By: Uche Aguoru
The National Bureau of Statistics said in its latest report released yesterday that Police officers, judges and prosecutors are the most corrupt public officials in Nigeria.
And on same day another worrisome report came from the United Nations Office for Drug and Crimes (UNODC) saying that Nigeria spent N400bn annually on bribes to public officials.
How has this affected our dear state Abia? vis-à-vis the present state of underdevelopment, lack of basic infrastructures, inability of our government to pay salaries and gross misappropriation of funds meant for salaries and in most cases outright stealing of such monies, as we have experienced in the present day Abia state. Given the background that the present Abia state government has a notorious reputation of having to survive being booted out of office basically on the strength of bribing judicial officers and taking advantage of institutional corruption in the judiciary?
After the determination of Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah/Okezie Ikpeazu at the Supreme Court, a friend that works with the Supreme Court called and said to me Uche, I sympathize with your state, with what I saw that transpired in this case, I doubt if your government can pay salaries till they leave office and that unfortunately is playing out in my state today.
Today Abia is bleeding and currently on life support who is to blame for our woes the judiciary or the people that were alleged to have purchased judgment with the funds meant for the development of our dear state.
Uche Aguoru writes from Umuahia
