BILL SEEKING TO ALLOW PUBLIC OFFICERS OPERATE FOREIGN ACCOUNTS-A DESPERATE BID TO LEGALISE AND INSTITUTIONALISE CORRUPTION AND MONEY LAUNDERING The ongoing attempt by the House of Representatives to pass a bill that will allow Public Officers to operate foreign accounts is atrocious and a desperate bid by the lawmakers to institutionalise and legalise corruption and money laundering. It is sheer brinkmanship and political brigandage. The bill which has already passed its second reading if allowed to scale through will spell doom for our nation and turn Nigeria legally and institutionally, into a country where its leaders are accountable to no one. At present, the government is accountable to none but at least, it can still be made to account for its actions, because the substantive Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, and relevant laws guarantee that, even though the mechanism for its enforcement is seriously jaundiced. But once this bill being championed by the lawmakers is allowed to fly, then there will be no more hope for probity, accountability and transparency in this country. It is sad to note that at a time when democracies globally are taking a giant leap beyond secrecy, opening up governments, and becoming increasingly accountable to their people-the electorate, ours is taking a precipitous slide to draconian days; days better imagined than experienced. Indeed, historical records worldwide had shown that a government that is open thrives better than that mired in controversy and concealment. A government that is accountable to its people, that conscientiously does all it can to strengthen the institutions of democracy, that punishes incompetence and malfeasance and rewards integrity and diligence does well, last longer and insures development for the greater good. We are in a fast changing world, a world evidently undergoing a three-prong critical revolution in the socio-political and economic sphere, technology and human rights. These are the things that are, and will determine the shape and direction of issues in this century; a classic revolution of values, but alas our government, in particular the legislature is sleeping through this amazing revolution. Soon, this cancer will spread into the very fabric of this nation, and if we, the Nigerian people do not ask fast, it will become malignant. These heartless, conscienceless and shameless men cannot even work to strengthen a simple Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to make government more open and accountable neither could they pass a sound Fiscal Responsibility Law to check fiscal recklessness; all they did was watered down the Fiscal Responsibility Act. For almost one and half a decade since return to democratic rule, they have squandered our commonwealth and collective patrimony. All of the Lawmakers regardless of party affiliation are up to no good; the judgement of God is upon them. The Nigerian people surely cannot allow them to get away with this one; they cannot continue messing up with our collective destiny, and jeopardising and mortgaging the future of our children. It is time to take a stand and make our voices heard.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 22:05:23 +0000
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