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Poll: Budget distortion
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Fake from top to bottom
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In Nigeria, almost everything is fake. We have fake electoral officers, fake elections, fake political leaders, 419 legislators, fake certificates, fake driving licences, fake police, fake soldiers, fake governors (some were removed recently by tribunals), fake doctors, fake lawyers, fake men, fake women, fake road safety corps officers, fake naira notes, fake dollars, fake pounds sterling, fake car licence plates, fake national identity cards, fake Nigerian passports, and even fake citizens.
Anyone who is in any doubt about these claims only needs to consider various media reports in the last couple of weeks alone. Recently, the Federal Road Safety Corps admitted that there are 10 million fake drivers' licences in circulation in Nigeria. What this translates to is that there are 10 million fake drivers licensed to kill in hit and run accidents prowling on our roads. No wonder so many Nigerians are dispatched to early graves by these careless killer drivers.
As revealed by a task force raised by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and confirmed by the Corps Marshal, Osita Chidoka, an investigation into a N21 million deposit into a FRSC official's account unveiled the dangerous racket while no fewer than 60 suspects, including FRSC officers, have been arrested and may face trial. Fifty-six other FRSC officers are reportedly facing immediate redeployment. All these in order to sanitise our fake Enhanced National Driving Licence scheme which has been hijacked by a syndicate. Fake driving licence schemes are said to be prevalent at Ikeja and Eti Osa (Lagos State), Warri (Delta), Bauchi (Bauchi), Akure (Ondo), Port Harcourt (Rivers), Sango-Ota (Ogun State), Ibadan (Oyo), Benin(Edo), Yenagoa (Bayelsa), Uyo (Akwa Ibom), Owerri (Imo) and Calabar (Cross River).
According to the task force, the scam also involves the procurement of number plates for vehicles. Imagine the problem the police will have fishing out a hit and run fake driver carrying a fake driver's licence, who drives a stolen car with fake licence plates, carries a fake national identity card and lives at a fake address. No wonder our police force has great difficulty cracking so many criminal cases.
As if all these are not enough headaches, a leading senator, who is also a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, claimed recently that there are 419 lawmakers in the National Assembly. Without doubt, ex-DIG (Investigations and Intelligence), Senator Nuhu Aliyu, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence, knows exactly what he is saying. Men of his calibre do not make false claims as they are aware of the consequences. Moreover, this is not the first time the honourable senator is making such allegations. Imagine having to contend with fake law makers in addition to all the fake things we have to contend with!! God help us all.
There is no iota of doubt that the honourable senator is absolutely confident and cannot be faulted as the culprits are allegedly people he investigated for Advance Fee Fraud (otherwise known as 419) when he was Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Imagine an ex-policeman and criminals making laws for Nigeria. Any attempt by anybody to hide the identity of the 419 law makers must be resisted at all cost by Nigerians. Senator Aliyu's allegation amounts to a recommendation on the direction our obviously confused war against corruption should take, considering the fact that the government appears to have succeeded, at least temporarily, in crippling the anti-corruption warriors at the EFCC and ICPC.
If the senator's allegation appears to suggest that the National Assembly is a den of fraudsters like some of his colleagues claim, those who feel aggrieved should go to court to clear their names if they cannot wait for the Senate's Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate the matter and report its findings to the Nigerian police and the public. Senator Aliyu should not only be guaranteed the protection of his life and those of his family members since 419 operators will stop at nothing to hide their dastardly past and current actions, he should be granted the opportunity to mention the names of the 419 law makers in the National Assembly.
Without doubt, Senator Aliyu's frustration is a product of the government's various attempts to incapacitate and frustrate the EFCC and ICPC in their war against corruption, mindful of what happened to these agencies' predecessors in the anti-corruption war. The incapacitation of the Nigeria Police Force and its aborted war against corruption, which the honourable senator was once privileged to lead cannot but frustrate any patriotic law maker who sees the gains of the EFCC and ICPC on the verge of being squandered by a government that has so obviously lost direction. Senator Aliyu must not be silenced- not by the Senate, not by the House of Representatives nor by the alleged 419 law makers themselves.
Rather than attempt to cover up the 419 kingpins in their ranks, our law makers must expose them for what they are in order to save our country's image from international ridicule. If our Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the honourable Chief Law Officer of the Federation can justify his refusal to allow the British Government try ex-Delta State Governor, James Ibori in the UK for crimes he committed against the Crown on grounds of national interest, our legislators should be bold enough to protect Nigeria's image by ensuring that 419 law makers are flushed out of the revered corridors of power immediately. Otherwise, we will end up with a fake National Assembly and a fake government. That will make Nigeria fake from top to bottom.
As revealed by a task force raised by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and confirmed by the Corps Marshal, Osita Chidoka, an investigation into a N21 million deposit into a FRSC official's account unveiled the dangerous racket while no fewer than 60 suspects, including FRSC officers, have been arrested and may face trial. Fifty-six other FRSC officers are reportedly facing immediate redeployment. All these in order to sanitise our fake Enhanced National Driving Licence scheme which has been hijacked by a syndicate. Fake driving licence schemes are said to be prevalent at Ikeja and Eti Osa (Lagos State), Warri (Delta), Bauchi (Bauchi), Akure (Ondo), Port Harcourt (Rivers), Sango-Ota (Ogun State), Ibadan (Oyo), Benin(Edo), Yenagoa (Bayelsa), Uyo (Akwa Ibom), Owerri (Imo) and Calabar (Cross River).
According to the task force, the scam also involves the procurement of number plates for vehicles. Imagine the problem the police will have fishing out a hit and run fake driver carrying a fake driver's licence, who drives a stolen car with fake licence plates, carries a fake national identity card and lives at a fake address. No wonder our police force has great difficulty cracking so many criminal cases.
As if all these are not enough headaches, a leading senator, who is also a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, claimed recently that there are 419 lawmakers in the National Assembly. Without doubt, ex-DIG (Investigations and Intelligence), Senator Nuhu Aliyu, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence, knows exactly what he is saying. Men of his calibre do not make false claims as they are aware of the consequences. Moreover, this is not the first time the honourable senator is making such allegations. Imagine having to contend with fake law makers in addition to all the fake things we have to contend with!! God help us all.
There is no iota of doubt that the honourable senator is absolutely confident and cannot be faulted as the culprits are allegedly people he investigated for Advance Fee Fraud (otherwise known as 419) when he was Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Imagine an ex-policeman and criminals making laws for Nigeria. Any attempt by anybody to hide the identity of the 419 law makers must be resisted at all cost by Nigerians. Senator Aliyu's allegation amounts to a recommendation on the direction our obviously confused war against corruption should take, considering the fact that the government appears to have succeeded, at least temporarily, in crippling the anti-corruption warriors at the EFCC and ICPC.
If the senator's allegation appears to suggest that the National Assembly is a den of fraudsters like some of his colleagues claim, those who feel aggrieved should go to court to clear their names if they cannot wait for the Senate's Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate the matter and report its findings to the Nigerian police and the public. Senator Aliyu should not only be guaranteed the protection of his life and those of his family members since 419 operators will stop at nothing to hide their dastardly past and current actions, he should be granted the opportunity to mention the names of the 419 law makers in the National Assembly.
Without doubt, Senator Aliyu's frustration is a product of the government's various attempts to incapacitate and frustrate the EFCC and ICPC in their war against corruption, mindful of what happened to these agencies' predecessors in the anti-corruption war. The incapacitation of the Nigeria Police Force and its aborted war against corruption, which the honourable senator was once privileged to lead cannot but frustrate any patriotic law maker who sees the gains of the EFCC and ICPC on the verge of being squandered by a government that has so obviously lost direction. Senator Aliyu must not be silenced- not by the Senate, not by the House of Representatives nor by the alleged 419 law makers themselves.
Rather than attempt to cover up the 419 kingpins in their ranks, our law makers must expose them for what they are in order to save our country's image from international ridicule. If our Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the honourable Chief Law Officer of the Federation can justify his refusal to allow the British Government try ex-Delta State Governor, James Ibori in the UK for crimes he committed against the Crown on grounds of national interest, our legislators should be bold enough to protect Nigeria's image by ensuring that 419 law makers are flushed out of the revered corridors of power immediately. Otherwise, we will end up with a fake National Assembly and a fake government. That will make Nigeria fake from top to bottom.
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