Revealed! Real reason why Nigerian politicians easily steal money

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and
Open Leadership (CACOL) has
challenged Governors, Legislators and
public office holders to disclose their
salaries and allowances as Governor
Nasir El-Rufai the Kaduna state
governor has done.
Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, on Monday,
April 10, accepted the challenge of the
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Yabubu Dogara, by releasing details of
his security vote, salary and allowances.
The Governor released a copy of his
February pay slip which indicated that
his monthly pay was N470, 521.71 after
deductions. According to the pay slip,
details of the monthly pay include basic
salary, N185, 308.75; hardship
allowance, N370, 617.50; gross pay,
N555, 926.25, PAYE N85, 404.51; total
deduction amounts to N85, 401.51 while
the net pay stands at N470, 521.74.
Responding on behalf of CACOL is the
Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran
who said that the concealment in the
allowances of public office holders that
had made it easy for them to cart away
exorbitant amount of money withoutwithout fear.
He said: “Lack of government
accountability and transparency that, in
large measure, has resulted in the high
level of corruption in the country. The
culture of political and administrative
arbitrariness has been the major
characteristic undermining good
governance in Nigeria.
“Our country witnessed the evolution of
a new culture that justified the right of
those in powers or with access to power
to expropriate public resources without
accounting to the public or being
responsible for the public good.
Increases in over-head costs reduced the
amount of funds available for other
critical purposes, especially capital
projects, the maintenance of physical
infrastructures and the procurement of
essential supplies and equipment.
“The fiscal crises of the Nigeria state
resulting from massive waste of public
funds and collapse in international oil
prices, built up large external debts and
this increases the levels and intensity of
poverty.”
Adeniran asserted that “The absence of
transparency in public spending of our
Leaders have resulted in massive looting
of the national treasury; lack of
accountability and gross mismanagement
of public enterprises and institutions by
leadership, has generated massive debts
that have become a major drain on
national resources. There is a growing
global consensus on the devastating
effect of corruption on development and
good governance. There is an organic
interconnection between quality of
governance and capacity to drive a
sustainable development.”
He concluded saying that Gover El-
Ruffai has taken the lead in the
transparency system of Leadership and
would want other public office holders
to emulate such and not just stop at
openly declaring but should go a step
further to slashing their humongous
allowances.
“When we talk about values, it should
start from the president, governors and
other top government functionaries who
would lead with examples, sacrificing the
outlandish perks they enjoy and
concentrate their attention on how to
build infrastructure, develop education
and enhance social service delivery that
will endanger rapid inclusive economic
growth.
It is cheap, primitive and patronizing for
governors to equate distribution of food
items to the people at festive occasions
with good governance.”