Nigerians see me, others as thieves but we all steal – Doyin Okupe

Doyin Okupe a former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan

believes that Nigerians steal at different levels where they find themselves.

The former Presidential aide, however decried the fact that leaders and political office holders are always scapegoats.

He wrote on Facebook, “I read some posts on my Facebook wall this morning where people asked the Senate President, Bukola Saraki for proof of his allegation on his comments on the issues of recovered loot.

“Yet without any proof whatsoever same people call Dr. Saraki and many other public official including me, Thieves, even in the absence of any evidence, proof or even accusation of wrong doing or malfeasance from any quarters or a judicial indictment for that matter.

“In Nigeria, when your friend or the enemy of your friend is accused, you ask for proof but when your enemy or opponent is accused you don’t wait for any proof you immediately jump to the conclusion and pronounce judgement of guilt.

“Yet in our little ways, we live on “small small” stealing & prosper in our little ways from hidden corrupt practices.

“We all steal from our employers, destroy his enterprise through dishonest practices. Small businesses do not thrive in Nigeria because once the owner is absent and places trust in his manager (s) they steal him blind and wreck the trade or business.

“This is a major cause of unemployment in our society. We all live beyond our means and subsidies our finances from bribery and corrupt and “sharp” practices in our various endeavors.

“Drivers send their children to fee paying schools and sell their boss’s diesel, and collude with mechanics to make up.

“We all shout at roof tops and demonize leaders and officials yet we pay people to do jamb exams for our children at special centers.

“We bribe National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) officials to give our children “good” postings. We crawl at night to the houses of highly placed relations and government officials to seek for and obtain favors we are not entitled to.

“We smuggle goods into the country (Nigeria) and bribe custom officials. As undergraduates we pay lecturers to pass exams, others more daring purchase oven fresh certificates to secure employments.

“We swear to false oaths and obtain willfully perjured affidavits. We purchase or fraudulently obtain false medical certificates to cover our absenteeism from duty post while on trips to Dubai (UAE) to purchase merchandise. As media men we take “gifts” to publish false stories.

“As civil servants at LG, States & Federal levels we award contracts directly to ourselves or cronies. We frustrate projects that are beneficial to the people if there is no derivable benefits to us.

“All these and many more we do but because its secret & unexposed we scornfully condemn others who are guilty of the same offence. If Nigeria will survive, It will require a general attitudinal change NOT scapegoatism or playing the Ostrich.”