The massive stealing of public funds in Nigeria may have worsened the people’s suffering. No doubt, the looting spree has become an acceptable norm.

It has now become a way of life in the country. There’s hardly any political figure since 1999 till date that does not have one financial allegations or the other attached to him or her.

Nigerians felt that with subsidy removal by the Bola Tinubu administration, that corruption would have been eradicated but that has not happened. Instead it has rather deepened the cankerworm. The oil subsidy removal introduced by the President only empowered fewer hands financially to become stronger predators. The so-called subsidy removal heightened financial indiscipline and recklessness among the political elites since they are now open to more money.

There is more money in the hands of our political actors both at the state and federal levels yet, the country is not advancing socially or economically while the people are traumatized and live in abject poverty.

Several political elites have had to face charges of corruption with anti-graft agencies but, nearly all have escaped with very light punishment or none at all. This is the kind of country we live in.

From the states to the centre, there are ugly and stinking stories of corruption that have attracted condemnations from the international community. The looting of the public treasury has become a ‘compulsory’ assignment or duty, a commitment for all public servants.

Nigerian public officials now steal with impunity, without blinking an eye. No conscience or fear at all. In the immediate past administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari, many didn’t expect to hear the kind of stories of alleged corruption or better still, that the alleged looters of public funds would walk away freely. But, such suspects or convicted persons enjoy and live large on their loot. They still parade themselves as our leaders.

Late President Buhari was expected to be ruthless with corrupt officials like he was during his military days. But, somehow he was tucked in and these guys had a field day.

Our economy is suffering all the pains because of the destructive handling of the system by the drivers. No economy can survive in such situation. Since 2015, Nigeria’s economy nosedived. This is as a result of wrong and wicked approach to economic and political policies that never produced favourable results.

In fact, since 1999 Nigeria has found a way to institutionalize corruption and weaponized poverty. That is why for 26 years as a democratic country, we are far from development. How can a government lay claim to making progress for 26 years without permanent electricity installed?

We are so enmeshed in the game of stealing public funds without any atom of shame. Stealing in government appears to be in our DNA. It does not really matter whether it is in the local, state or federal government office. Every ministry or department, whether it is the Presidency, Finance, Military, Police, National Assembly, Judiciary, Education, Police, Aviation, Humanitarian, FCT, Works, etc., they all have one alleged financial scandal or the other.

Yearly, stories of huge sums of money are budgetted but you don’t get to see it reflect in the country or people. Economic experts have faulted the recent tax law introduction as another pipeline of corruption. The money is more siphoned into private pockets than used to deliver services by government officials.

There’s nothing wrong with taxing if it is used to improve the quality of lives of the citizens. But taxing in Nigeria, from past records was used to provide more money and comfort for the ruling class.

Usually, there are no severe consequences against looters of the treasury in Nigeria, they are rather pampered like award winning athletes. These political elites have a way of defending and protecting themselves from punishment, which is why the looting spree continues unabated and the country suffers in ruins.

The judiciary has been weakened and has been treating corruption cases with levity. Nigeria has become the home of ‘anything goes’ in government. Those who are supposed to govern the country have turned against the state and people. They have prioritized malfeasance as a way of life.

When millions and billions of naira, sometimes in foreign currencies are stolen from government coffers yearly, how would Nigeria’s economy grow? Why won’t the national grid keep collapsing

and living citizens in darkness? Why won’t cheap and avoidable deaths occur constantly in our hospitals? Our roads will continue to be impassable. Unemployment will keep increasing. Crime, banditry and youth restiveness remains a common feature.

In Nigeria of the 21st century, in Abuja, the seat of power, there is no hospital with snake anti-venom. Yet, billions are voted and spent in the health sector. For what actually? When basic drugs and facilities cannot be found in any known federal government hospital.

Does this not confirm Nigeria as a truly failed country? Yet, we have a President, Vice President, President of the Senate, Senate committee for health, Speaker of the House of Reps, House committee on health, Minister for Health, Minister in charge of FCT, and others. Nigeria seriously needs a revolution to discover herself. The looting spree and mis-governance just can’t continue we infinitum.

The death of Ifunanya Nwangene, popularly referred to as, Nanya, by a snake bite recently in Abuja, is a big shame to the country. It is utterly disgraceful. Our leaders ought to cover their faces in shame. A citizen bitten by a snake in a big city such as Abuja, where the Presidency and all the political heavyweights reside is a huge scandal that cannot be swept under the carpet.

When the so called snake bite occurred, Nanya was reportedly rushed to reputable hospitals in the country’s seat of power yet no anti snake venom was found to stop the venom from circulating in her system. Our political leaders have failed the people and country. They enabled another rising star to die cheaply.

As usual, response from our leaders, of course, was just for a moment. The noise has since died off and it has become business as usual. There won’t be any improvement in our healthcare system. After all, they have the resources to travel out to seek better medical care. That’s just the way our leaders are, very insensitive to the plight of the governed.

Nigerian leaders spend more money on frivolities, fanfares, things that are not beneficial to the masses. A recent from Borno state claims that, the state government budgeted about N150 million naira to feed animals in the government house. And you ask, how much is budgeted to feed the almajiris littering the streets of Maiduguri that go to bed daily on qempty stomach? It is good to take care of animals, but equally humane, sensible and productive to care for humans.

Nearly all those who are interested in politics in Nigeria, are q genuinely qconcerned about working for the development of the country and people. qThey are more concerned about cornering the resources of the state for their selfish interests. It is the unfortunate orientation that has been inculcated in the lives of the people who claim to be our leaders. Since 1999 when democracy birthed in Nigeria the country has been on auto reverse, while many nations of the world are progressing. We have been retrogressing.

The country’s economy is in shambles. Development is at a slow pace, but our politicians’ greatest interest is stealing from the cookie jar.

This is terribly sad and a troubling culture that has been established since 1999, which is ruinous to the country’s advancement.

In all Nigerian Correctional Centres, you won’t find one of the big guys found guilty of financial impropriety. They have all mastered the act of escaping from the dragnet of the anti-graft agencies.

The former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdul Rasheed Maina is as free as a bird. Though, he has other financial charges against him but we can bet he will be totally set free.

The former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and son are in court over corruption cases. We will be shocked if he is found guilty and severely punished. In Nigeria, these guys are always ‘prresumed’ to be innocent.

Sen. Orji Kalu, former governor of Abia state was found guilty by the court for reportedly looting billions from Abia state coffers but a court also freed him merely on technicalities. He is in the Senate, chairing a committee and acting like a virgin in the maternity ward. In Nigeria, the political class and well connected do not suffer for crimes they committed. It is only the poor who wallow in prisons, handcuffed or are lynched for merely stealing a goat.

There’s no political individual since 1999, that can stand out when it comes to corruption cases. The so-called proponent of sharia law in Zamfara state, the former governor, Senator Ahmed Yerima was alleged by the first Chairman of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu to have stolen millions of naira during his governorship of the state. He was never arrested nor tried. He walks the streets of Nigeria very freely. But citizen Jangedi of Zamfara was found guilty of stealing a goat by a sharia court in Gusau and his hand was chopped off.

The Nigerian elites have ensured that the judiciary and security agencies treat them specially. The political elite can steal a whole state or ministry budget for the year and he or she will be pardoned and allowed to go with his loot. That’s the kind of country we are in and our own style of fighting corruption. Too bad for a country called.