‘‘We must bring down the edifice and build a fresh one. An air of crystalized inevitability is pervading the democratic situation in Nigeria. Nigerians must seize this opportunity with both hands. Future generations will not be lenient with us if we postpone the day. – Quoted in Nowinta’s book, 2009: Where We Are (page 179).
Pebbles, with Igbotako Nowinta
It is interesting to note that the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has recently called for a National Truth Commission on the worrisome issue of corruption being waged by the Muhammadu Buhari civilian government.
It is interesting because the Col. Sambo Dasuki’s Arms gate is presently ruffling the feathers of the high and the mighty in our land today.
Now, the Development Alliance of the Niger Delta (DAND) a pressure group that operates from the city of Benin, Nigeria was actually the first to reason in the direction of the National Truth Commission.
DAND early in May this year having studied the cancerous level of corruption in Nigeria, seeing that corruption has been institutionalized and nauseating decided that the Truth Commission will stand the nation well in the present circumstance.
If some prominent members of Peoples Democratic Party can now see the war against corruption as not a war being waged against the PDP alone, that it has gone further than that, it is good music to the ears.
I remember that after sixteen years of stark misrule by the military top brass in Nigeria – an era in which Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha turned our precious entity into gigantic bloodshed, trauma and waste, commonsense prevailed with the introduction of the Oputa Panel.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) set up by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and headed by late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa created an avenue which aggrieved Nigerians who felt worsted by military insanity used to ventilate their anger.
The Oputa Panel, despite its known shortcomings was the best therapy immediately available to sooth traumatized citizens after the introduction of democratic rule on May 29th 1999.
Even in the former racist enclave of South Africa, where apartheid doctrines were fanned to the zenith of irrationality and lunacy, where the likes of Pieter Botha and Hendrik Verwoard won satanic laurels in their desperation to institutionalize white minority rule, the nation ultimately came back to its senses.
One of the first assignments late President Nelson Mandela embarked upon after helping to bury apartheid was the setting up of the South Africa National Truth Commission.
It was to the credit of the Truth Commission in South Africa that gory details of political excesses under apartheid lunatics (rulers) were brought to the living rooms of black South Africans and the global community via television.
The Truth Commission in South Africa was one of the biggest and most successful peace building mechanisms in known history, as terrible flames of national acrimony, cold suspicions and intolerance were cleverly doused.
Agreed that no amount of political therapy or peace transformation mechanism in South Africa or Nigeria could bring back the likes of legendary Chris Hani, Steve Biko, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and other mortals the Truth Commissions in these countries have played imperishable roles of reconciliation and sense of belonging /new beginning.
It is excruciating to know that the Nigerian nation has gravely perambulated back to the Second Republic days, even worse than where General Buhari was forced to leave it in August 1985, because of corruption.
Since corruption has become a bloody, ruthless and unrepentant monster dragging the name of the country into the mud and retarding the progress of Nigeria at every turn and twist, I think it is time for the nation to try the National Truth Commission on Corruption.
The National Truth Commission on Corruption will make every one that has looted the country one way or the other to bring their loots, apologize and ask them to sin no more.
Sentiments of any type, political, tribal or religious etc. must never be allowed to dictate the pace of this commission. All those that have secretly returned stolen money must equally be unmasked.
We need all the looted money to fix the country from its present state of underdevelopment.
It is after the National Truth Commission on Corruption has finished its work that a period of grace shall expire, then the law of the land will take it due course by coming heavily on fresh cases of abuse of office, politically induced or related /corrupt practices in Nigeria.
Nowinta wrote: Where We Are – A Call for Democratic Revolution in Nigeria
