million.”

Then coupled to that Bankole and the former deputy Speaker Nafada were
accused “over allegations of corrupt enrichment and misappropriation of
over N40 billion.”

These are no child picnic but massive allegations for a young man of this
generation.

It is massively disheartening even to a point of helplessness and
hopelessness for Nigeria, not because of the allegedly crime of looting
per sec but for the individual that allegedly committed the crime.

Bankole is a young man of this generation and an emerging Nigerian leader
by its own right. A man with great prospect, who has already made a great
mark in Nigeria’s polity by becoming a Speaker of the House of
Representative, the fourth in the line to the presidency, few heartbeats
away from the most important and powerful position in the country.

The Bankole’s generation has seen Nigeria at her nadir, without global
respect and with compassing corruption running rampant around the contours
and foundation of Nigeria. The ramification is nation without direction
and vision, a nation where poverty and indiscipline were eating deep into
the fabrics of the society. The building blocks of peace, unity and
brotherhood were steadily and gradually crumbling.

The country was losing sense of nationhood; it became a society where the
might was right and woe to the weak. Nigeria was fast becoming a nation
where majority of Nigerians were sinking down to floor of abject and
penury poverty. This phenomenon is contrary to a nation endowed with
ample human and natural resources – an ocean of affluence and petro-naira.

With the help of providence and prayers of ordinary Nigerians, the country
is gradually but steadily emerging from ruin of the past and impermeable
darkness.

For the first time in the history of the young nation a credible election
was held and Nigerians elected leaders of their choice not by selection
and imposing leaders on them by the ‘wise men’ of their ‘village’. This is
a good news.

This generation expects a whole lot from Bankoles of their generation and
when it is proven that Dimeji Bankole committed the allegedly crime of
looting, he will become the greatest disappointment so far in his
generation. This is a man who should have known better: well educated,
exposed to Western civilization of probity and accountability and comes
from an affluent background. Why is he committing such a silly and
stupendous crime?

This is the man that should raise the flag of Nigeria and hoist it so high
that the whole should know that Nigeria is ready to claim her spot under
the sun. Instead he chose to take his good name and throw it to the mud.
Bankole has been the role model of so many Nigerian youths since he took
over the seat of Speakership, for with eloquence and glowing intellectual
alacrity he mesmerized millions of his fellow citizens as he spoke to the
press after his swearing in and taking his oath of office.

It is a new Nigeria at least the EFCC is going with full force with the
investigation. Inasmuch the EFCC is going its job; it must not go after
him with any personal vendetta or agenda in order to prove any particular
point. EFCC must do its job without fear or favor. Demji Bankole as a
citizen deserves to be accorded the presumption of innocence until he has
been proven guilty in the court of law. This is not to be soft on him but
show that Nigerian legal and enforcement authority is in pursue of the
truth and nothing but the truth.

Nigeria must look ahead for while punishment is a major deterrent to a
crime, it also has its limitations. The current and coming generations of
young Nigerians must be inculcated and impacted with values of probity
and accountability.

Most importantly the inviolability of a high or low office with its given
powers and responsibilities must be respected.Nigeria must find ways and
means to encourage the incoming generation of politicians to shun
corruption and looting. To build a progressive and corruption- free
Nigeria, our youths the leaders of tomorrow must not compromise themselves
at the corridors of power.

Emeka Chiakwelu is the principal Policy Strategist at Afripol. Africa
Political and Economic Strategic Center (Afripol) is foremost a public
policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of
public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free
enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights,
conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.

http://afripol.org/ [email protected]wp_posts