FARIDA WAZIRI, NIGERIAN PUBLIC OFFICIALS ARE PSYCHOTIC!
She is probably right, otherwise how could anyone explain the brigandage that have pervaded Nigeria since her independence, 49 long years ago? Each successive governments far worse than the one it succeeded, both in wanton corruption and human rights abuse? Madam EFCC, Farida Waziri braved it and called it for what it is, she gave it a name; yes, a name:- Nigerian public officials are all psychotic! They suffer from psychosis, - an abnormal condition of the mind which involves loss of contact with reality? According to Farida, Nigerian public officials are suffering from some form of psychiatric disorder which keep them in a perpetual and unending chain-reaction of ineptitude, corruption and animistic behaviors? Icheoku says, thank you Madam EFCC for at least putting a name on the madness by Nigerian ruling elites and now that the whole world knows that they are mental, at least Nigerians will start seeing their leaders for who they are, lunatics! Her panacea, have their heads examined before they are allowed in any public offices or places. In her own very words, Farida Waziri said, “I am inclined to suggest that public officers should be subjected to some form of psychiatric evaluation to determine their suitability for public office. The extent of aggrandizement and gluttonous accumulation of wealth that I have observed suggests to me that some people are mentally and psychologically unsuitable for public office. We have observed people amassing public wealth to a point suggesting madness or some form of obsessive - compulsive psychiatric disorder.” Nothing ever said can be this closer to a true assessment of the Nigerian public officials, than this summation by Madam EFCC which clearly articulated the reason behind the madness of Nigerian public officials. How else can anyone explain what we read on the pages of newspapers and e-media of Nigerian leaders, who would rather own houses overseas, dump stolen billions of dollars in Switzerland, allow hospitals to die off because they have access to overseas medical treatment, will not make power readily available because they have generators, would allow schools and universities to shut down for several months because their wards are studying overseas, as well as other inhumane treatment of Nigerians, except STARK RAVING MADNESS! Icheoku concurs with Madam EFCC that passage of Freedom of Information (FOI) bill and Whistle Blower Act will greatly assist the war-effort on corruption in Nigeria; these two legislation will help checkmate the flagrant abuse of public office by such Nigerian office holders. Both will also inculcate the culture of accountability in public service; but the problem is that it is the same people who are being asked to pass the legislation that it will seek to checkmate, which leads Icheoku to ask, can these band of bandits go against themselves with such a legislation meant to police them? Our verdict, we do not think so! Agreeing with Madam EFCC, Icheoku affirms that the future of the war on corruption effort depends on what happens with both legislation, now being stifled in the House of Representatives? Continuing, Madam EFCC said, “If we truly expect a public service that is accountable to the people of Nigeria, then the Freedom of Information Bill must be passed. If you deny the public the right to know, the anti- corruption war is lost." 
Icheoku says, the head to tail of all Nigeria's problem is corruption; and until corruption is made a very hazardous affair for Nigerian public officials, what is hounding Nigeria will continue ad infinitum! No amount of adumbration of and by some few "elected" officials, trying in vain to put a good face on what is, will solve the problem. It needs a comprehensive surgical approach and only a very dissuading deterrent, such as a long prison sentence or even death by firing squad as obtains in China, will put an end to the lunacy of corruption in Nigeria and by Nigerian public officials! Icheoku agrees into-to with Madam EFCC that a 'certificate of head-correctness and soundness of mind' should be a pre-requisite for every Nigerian seeking public office. And it does not that the Senate President, midget David Mark called Madam EFCC's assertion unfortunate; the truth is that they all are in-cahoot with the criminality of corruption going on in Nigeria. David Mark's corrupt escapade in NITEL is still very fresh in memory and the Nigeria Senate still harbors in its fold, Senator Jubril Aminu who was implicated in the $12 million dollar SIEMENS bribery; and he is chair of the senate foreign affairs committee? Several past heads of state and governments along with their officials were implicated in the $180 million dollars Halliburton bribery scandal which have since been swept under the carpet by sickly President Umaru Yar'Adua? So do the math, Nigerians!
She is probably right, otherwise how could anyone explain the brigandage that have pervaded Nigeria since her independence, 49 long years ago? Each successive governments far worse than the one it succeeded, both in wanton corruption and human rights abuse? Madam EFCC, Farida Waziri braved it and called it for what it is, she gave it a name; yes, a name:- Nigerian public officials are all psychotic! They suffer from psychosis, - an abnormal condition of the mind which involves loss of contact with reality? According to Farida, Nigerian public officials are suffering from some form of psychiatric disorder which keep them in a perpetual and unending chain-reaction of ineptitude, corruption and animistic behaviors? Icheoku says, thank you Madam EFCC for at least putting a name on the madness by Nigerian ruling elites and now that the whole world knows that they are mental, at least Nigerians will start seeing their leaders for who they are, lunatics! Her panacea, have their heads examined before they are allowed in any public offices or places. In her own very words, Farida Waziri said, “I am inclined to suggest that public officers should be subjected to some form of psychiatric evaluation to determine their suitability for public office. The extent of aggrandizement and gluttonous accumulation of wealth that I have observed suggests to me that some people are mentally and psychologically unsuitable for public office. We have observed people amassing public wealth to a point suggesting madness or some form of obsessive - compulsive psychiatric disorder.” Nothing ever said can be this closer to a true assessment of the Nigerian public officials, than this summation by Madam EFCC which clearly articulated the reason behind the madness of Nigerian public officials. How else can anyone explain what we read on the pages of newspapers and e-media of Nigerian leaders, who would rather own houses overseas, dump stolen billions of dollars in Switzerland, allow hospitals to die off because they have access to overseas medical treatment, will not make power readily available because they have generators, would allow schools and universities to shut down for several months because their wards are studying overseas, as well as other inhumane treatment of Nigerians, except STARK RAVING MADNESS! Icheoku concurs with Madam EFCC that passage of Freedom of Information (FOI) bill and Whistle Blower Act will greatly assist the war-effort on corruption in Nigeria; these two legislation will help checkmate the flagrant abuse of public office by such Nigerian office holders. Both will also inculcate the culture of accountability in public service; but the problem is that it is the same people who are being asked to pass the legislation that it will seek to checkmate, which leads Icheoku to ask, can these band of bandits go against themselves with such a legislation meant to police them? Our verdict, we do not think so! Agreeing with Madam EFCC, Icheoku affirms that the future of the war on corruption effort depends on what happens with both legislation, now being stifled in the House of Representatives? Continuing, Madam EFCC said, “If we truly expect a public service that is accountable to the people of Nigeria, then the Freedom of Information Bill must be passed. If you deny the public the right to know, the anti- corruption war is lost." 
Icheoku says, the head to tail of all Nigeria's problem is corruption; and until corruption is made a very hazardous affair for Nigerian public officials, what is hounding Nigeria will continue ad infinitum! No amount of adumbration of and by some few "elected" officials, trying in vain to put a good face on what is, will solve the problem. It needs a comprehensive surgical approach and only a very dissuading deterrent, such as a long prison sentence or even death by firing squad as obtains in China, will put an end to the lunacy of corruption in Nigeria and by Nigerian public officials! Icheoku agrees into-to with Madam EFCC that a 'certificate of head-correctness and soundness of mind' should be a pre-requisite for every Nigerian seeking public office. And it does not that the Senate President, midget David Mark called Madam EFCC's assertion unfortunate; the truth is that they all are in-cahoot with the criminality of corruption going on in Nigeria. David Mark's corrupt escapade in NITEL is still very fresh in memory and the Nigeria Senate still harbors in its fold, Senator Jubril Aminu who was implicated in the $12 million dollar SIEMENS bribery; and he is chair of the senate foreign affairs committee? Several past heads of state and governments along with their officials were implicated in the $180 million dollars Halliburton bribery scandal which have since been swept under the carpet by sickly President Umaru Yar'Adua? So do the math, Nigerians!
Farida Waziri: Psychiatry and Nigeria's ruling class
ReplyDeleteby Is'haq Modibbo Kawu
So Nigerians have had an underlining suspicion that we might have been allowing madmen in the corridors of power; the difference being that they have not been walking naked in markets but have been extremely busy stealing our country blind!
Of course I am not disputing the sociology of corruption which led to madam’s conclusion; however, I believe that reducing the problem to the subjective issues of a compulsive disorder makes some faulty assumptions: one, that the neo-colonial order is a ‘normal’ form of society and that capitalism is the only way that society can be organized. On the two grounds, I disagree with Mrs. Waziri. In matters like this, the fault is not only in the individuals, but more fundamentally in the nature of society that produces them; it is nature and nurture combined!
The Nigerian ruling class chose capitalism as path to development. But Nigeria is really a neo-colonial country, with a specific role assigned to it, within the international capitalist division of labour. That role was to supply cash crops in the past and oil today while acting as market for goods from the advanced capitalist countries. In essence, the Nigerian ruling class is about one hundred years late in its lame effort to build a capitalist society. In that phase, there was the colonization of the Americas and the genocide of the Aborigine populations and the slave trade which Marx said turned Africa into a warren for the commercial exploitation of black peoples. So without this phase and the subsequently colonialism and neo-colonialism, which has continued to this day, the advanced capitalist countries would not have built the capitalist success which they tout as the only way society can be developed.
Unfortunately for Nigeria, the ruling class has no colonies to expropriate surplus from; there is no significant peasant production to steal neither is there a substantial working class to exploit. The resources of the state are therefore where they turn to for the “gluttonous accumulation of wealth” which Mrs. Waziri referred to. But the difference is that while the robbers in Europe and America invested their loot to develop their capitalist societies, and to earn respect, even began to set up foundations and endowments with their blood-soaked monies, in Nigeria our thieving rulers loot and take monies out of the country. They do not invest here; they don’t make their loot serve social ends. This is the only basis to accept the theses that they are simply mad! But do not be deceived, there is no way to have capitalism without its attendant concomitants of corruption, especially in a neo-colonial setting. The imperialists, who preach a “corruption-free capitalism” and other pseudo moralizing, know that the system is soaked in the blood of millions of exploited peoples around the world. Its continued hegemony is watered with more blood as we have seen in Iraq; in the theft of resources around the world and related corrupt acts. That is the nature of the capitalist system or how many times have we heard of bribes given by Western Transnational Corporations for contracts in Third World countries? Why did we have the Siemens and Halliburton scandals?
If Farida Waziri genuinely believes we must check the psychiatric state of members of our ruling class, it might be a popular move but she is still scratching the surface of the problem. Her suggestion has not gone down well with David Mark, an archetype of the ruling class in Nigeria! She has a long battle to fight because our rulers truly betray symptoms of obsessive psychiatric disorder, but it is a product of the unproductive and historically barren form of capitalism they have foisted on Nigeria. The choice created an ambience where corruption is the essence of governance and in turn it has made lunatics out of our thieving rulers! This is why Nigerian patriots must work for the liberation of our country: there is no hope on the path they have chosen for Nigeria.