How Diaspora Nigerians Contribute to the Nation’s Stagnation

For almost four decades Nigeria was weighed down by coups.

Military coup d’etat is the extrajudicial means through which military officers

come to power and assume the instrument of state. Coups may happened for any

given reason, but for the most part, they occur due to a combination of two or

more adverse factors, i.e. political flux or political vacuum, economic depression,

institutional malady, difficult ethnic and or religious rivalry, persistent

marginalization, and irrational ego and

breakdown of professionalism within the military. Coups may also be triggered by

external interests. No matter the coup- trigger factor, the civilians are

always part of the planning and execution process. And in most cases, civilians

benefit the most from the spoils of such takeovers.

Another phenomenon that has been an excruciating burden on Nigeria is corruption:

embezzlement, nepotism, bribery, and fraud. Coups are bad, but corruption and

other debaucheries are excruciatingly insidious — so much so they have been

eating away at the nation’s moral and ethical seam. Indeed, corruption in all

its manifestations has been tugging at the nation’s porous foundation, and has

also contributed to stunting the nation’s growth and development. When we think

of corrupt practices, politicians and other public servants comes to mind (as

the group that is mostly involved in such practices). We rarely think of Diaspora-Nigerians

as being involved in such dissipations. There is extensive evidence to show

that some oversea-Nigerians are deeply involved in committing, perpetuating and

encouraging corruption. Some later day Nigerians are to corruption what some

yesteryear civilians were to coups.

In what ways do Diaspora-Nigerians contribute to the fetid

situation? Many: (1) they are the conduit through wish stolen money are banked

overseas; (2) they help officials hide other assets; (3) they help in securing

real estate and other investment portfolios; (4) they help to arrange

prostitute and call girls for visiting officials; (5) they help to buy and ship

cars and other luxury items; (6) they supply forged and enabling documents; (7)

they provide bogus business plans and proposals and then fail to executive such

contracts; (8) they front for foreign and domestic business enterprises with

the aim of pocketing ten or more percent of the contract value; (9) they sing

the praise of corrupt politicians, and in some cases, help to arrange phony or

meaningless “achievement” awards and honorary degrees; and (10) they launch

vicious attacks against anyone who criticize their favorites. And indeed, many

oversea-Nigerians are on the “payroll” of state or federal government.

Helping public officials to loot and hide illegal bounty is

a big business in the US.

Aside from prominent 419ers, how many Nigerians do you suppose are living large

without visible sources of income? How many Nigerians do you suppose travel to Nigeria and

other countries on “business trip” 3-5 times a year? How many Nigerians do you

suppose are always welcoming public officials to the US week after week, month after

month? These Nigerians have the inside connection to certain government

officials. Whatever these officials want, these Nigerians provide. Those in the

know know that there are six hotspots for Nigerian officials visiting the United States: New York City;

Houston and Dallas; Los Angeles; Atlanta; and the DC/MD/VA

area. The aforementioned are the favorite spots for Nigerian politicians; but Las Vegas, Nevada, and Miami, Florida,

are also fast becoming a must-see and must-be places, too.

Politicians who call the Niger Delta home seem to favor Atlanta, Houston and New York. For the Bayelsa State

contingent, Atlanta, Georgia,

is their favorite play ground, their Mecca;

it is the place they like to buy real estates, chill out and wind down and

consort with shady women. Rare is the Bayelsa

State politician who comes to the United State

without stopping in Georgia.

Here they have easy access to call girls and prostitute and some Ijaw indigenes

that are morally and mentally bankrupt. Atlanta

was home to the Alamieyeseigha posse. Most of his thugs and errand boys live

there. Until a few months ago his chief enforcer, his number one gofer, lived

there. I wonder who lives in his (T.O) palatial homes now that he has made his way

back to Nigeria

to reline his pockets. Goodluck Jonathan also had some of his gofers there, and

also had boys in Texas.

Governor Timpre Sam Syla is new on the job, but he seems to

have goons in Seattle, Washington, amongst other places. What is so

striking is that a whole lot of people are in the race to become Sylva’s chief

enforcer. Aside from the big guns from Bayelsa State,

where do you suppose current and former public officials keep stolen monies? Those

from the western part of the country seem to prefer the United Kingdom, Germany,

and Switzerland.

Whereas officials from the northern zone seem to prefer places like Saudi

Arabia, Dubai and other Middle East countries. And then there is President Yar’Adua:

where is he hiding his illegal bounty?