Editors’ note: The writer, Buchi Obichie, highlights the previous monumental national properties which have gone missing in this country, as reasons why she cannot be bothered over the $500m retrieved Abacha loot which was recently discovered to have gone missing.
My little cousin whom we fondly call ‘Baby’ – even now that she’s in her 20’s – suffered a lot of grief at the hands of her older siblings in her early years. I remember being at the dinner table and NEPA suddenly decides to be an ‘enemy of progress’ and ‘takes’ their light. Before the generator comes on, one of my cousins would have stretched his or her hands and snatched Baby’s piece of meat from her plate.
By the time the light comes on, poor Baby would be confronted with a ‘meatless’ plate of food. She would immediately begin wailing, and my fire-brand aunty would reach for her cane – which was usually never far away – and come stand by the table.
“Oya, one, two, before I open my eyes and count three, you people should produce Baby’s meat…orsisoh (fast)!,” she would scream.
In due course, the mischief maker would bring out the piece of meat, and quickly drop it back in Baby’s plate.
But producing your loot was no guarantee that you, ‘the thief’, would be spared my aunt’s cane. She would immediately dispense a few lashes before taking Baby away from the dinner table to the parlor – or somewhere else – where the child would finally be able to eat her meal in peace.
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I sometimes wish Nigeria were like my cousin’s childhood home where nothing stayed missing and ‘thieves’ received quick and appropriate punishment, ‘as e dey hot’!
A few days ago, I heard that $500m from a recovered Abacha loot had gone ‘missing’. I laughed to myself. You see, nothing – absolutely nothing – surprises me about my beloved nation anymore. At this point, I am jaded, numb, and quite frankly, cannot be bothered!
Why should I be bothered when in this same country, a full ship laden with 30,000 barrels of crude oil has gone ‘missing’ at port, with crew and cargo?
Why should I be bothered when 73 tankers laden with fuel would take off from the refinery in Kaduna, and 55 would suddenly go ‘missing’ in transit to Abuja? Just on a two-hour journey!
Why should I be bothered, when our $340m national satellite in ‘space’ – not even on land – can go ‘missing’?
Why should I be bothered when an entire national budget – both hard and soft copies – has gone ‘missing’, in this great Nigeria?
Why should I even be angry and bothered about this $500m, when $20 billion has gone ‘missing’ before? At least, that’s what the CBN governor at the time told us. And to add insult to injury, our then-president made a mockery of the situation by saying that if the money was really missing, “America would know!”
Ahh, I am way passed the point of surprise or shock about anything that goes on in this country. This is a truly fantastic nation with even more fantastic people!
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So, as usual, they are jumping up and down about this ‘missing’ $500m. At the same time however, some – like me- are questioning the ‘timing’ of this finding. Why is it now that we are crying out loud about our current mess, that people have suddenly noticed that such money has gone missing and are ‘launching investigations’? Abeg, leave trash for LAWMA!
Anyway, while they are searching for the money in ‘farmlands on the outskirts of Abuja’, in ‘unattractive bungalows in the slums of Kaduna’, and even in ‘opulent serviced apartments in Ikoyi’, I am just here, hustling on a daily, trying to find my own path and locate a few ‘greens’ as I go along!
As I have said, Nigeria is not like my cousins’ childhood home; so even when the generator comes on and someone stands with a cane, ready to unleash mayhem on offenders, this money would most likely never be found! In fact, a bigger amount is sitting somewhere at the moment, patiently waiting to go ‘missing’ at the appropriate time!
This opinion piece was written by Buchi Obichie.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of NAIJ.com.
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Source: Naija.ng