Making Politics and Governance Unattractive to Looters and Mediocre!

There was once an American robber called Mr Willie Sutton. When he was asked why he robbed banks. He replied: “`Cos that’s where the money is”. It was an uncomplicated philosophy which served him well until he was caught and marched off to prison.

We can apply this analogy to the Nigerian politician. Why are they in politics and want to be in government? Because Politics and Government are where the money is. This is where and how they can make fortunes with very little effort. The money is there to be taken, so where else to be than to pretend you want to serve Nigeria and its people, and you are suddenly in charge of, or have access to billions of Naira. So just “eat” on.

Government and Politics must be made very unattractive to Nigerians, as far as financial consideration is concerned. If government, including the executive and legislative arms, is made unattractive, what we will have is that only people, who are genuinely committed to serving the people and the country, will be found in government. Hence, corruption will abate. The thieves and the selfish, seeing no financial advantage in being in government, will stay away.

In the UK, local government Councillors are not paid salaries. What remuneration they get for serving their constituents, are expenses for attending house sessions, maintaining their offices and their surgeries. Therefore, they are free to have their main job, but serving the people, or being in government or politics is not a lifetime career, unlike what obtains in Nigeria. Our Nigerian politicians think politics is a career, they think government is a career. Their main reason for being in government and politics is to enable them to steal the peoples’ money. And that is why they never want to quit politics for another career after they have served their terms, even when it is obvious that they have not offered much to the people who purportedly elected them in terms of service or bettering their lot, only enriching themselves.

Therefore, any new political reform should address this. Legislators must be paid expenses only for their service to the country. The current system is very profligate, expensive and attracts thieves and mediocre. Expenses must be for attendances, cost of keeping constituency offices open, and if they have to be given car, housing and transport allowances, these must be properly allocated, scrutinized, monitored and commensurate with the service provided by these people. Judging from recent revelations on the wastefulness and profligacy of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senators, etc, the cost of running Nigeria’s democracy is too high, and especially given our penchant for lack of accountability and corruption, this has to be brought under rigid and strict control. Our unscrupulous political class should be discouraged and deterred from going into government to make money.

Hence make it unattractive to them.

Akintokunbo A Adejumo MSc, Dip Mngt, CIHM, MCMI, FITP