A Case Of Pot Calling Kettle Black

There is an advert I listened to a few time on Radio Nigeria network news targeted at fighting oil theft. It featured the voice of two children who are discussing what their parent told them about what is lost to oil theft and how among all oil producing nations it is only in Nigeria that the citizens steal oil.

That advert is touching as it exposes the magnitude of losses Nigeria incurs from oil theft. It is also saddening that our citizens will be stealing our oil, our main source of income, thereby preventing our government from earning her well deserved income. Come to think of it that only Nigerians among the citizens of all oil producing nations engage in that dastardly act. What a shame!

But when one looks at it more critically and also looks at other areas of thievery in the Nigeria economy, what came to mind is a case of pot calling kettle black. How do I mean? Even though this attempt at discouraging oil theft is laudable we need to look at what were the remote causes of these acts being perpetrated by some Nigerians.

In my opinion the people helping themselves to our oil illegally see this as an opportunity to take their share Nigeria’s wealth. They see that they have no access to government positions where they can steal from the treasury so they decided to steal direct from source. It is their way of taking from the national cake. What they are doing is similar to what some of our top government officials but just in a different area.

The underlying problem is the problem of greed which has characterized every stratum of the Nigerian life. This is responsible for all forms of stealing whether in the government office or at the creek, whether it is a policeman collecting twenty naira or an office clerk collecting a little bribe before forwarding a file. It is the same greed when we in our respective offices collect more our own due share or cheat our colleagues or clients and customers.

Pot calling kettle black or kettle calling pot black! Whichever you choose to say is a case where one bad person is calling another bad. Many of the government officials are stealing from the government treasury and are now blaming those stealing crude for causing problem in our economy. Is it not a case of one set of thieves calling other set thieves?

The stealing of our oil must stop so also the stealing in our offices. Right from the top down to the bottom of the ladder, the stealing must stop. A thief has no moral justification to call another person, doing same thing he does, a thief.

The government should come out strong in fighting corruption. It should be beyond paying lip service to the fight against corruption. Corrupt officials must be punished and seen to be punished. Enough of the plea bargain, negotiations, or out of court settlement. We need to see action; we need a decisive step to be taken to prevent others from indulging in the same act.

Nigerians too in their respective places of responsibility should refrain from acts of corruption. A Nigerian who is corruption to steal ten thousand naira is as guilty of corruption just like the man who stole one million naira. My argument is that if he can steal that ten thousand naira in his small position he can also steal millions when he occupies a bigger position.

The fight is ours to carry out. Let us all put hands on deck to make Nigeria corruption free and a better place for us and our unborn children.

#2015OnMyMind

#PoliticalGabriel