The recent death of 32 people in Rivers State is saddening but should not take anybody who knows anything about Nigeria of today by surprise. It is just another in a continuing series of bloodletting and deaths that have characterized Nigeria in recent times. Death has become commonplace in the country. If it is not from kidnapping, it is from other various forms of extra-judicial killings; if it is not from suicide, it is from starvation. Yes, the cause – stampede from people jostling for food from a church – should also not surprise anyone. It was borne out of desperation. Remember Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world and food rations from various churches have helped a lot in staving hunger for several poor people. I was once taking a walk on a Sunday afternoon when I overheard a boy asking his mother if she would cook when they got home. The mother’s retort of ‘no’ came as a form of rebuke. ‘The portion you were given was the same as mine. If it is enough for me then it should be enough for you’. As far as the mother was concerned, the church had fed them for the day.

If there is any surprise at all, it should be because of the State where the stampede took place. Rivers State is one the richest States in the country given its population and oil revenue. Traditionally, the State had always played the financial big brother to causes – especially political causes - that involved it and bigger but less endowed States. So it was in the era of Amaechi; so it was in the era of Odili. Only the present Governor has taken it to a new, almost reckless height. The way Wike throws his financial weight around is embarrassing even for a rich State. But if the wealth of a nation is in the wealth of its people, then we now know that Rivers State is not such a rich State after all because a lot of its people are poor; so poor that they were prepared to stampede to claim food rations. The Governor has spent most of the last three years showing his commissioned bridges and buildings on national TVs. Last week, a national TV station showed the slum and fifth allegedly from the State. It was a part of the State that Wike and his people forgot to show us. It was a part which told us that while he was feeding delegates all over the country, there was a major dereliction of his primary duty at home. A man who cannot lift a small, oil rich State out of poverty has no business aspiring for a higher responsibility. What we need at the State and Federal levels are not reckless spenders but people who can use available resources to grow the economy and create employment.

And speaking of delegates, in a clip on the social media, a small boy was asked what he would want to be in future. He said he would want to be a political delegate. It was a clip that captured the moment because this has been a season for delegates. It is a season delegates are worth their weights in dollars and naira. It was alleged that some delegates got from 40 to 50 thousand dollars each from some PDP Presidential candidates and millions of naira from others last week at the PDP convention. Some, including kingmakers, were allegedly gifted with cars. This was in addition to weeks of courting and feting them. It was obvious that the PDP primaries went the way of the biggest spenders. It was obvious that the delegates – from States to Federal - offered themselves and whatever conscience they had, to lucre. It was clear that the delegates were not after the best material for offices but the richest material. It was apparent that they were concerned with self and not the communities they represented – some delegates reportedly told an aspirant they would not mind if there was no community project thereafter as long as he had settled them. And if it is true that delegates represent their communities, does it then mean from the voting pattern, that the South East no longer cares about an Igbo Presidency? Or that the country, including the entire South and the Middle Belt, is comfortable with a Fulani succeeding another Fulani in a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria?

This season has witnessed the worst of Nigeria politics. It has been a triumph of money over ideas; of corruption over integrity; of cynicism over idealism because the whole thing from the purchase of forms, compilation of delegates list; to the use of private jets to transverse the country, was designed to exclude honest people from coming to the arena to sell ideas, integrity and idealism. Nobody who has worked for his money and wants to truly serve his community would dissipate his hard earned resources on the charade that has been taking place in the last couple of months. To the candidates, their sponsors and the delegates, public positions including the Presidency, are an investment worth throwing billions at. And if this is what the real election portends next year, then God help us.

I have looked and can’t seem to find where help is going to come from. We all know the current money politics is a road to perdition. We know the system needs to be sanitized. It starts by probing the source of money of these people. Like a commentator said ‘We’ve seen the goods (money). Now let’s see the shops (sources). It starts by putting a limit to how much can be spent depending on the election. It starts from reducing the perks of office and eliminating the avenues for corrupt enrichment. It starts from naming and shaming and actively prosecuting these public thieves. All of these mean the various institutions – the police, anti-graft agencies, the judiciary, the legislature, INEC – have to be alive to their duties. But many of them are either sleeping or complicit. There is a dereliction of duty at almost every level. The President who should be at home providing leadership and direction is mostly in the air these days. He is everywhere but home where he is needed. INEC which should be decisive is wavering and granting unnecessary reprieve to undeserving parties. That does not bode well for the upcoming elections. The human rights organisations, the anti-graft agencies and the courts should be busy by now hauling candidates and delegates at several levels in. The last time I checked, giving and receiving bribes are considered a crime in our statutes.

•Muyiwa Adetiba is a veteran journalist and publisher. He can be reached via titbits2012@yahoo.com

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