10 Ways To Curb Employment Racketeering, Influence Peddling in Nigeria

Disappointed with the recent illegal employment of sons and daughters of affluent Nigerians by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in flagrant abuse of due process and extant provisions of the law, I penned a piece: #CBNGate: Let’s Arrest The Culture of ‘Na mu ne’, ‘Rankadede’ in Nigeria! where I x-rayed the twin culture of ingrained nepotism and sycophancy inherent in Nigeria. The current essay is aimed at brainstorming solutions: how to curb employment racketeering, influence peddling in Nigeria. We yearn for a Nigeria where excellence, merit MUST not be sacrificed in the altar of nepotism, godfatherism or quota system. All hands must be on deck if we must rein in entrenched employment racketeering in Nigeria. Stop whining, take action, and do something to birth the Nigeria of your dream!

#CBNGate: Let's Arrest The Culture of ‘Na mu ne’, ‘Rankadede’ in Nigeria! (2)

Security Agents, The Media MUST Be Dispassionate, Non-partisan

Akin to the coveted virtues of the judiciary, a remarkable characteristic of government security agents or agencies in saner climes is that they are dispassionate, non-partisan or neutral. The contrary seem to be the case in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the fixated drumbeating allegation that dogged the Department of State Security (DSS) during the tenure of President Jonathan prevails now. Please you guys need to draw a redline. Your allegiance and primary loyalty is to the country, not to the individual that recruited or appointed you. You don’t hear the FBI, CIA, MI5, MI6, MOSSAD amongst others getting involved in trivial issues or been used as ‘attack dogs’.

#CBNGate: Let's Arrest The Culture of ‘Na mu ne’, ‘Rankadede’ in Nigeria! (1)

Quote:  Entrenched poor leadership, impunity, corruption and nepotism are more dangerous in the long run than terrorism – Don Okereke

Preamble: Before doing justice to this essay, a caveat, and clarification suffices. Granted he is a politically conscious ‘change agent’, a devoted advocate of security and social equality, writer has zero political or parish-pump affiliation, at least for now. Don’t dissipate your energy trying to figure out where he belongs; whether or not he is anti or pro status quo. Born across the River Niger, writer relates with our brothers on the other side of the Niger. As someone that has ‘served with the Colours’, traversed the country with a stint across the Atlantic, he is unapologetically eclectic, broadminded, abhors injustice and bootlicking. This essay is not about individuals; it stems from unflinching passion, a bent to speak truth to power, hold leadership responsible and to proffer solutions to societal malaise inherent in our clime. Superior argument and tolerance are the hallmarks of civilized societies. We all don’t have to see things the same way, if you disagree with the writer, do a rejoinder with sophisticated arguments rather than troll or take to stereotyping. By the way, to the uninitiated, ‘na mu ne’ is Hausa for ‘our own’, nepotism if you want to be blunt while rankadede, more appropriately put, ranka ya dade is also Hausa expression which reads ‘may you live long’, sort of sycophancy meted out to eulogize more often than not, affluent folks.