A few weeks ago, Nigerians woke up to the news that a mysterious snake had eaten a whopping N36million from the coffers of Benue State office of the JAMB. At first people thought somebody was trying to play April Fool on them even though it was February. But with the passage of time it has sunk in that it was not a joke, after all.
The Next Edition has talked to some Nigerians on the issue and the implications of the whole saga to the war on corruption that the present administration has been waging since its inception.
Mr. Uzo Nwokwu, a US-based Lawyer and Law Enforcement Professional, reacted thus, “One side of me hopes it is a joke. The other ones tells me it is unlikely to be a joke given several similar bizarre stories emanating from the country in the past and how they were treated with levity by the various governments then in power.
“Recall how one Alhaji Shugaba who, sometime in the First Republic, was slated to be screened by the Senate, I think, claimed that his academic credentials were eaten up by a goat. I have been waiting to hear either a rebuttal of the story from the alleged source, the Headquarters of the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board (JAMB), the EFCC or the federal government to say something about it but none seems to be interested.
“My guess is that they all probably consider the amount meager, “chicken change,” as they say. But I am not surprised at all given the record of the APC/Buhari government on public corruption. It goes the way of the Osborne road billions, the SGF millions saga, NNPC’s $25 b etc. When did the government start doing business in cash? Let’s assume for once that there was such an amount in cash, was it kept in a vault or in Ghana-Must-Go?
“I condemn it in the strongest terms possible and challenge the federal government to speak up. Nigerians want to see the money and the snake as well as the person in whose custody the said money was. This is about the most corrupt, incompetent and imbecile administration in the history of Nigeria.”
Mr. Nwokwu spoke further, “I challenge the federal government to move immediately and investigate, expose and try those behind this fraud. Otherwise, it will remain one of the most significant blemishes on this administration by the sheer folly involved.
“I have never seen the Muhammadu Buhari administration as one that fights corruption. Never. Everything this government has done shows it is business as usual. The only thing different is that now the “Chop-chop” is more or less restricted to a cabal of family, kinsman, extended family and kitchen cabinet. How could a government wage a war against something as significant as corruption for three years and there is no casualty? Whom is it fooling? Even if it was involved in wrestling, there could still have been casualties or have you forgotten the Power Mike Vs Ali Baba etc bouts?”
Ms. Eucharia Ogugua, a Civil Servant, responded, “I don’t think I can provide answer to this your question. You just make me laugh. Of course, a snake can eat 36m in Benue State because anything and everything is possible in Nigeria. As for the present administration’s fight against corruption, the bible says that ‘once has God spoken and twice have we heard that all power belongs to God.’ In essence, I have once told you that this administration has subtly legalized corruption. What else do you want me to say. Nigeria is a funny country, full of surprises and more are yet to come. I rest my case. Thanks.”
For Mr. Boniface Kemakolam, a Media practitioner, the whole thing is laughable. His words, “the news that snake ate N36m in JAMB office in Benue is very laughable. No descent society will condone such nonsense. It is a clear case of fraud hence the relevant agencies of the government should swing into action to arrest and prosecute the culprits if the anti-corruption mantra of the government should be taken seriously. This kind of news like the Ikoyi billions, which has been swept under the carpet dents the anti-corruption image of this administration and de -markets our dear country before the international community.
“Because this government is timid in prosecuting clear cases of fraud hence Nigerians are emboldened to steal everything that belongs to the government because it is no man’s property and even when caught no positive punishment will be visited on the offender. It is most unfortunate,” he said.
Ms. Henrietta Ikediashi, an interventionist and entrepreneur, likened the country to an animal kingdom. “Because they are afraid of being probed as humans, they resorted to creating animal kingdom as a means of escape. Another Animal Farm if you ask me. It shows that the administration itself is corruption.”
Though the spokesperson for JAMB, Mr. Fabian Benjamin, has come out to say that the excuse for the missing money is a cock and bull story, and some arrests have been made, Nigerians and indeed the world are watching to see how it all ends.
