Fantastically Corrupt: An International Perspective

We were all baffled and surprised to hear an off the record statement made by the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron in a conversation with the Queen, described Nigeria and Afghanistan as the two most fantastically corrupt countries in the world. Little did he know that he was being recorded. The Nigerian Government swiftly responded and told the world media that it was embarrassed by that statement made by the British PM. The Afghan Government also responded. But, the British PM ironically had invited several leaders, including the Nigerian leader, President Buhari to an anti-corruption summit in London. I kept on asking myself, what at all were they going to talk about corruption that we don’t already know? We all accept the fact that Nigeria has been bedeviled with the issue of corruption and the current President was trying his best to curb the menace. President Buhari told the British PM that Nigeria does not need an apology from him but the British Government should make sure to return all assets and monies stolen by Nigerians which are being kept in Britain. This statement by the Nigerian President made my day. In the first place the British PM is behaving like the proverbial pot calling the kettle black. He is indirectly “fantastically corrupt”.

His father owns an offshore account in one of the tax havens, according to the #PanamaPapers and he benefited from it. What is the British Government doing about that? When Libya was invaded and their president was murdered, this same British PM told his fellow countrymen to move into Libya and secure all the oil contracts. Definitely some percentage will trickle down to and his close associates will get their cut from the numerous oil deals. Are they not the same people who come down to Africa, bribe our public officials to loot our natural resources, dodge taxes, repatriate their income back to their countries leaving their host countries in an economic quagmire? Have they returned all the artifacts they forcibly took away from Africa? Someone who is fantastically corrupt is able to identify others who are fantastically corrupt.