
If many talented Africans, especially Nigerians excel in Europe and the United States, why can’t they use the same expertise to develop their individual countries? Corruption in high places is not unique to Africa. The fact is, there are more talented Africans at home outside the Military. But the temptations they ignore in foreign countries are embraced in Africa. They know Deterrence makes postal boys out of successful Blacks abroad. In Africa, most can kill or buyout deterrents.
Since the interventions by military rulers, most African countries have never recovered from the trauma of armed robbery. It is not a coincidence that ethnic conflicts escalated into armed and full blown civil wars. Militricians claim they returned democracy to their country when they either become civilian Presidents or pick their cronies to rule. Soldiers are trained to defend their country from external or uncontrollable internal aggression, not trained in the political economy.
African military men, as the sacred cows, have replaced the colonialists: looting Africa with impunity. They inherited a colonial enabling environment. They are so powerful and unmoved, most civilian Presidents watch their backs. Only a few argue with guns, no matter how many times we condemn it. Otherwise, the so-called bloody civilians risk displacement. The overthrow and ugly humiliation of Lumumba in Congo still crawls the blood of most decent human beings.
The only way the military rulers could be replaced is through a palace coup like what Nzeogwu did in Nigeria and what Rawlings did in Ghana. Take a look at Niger, Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Guinea. There is nothing they all promised that had not been promised by past Military leaders. They are all intoxicated by power. Even the ones with idealistic motives at the beginning of their reigns become too comfortable after enjoying the regalia of office.
The scramble for national cake by the new elite of Military brass and their political leaders have made the Accountants and Economists scrabbling for the accurate amount of money coming into the country and the amount of goods and services going out impossible. Any foreign country can enter Nigeria and other African countries with the support of the Military: to establish mining, agriculture and factories without proper accountability to the Local and Central Governments.
General Murtala Muhammed, a well known looter, decided to change and gave up his loot in order to clean up Nigeria when he became President. Panic gripped his colleagues that took Nigeria for granted, never allowing him to succeed. Mohammed was gunned down in his official vehicle about six months in office since he was going to clean Augean Stable including those engaging in drug peddling. He had a promising crusade against corruption but was aborted.
General Buhari was a no-nonsense Military man. Even when known as a religious fanatic trusted by Boko Haram to negotiate with the civilian Government on their behalf, most Nigerians loved his zero tolerance for corruption. Buhari was so respected and feared in the Military, we were surprised that another General, Babangida could overthrow him. Unfortunately for Babangida we thought then: that Buhari who later became a civilian President, would pay IBB back.
Those of us that anticipated the end of Babangida for overthrowing Buhari were wrong again! No Government, even those headed by a militrician can touch the sacred cows in the military. What we did not know is what the caliber in the Military knew long ago - that nobody born of a woman could touch them. The power they enjoy did not come from ballot boxes, it was ordained by the power of Armed Robberies. What is the business of soldiers with Enabling Environment?
It was the same Babangida who annulled the fairest Election in the history of Nigeria that voted Abiola as the President. Captain David Mark who later became the Senate President had threatened to shoot Abiola if he had been installed as the elected President. The lack of enabling environment for economic and political growth most complained of are stifled by the culture of hijacked governments by Armed Robberies of the governments with impunity.
Therefore, if most political and economic experts locally or foreign trained are wondering why economic hypotheses that curbed corruption in other countries like in Asian politics, did not work make a dent in Africa; check the entrenched power of former military rulers in Africa. They have no other job than to look for ways to increase their spoils of fortune like their colonial masters, become stupendously rich, no tangible investment but to launder foreign cash back abroad.
The military training they had from Europe and America was used to fight one another in Civil Wars. They negotiate all the military arms contracts while negotiating their kickbacks. Their training turned them into enemies within their countries destroying one man one vote in any form of democracy. Indeed, they have replaced the old civilian political ruling class. Young men started seeing military careers as their surest bet to get into government in order to loot.
Nigeria has become a draining basket despite its enormous resources. The leaks are just insurmountable since every militrician and their civilian colleagues look for loopholes to drain the countries of foreign income. Since modern technologies are available and being used in other countries, it is a deliberate conspiracy to sabotage local industries and entrepreneurs. As a result, we cannot account for what is going out or coming into the country.
Therefore, countries with less resources and talented individuals are making more money in foreign and local incomes than Nigeria. Nigerian politicians and militricians have colluded with father and sons businesses like P&ID that lacked an aorta of the technical talents needed to enhance our budding resources just to defraud the country. What do these Vagabonds In Power do with the ill-gotten profit? They laundered it back abroad!
This notion that a new government would be worse than the previous one is a fallacy. Nobody missed Babangida or Abacha! Obasanjo,as a former military and civilian Head of State, complained recently that despite leaving $70bn in Nigeria’s coffers, we owe more debt now than ever. OBJ please blame your Military boys.
Yet, the Nigeria Military used to be one of the best Peacekeepers around the world. They were invited whenever there were conflicts. But for Nigeria Peace Keeping efforts, wars would still be raging in more African countries. Recently, as more military palace coups gripped West Africa, the Civilian Government of Nigeria tried like the good old days to restore democracy through negotiations by bringing opposite parties together. Nigeria was warned to mind its business.