The FBI recently arrested a Senior Special
Assistant to a State Governor for internet fraud (claiming multiple unemployment
benefits peri-covid).
In my mind, there are so many layers to uncover, and
I will try to do so succinctly.
This action has once again put a massive dent in
the already negative perception that the world has of Nigerians. Granted, there
are also Nigerians doing a lot of amazing stuff. However, as anyone knows, bad
news travels faster. This means again more (unnecessarily?) difficult and
stringent standards for Nigerians who are looking to travel or have dealings
with the international community, e.g. in Visa applications, school
applications, international/ remote freelancing jobs etc. It also paints
politicians badly too since….er nah, scratch that. That ship already since sailed,
with no help required.
This also points to the fact that many in politics
today have their ‘Plan B’, they therefore do not see Nigeria and its progress
as anything other than a money-making venture. It’s just another avenue to
continue to source funds by milking the polity dry. I say this on the premise
that (I may be wrong) it takes a citizen with perhaps a green card or American citizenship
to claim unemployment benefits (unless of course he is claiming them under
different names that aren’t his). This means then that whenever shit hits the
roof and Nigeria becomes too hot to handle, they just up and leave.
P.S: The irony of this situation is
also that as soon as dung hits the ceiling there as well, they up and run to
Nigeria where they are certain they won’t have to answer the consequences of
their actions.
I would consider that perhaps it is a more suitable
solution to have anyone going into any political position by election or appointment
to be required to renounce any other citizenship or benefits that accrue to
them outside Nigeria. I am not quite certain of its workability, legality or
enforceability. I am however rather certain that it would see such people
sitting up to do the actual work.
Another matter is the ease with which crime can be perpetuated
on the internet. Something as small as a ‘period’ (not to be mistaken for the
monthly cycle, which is kind of a big deal) could be the difference between sapa
and flossing.
Conversely, the internet also makes crime detection
somewhat easy, so long as the criminal is relatively stupid or careless, and
plainly because we all leave a trail.
Which brings me to another (maybe final) point- the
stupidity of it all. It would appear that not much brain-work goes into the
type of schemes that many of these peeps cook-up. I have received some mails
that were so ridiculous and riddled with “ibon”
and oddities, that I would have liked to respond, just to be able to point out
the obvious loopholes in the ‘scam’.
All of this is even more painful when one considers
that the broke, hopeless, common citizen is the one left to bear the brunt of
all of these actions, consistently keeping a “way-out out” beyond their reach
once again.
To think that this person “assists” a governor. On
what o? Man has already assisted himself. He also had the aspiration to become
a member of the House of Reps! This one too now will come to events and be
forming motivational speech on patience and accountability and responsibility
and choice. Oh wait, he already did!
THESE are the types of people we are leaving governance
to? We have to do better. We need to do better. We must.
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