Another View on The Southerner Newspaper
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Nigerians are docile. That is one of the reasons why our leaders act the way they do, with plenty of impunity.
We often relax and wait for God to fight our battles for us. We wait for other countries to arrest and punish our corrupt leaders who have squandered our common wealth.
It is time for Nigerians to wake up and take up the gauntlet to repair their country especially as it concerns the fight against corruption or be ruined. Our elected leaders are taking us for granted. It is because of our submissive nature that, the Nigerian political office holders steal without fear.
In other climes, there are rules that are meant for all. It doesn’t matter your class or height in the society, the rules must apply. Citizens of other countries rise up against bad leaders to save their country from destruction.
It was based on the fact that, there are rules in other countries that the former Governor of one of the Niger Delta States, could not escape justice in the UK, after doing so from the Nigerian judicial system because of the way it operates. Even when there were pieces of evidence, including allegedly offered as a bribe to the EFCC. He is back in the country after serving his sentence in the UK where he was arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced.
A similar fate almost happened to the Diepreye Alameiyeiseigha of Bayelsa state before he ‘jumped the fence’ and fled from the shores of the UK.
Presently, Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy President of the Senate is in jail in the UK. These are countries with respect for rule and equality before the law. They have zero tolerance for corruption. Unfortunately, Nigeria romances with it by looking the other way to allow persons in position of authority steal without any limit.
The developed world and some African countries are fighting corruption frontally without fear or favour but disappointingly, we do not in Nigeria. Here, we celebrate it.
Nigerian leaders are enmeshed in corrupt practices while the followers encourage them by clapping and hailing. We embrace it, and allow such malfeasance to fester.
Nigerian politicians have no other reason entering into politics but for monetary gains. That is why since 1999, we cannot point to any laudable achievement both at the state and federal government levels. They simply deceive the people by building roads, bridges, giving fake handouts while stealing large sums of money from the state coffers for their personal use.
Rivers state is a state with huge resources. There is absolutely no reason why citizens of the state should not enjoy free medical care. No reason why school age children should not have free education and houses built for nearly all citizens.
Nyesom Wike in the last 26 years has been in government. He first served in Rivers state as a Local Government Chair. He later became Chief of Staff to the Governor of the state. Then he was made a Minister under President Goodluck Jonathan. Presently, he is a member of the Federal Executive Council as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Wike has no record of any economic or financial wealth before joining politics in 1999. But today, this loudmouth and “gra-gra” politician can compete with Nigeria’s billionaires like, Femi Otedola and Aliko Dangote. Nigerians deserve to know how he became so wealthy without any known business empire.
He has been deeply and embarrassingly exposed by the popular human rights activist, investigative journalist and anti-corruption czar, Omoyele Sowore of SaharaReporters. It has been alleged that, as a public servant, he illegally bought three properties in the United States of America allegedly worth more than $6 million. Quite huge.
It is obvious that, this noisy Wike must have bought those properties with illicit funds, even though he denied the allegation.
Unfortunately for Wike, money allegedly stolen from the treasury of Rivers State was traced to properties he and his wife bought and hid under the children’s names. The properties were reportedly bought in Winter Springs, Florida for about $6 million.
Wike’s salary and allowances calculated from 1999 till date won’t be up to $6 million. No doubt, the facts of this sleaze are overwhelming and border on criminality. It is enough for this government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to have suspended and ordered the anti-graft agency, EFCC to invite Wike for questioning.
If Mr. President fails to take action against Wike as far as this case is concerned then, obviously there’s no fight against corruption going on in this government.
This is indeed an opportunity for President Tinubu to show the world that he is truly fighting corruption in his country without blinking an eye.
The president must realize that, Nyesom Wike from his political records is not a man to pardon. He has the tendency of turning against his benefactors. Since 1999, he has fought all those who contributed immensely to his envious political height.
From Peter Odili to Chibuike Amaechi, Edwin Clark, Goodluck Jonathan, Patience Jonathan, the PDP etc. Certainly, he will fight President Tinubu one day. It is just a matter of time.
Nyesom Wike is a man full of himself and grandstands. Yet, he reportedly dips his hand in the public till without fear. He does so with such recklessness and audacity. He fights and condemns every other person as if he is a righteous being. But with this allegation of buying property abroad illegally, he is about to go under the waters.
Wike, with this Florida revelation and other discoveries of his alleged multi -billion naira hotels, petrol stations, estates and shopping malls in Port Harcourt, he is definitely in Big Trouble. He won’t remain the same again after this Florida revelation.
Since Omoyele Sowore made this ugly disclosure, the political rabble rouser has gone dumb. In trying to defend himself some days ago, he spewed inanities. He was just incoherent like a man with hot food in his mouth.
One of the lessons Wike failed to learn fast as a politician is in failing to study his opponents before entering a battle with them. He also did not understand that, it is not all fights you go into. Apparently he underestimated Sowore. Now the ‘little boy’ he looked down on is about to ground him.
I have no doubt Wike will be regretting entering the ring for a battle that was never his. Perhaps, just perhaps, if he did not enter into the ring against Sowore, he may not have collected the devastating bullets that may walk him and his Appeal Court Judge wife into jail thereby losing the so-called ill-gotten properties.
