How Corruption Works Insecurity

“We can have democracy in this country, 

or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both”

     A census on the problems of Nigeria in the order of severity and impact would have corruption as the most constantly mentioned anomaly. From such a conclusion just as the problem poll conducted by the major opposition in Nigeria, APC would give the impression that most Nigerians are well aware of the major drawback to development. 

Conversely, this conclusion would not be too right. Due to the prevalence, magnitude and severity of the attacks by the fiendish Boko Haram many might justifiably say that insecurity is the biggest challenge facing the nation.

Only a few can see the corollary between corruption and insecurity. To the average Nigerian corruption is what happens in government when officials use state funds to live a life of affluence above their basic salary. The masses can’t fathom how corruption is directly responsible for insecurity.

    In any warfare, the greatest strategy is to cut off the supply line of the enemy. Armies often go to great length to sabotage the channel of supply be it railway line, fuel depot or arsenal of the opposing forces. Indeed how fast reinforcement can be delivered or deployed has been the single most important factor in swinging victory in a war one way the order. 

Little wonder a Chinese proverb says "For the want of a nail a horse was lost  For the want of a horse, a rider was lost

 For the want of a rider, a battle was lost

And for the loss of the battle the empire fell".

This is why locating the source of your opponent’s strength and reinforcement in order to destroy same is very crucial in a war and terrorism is no different. The reason why countries clamp down on drug trafficking, illegal betting, slavery, prostitution ring, illegal trade in arms and such vices is that most often such nefarious trades fund terrorism.

The place of corruption in all these is that none of the aforementioned illicit trades would thrive if one government official somewhere did not look away due to graft and of course the profit from such pays for the guns and bombs used to wreak havoc. 

 

The war against terrorism can’t be won until the source of the funding of the terror groups are identified and destroyed one way or the order. When the President declares that corruption is not as big a problem as most of us fear, one cannot but be awed by the lacuna between Aso Rock and the rest of us.

 Conclusively, why did I quote Louis D. Brandies, prominent American Jurist? It is in response to one of the numerous gaffes by President Jonathan that Nigerians are not poor since we have the highest number of private jet owners in the world. From this, it goes to show that what we are practicing is anything but a democracy. Obviously, wealth redistribution is foreign to the government of the day if not a 75% abject poverty should concern any thinking government.

Olawale Ojokolo