The New EFCC: Right Peg… In who’s Interest?

“We’ll be tough on corruption…tough on the causes and roots of economic crimes! We’ll step on toes, even big toes”. It sound very familiar to my hears…, we have heard it before, somewhere, sometime and somehow.

Money has changed hands, deals had been made, calls had been exchanged, old alliances have been renewed, moles have been planted, promises had been given…, words have gone round…, and we have a new EFCC! We have got the right peg in the right hole! It’s time to celebrate. Yes! “I have said it that I’ll ensure I get him! He humiliated me. Me? No he can’t get away with it! I will show him that, nobody try that with me…, in this country? We can imagine the shape of things to come, we know the script, and hence, we can imagine how the drama will play out.

But come to think of it, what does the future portend for Nigeria where everything good or bad is down to politics? It is almost becoming a consistent trend that to last in public life, you have to be publicly unpopular, or notorious and daring. Graft and persona of graft has assumed a celebrity status, very influential and powerful. No wonder, people seek to be associated with it. Could one then be wrong to say it is almost a way of life or is one just scratching the surface? Why do we bother anyways? Anti-corruption fight, it’s all lip service when we have a compromised EFCC. Compromised? Maybe, maybe not…but what is going on these days? They have managed to crack the code. Surprised? No! Never! It is not rocket science, is it? It is a Nigerian factor. After all, anything is possible in Nigeria . It has always been…murders have not been solved… Bola Ige, Funso Williams etc Monies have not been found… $16 billion, plane is still missing, no wreckage, no body found!

“We’ll reform the EFCC; we’ll make it like FBI and Metropolitan Police” Grandiose! Maybe, maybe not! If one is not mistaken, we know the meaning of reform in Nigeria politico-parlance. We have heard about power sector reform, police service reform, civil service reform, education reform etc. What is it? Cliché or rhetoric? After all, they have to say something, which sounds the part, but lacks the substance of it. If one is wrong, cast your mind back a while ago!

New EFCC! Well, new leadership that is prepare and dares to step on toes. But what happens when the big toes are hurting badly, when the pain has become unbearably intolerable? It must not last too long; actions must be taken to soothe that feeling. It then becomes business as usual to soothe that hurting big toes.

But come to think of it, where does that leave Nigeria ? Stagnant! Compromised! Retrogressive! Ridiculed! Taken for granted! Short-changed! Prejudiced and unpopular! Where does that leave Nigerians? Helpless! Rudderless! Hopeless! Disappointed! Disgusted! Disrespected and disenchanted!

But what can we do? Only to hope that one day and truly one day, our right pegs would always find the right holes in the best interest of Nigeria and future generations. Where selfish and parochial interests would take the back seat in public life and positive legacy and ideologies would govern attitudes in public service. To the new EFCC, I would say like George Washington once said “…honour and shame from no condition rise, act well your path, for there your honour lies”.

Dr Ajileye writes from the United Kingdom, drajileye@hotmail.com