Most African elite have been aware of the revelations, in 2016 of the Panama Papers compiled by a network of International Investigative Journalists exposing how corrupt leaders and business moguls in advanced economies and third world nations alike milk their people to the detriment of the common good. The world seems to have taken these revelations in its stride and moved on. Those indicted have hardly shown any sense of remorse starting from the poorest African potentate to powerful friends and point men of Russia's Putin.
And now another trove has been recently released under the name Paradise Papers. Yes, more of the same. Who cares? Should any one care?
It is amazing that with the recent revelations in the Paradise Papers some Nigerians have found it appropriate to circulate once again the following summary from the earlier document, the Panama Papers made from an African perspective. From the report on Zuma's South Africa I have been struck by the following:
"MAKING BABA HAPPY
The story of the Zupta Empire shows how even a country with a professional and independent judiciary and media, parliamentary oversight, political and press freedom; a ruling party that was once headed by Nelson Mandela with a programme of democracy, good governance and justice for all; an industrialised economy, modern urban centres with electricity, water and roads infrastructure, can regress."
We should all be seriously worried by this trend.
The story of the Zupta Empire shows how even a country with a professional and independent judiciary and media, parliamentary oversight, political and press freedom; a ruling party that was once headed by Nelson Mandela with a programme of democracy, good governance and justice for all; an industrialised economy, modern urban centres with electricity, water and roads infrastructure, can regress."
We should all be seriously worried by this trend.
Nothing could be more illustrative of Zuma’s view on accountability than this anecdote reported by a former government official concerning his response to questions in parliament:
“He once told me that Putin doesn’t have to account to parliament, so why should he?” Etc! .
If you swap Zuma’s name with Congo's Joseph Kabila or Rwanda's Paul Kagame, the conclusion is the same.
If you swap Zuma’s name with Congo's Joseph Kabila or Rwanda's Paul Kagame, the conclusion is the same.
I just wonder why this "African" Report didn't bother to offer any insight into Nigeria's own sorry situation. Perhaps it is such a hopelessly irredeemable case. Is it?
African_Oligarchs
No comments:
Post a Comment