In 2008 Bode George a former chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority was sentenced to 30bmonths imprisonment on the grounds of abuse of office and alleged illegal award of contracts worth N84 billion.
I was a bit happy about the sentence seeing that pensioners of the same organization where being owed pension. My mother for years was being owed her pension having served the same NPA for 30 years. For years she lived without pension and I know how that greatly affected us.
And so to hear that one man sort of relocated funds seemed too much of a bitter pill to swallow at that point in time seeing that I was there suffering as my mother wasn't receiving pension.
I really didn't care if he was innocent or guilty truth is they had their evidences and I was too emotional to care.
In my mind justice had being served even though the story going around then was one of a man who had offended his benefactor and had hence being cut off from the circle of the powers that be and thrown into the den of the dogs to be fed on.
Truth is I cared less. He was serving time and I had hope of my mum getting her pension in an event where they miraculously retrieved the missing funds *The funds were never retrieved*
For the first time I had a little in faith in the Nigerian judiciary system even though the punishment he received in comparison to the amount he stole was little, they atleast made it clear that no one was and is bigger than the law.
This happened barely 6 years ago but looking at the current situation of Nigeria and how the Buhari administration has being pursing looters up and down one is left to say what Bode George went to jail for was just a child's play crime.
Nigerians no longer steal in Naira they now steal in dollars. One man/woman is bold enough to steal the entire gross income for a whole country without feeling any remorse whatsoever.
The news lately has been filled with all sorts. From government officials having billions in their account and buying homes abroad to funrishing their homes with billions One is left to ask why on earth did Bode George now go to jail?
Was his case just a case of a scapegoat being used to scare others from stealing? You know how in schools when your class teacher would use one student as scapegoat so others can be scared of their wrath
Or is this just a case of the judiciary system going calm on criminals? Everyday we read the papers and all we see is $15m missing, N3b looted. Na wetin how much the country get sef
Where are they even seeing this money to steal sef?
How are banks even saving this money for these set of people without conscience?
How can someone steal funds huge enough to run like for African countries?
Why is EFFC wasting government funds running after invisible thieves? All they know how to catch is yahoo yahoo boys. Is that what they set you guys up for?
I personally feel like the judge needs to call back Bode George and say I am sorry for sending you to jail , seeing that the same penalty we gave to you can't be meted out to the new thieves.
I feel bad sometimes thinking about the situation of thing, I get scared sometimes that this set of people would steal all we have leaving generations unborn to deal with a massive debt.
This days all our judiciary system knows how to do is sentence a man who stole N8000 and a nokia phone to 14 years imprisonment, or a sentence a man for stealing one goat. Like is that why we are here?
I am not here to throw sticks and stones but rather I am here to watch all these their misbehaviour like an action movie because eventually it would play out right before their own eyes. I would be right here ready to throw stones and sticks then literally.
PS: I bet Bode George is back in his home right now clapping his hands like well done , well done una try well well..........
Written by Funmi Uju Fleau
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