BY BENSON OKOBI-ALLANAH
MAXI Chidube Ifema, an Onitsha- successful businessman residing in Asaba with his family, is one man who does not kowtow to wrong doing because an influential personality is involved as is common with many Nigerians.
The Ihioma, Imo State -born astute businessman will rather choose to loose whatever you have promised him than to dance along with you, or swim with you in your murky water of disgrace.
He says emphatically that Nigeria is foot-dragging in all ramifications because of the many wickedness associated with more than 90 per cent of our leaders in the political class who know what to do to better the country but deliberately refused to act because the common masses who they want to remain permanently tied to their apron strings will benefit.
He observed that those things most politicians use as inducement packages to woo the masses to vote for them, call it empowerment, cannot be given to any of their children because they have a far higher vision for them.
The empowering enablements, he noted, rightly belong to the masses because it is with the masses commonwealth those things they call starting packs are bought, and not from the personal pockets of politicians.
‘It’s like a politician pledging to do something in his community, and everyone listening start clapping for him, when it is obligatory and binding on him to do so because he did not earn such money privately on it own, rather it is the masses who voted for him that made the money to be placed in his custody to carry out constituency projects.’
Chidube Ifema who was speaking to Midweek Teaser at his Iyanga Market area massive and palatial residence in the state capital, said it was only those in the private sector that could be carrying out some development projects in their communities that deserve such commendations for their efforts because the money being spent is coming directly from their pockets.
He, however, says any politician that make judicious use of the commonwealth, carry out projects that will benefit the masses also deserves commendation because majority of these politicians pocket constituency monies meant for provision of infrastructural development without being held accountable.
He said it is possible for politicians, particularly those appointed to handle delegated functions not to do anything but be busy pretending to be working when no visible impact is being felt, and go scot-free because those that would have queried them for not living up to expectation, those that appointed them, are themselves not doing well.
The general mercantile dealer, who opined that the whole ugly specters affecting the country have been made so because of the devastating hunger in the land, says many Nigerians have lost self-respect as a result.
‘Most of our so-called political leaders pretend to be working a lot, and when you check them closely, they have a way of gaining massively what they pretend to be busy working on. It is either they own the construction companies handling some of the projects, or when there are not owned by them, must have allowed owners of such construction companies to pay certain huge sums of money into their accounts before being considered qualified to take up such contracts.
The successful businessman said why activities of most politicians and other so-called leaders have become a disturbing issue to many Nigerians who are oppressed, shortchanged and have their nose kept in the grindstone, and yet continuing, is that Nigerians being enslaved are the same people who go about singing praises and commending their oppressors, saying that is where the whole issue becomes ironical.
‘You journalists write most times of people interviewed either commending or criticizing the governments of the day just like I’m doing right now; but I find out that most of you media practitioners do more of praise-singing and commendation, with some hungry groups and organizations giving undeserved awards to them, awards they know within themselves (the award-givers) those being awarded do not deserve.’
He lamented the state of the nation, the media and the social media space, most of which tend to hype their activities by hiding the truth to report falsehood all because money keep exchanging hands in the midst of a country which people are languishing in abject penury, the leaders being complacent over the poverty ravaging the country because they already living in affluence, while all potential avenues to be tapped to save the country from its knuckled economic state are abandoned.
‘Sometimes they say they empower some people with #50, 000, starter packs, food items that won’t last up to one week before the beneficiaries return to square one, then one is compelled to ask how many of their children take part in such empowerments when they are all abroad schooling, engaged in the juiciest of jobs while those in the country work in oil companies and can travel out at any time they feel like traveling out with the commonwealth money because they are in privileged positions.’
He says Nigerian politics is not being practiced the way democracy is cut out for to be practiced, saying that in many of the advanced countries he had been to, politics in Nigeria is being practiced on the contrary compared to what obtains there.
He says the propelling factor for many Nigerian politicians to go into politics is to attain their selfish end and not what they will do to better the country as propounded by one time American President, Abraham Lincoln who said ‘think of what you will do for America, and not what America will do for you.’
Maxi Chidube Ifema who reads The POINTER Newspapers, and some select national dailies, as depicted by the volume of some previously read newspapers, says a situation where some newly employed workers in Oshimili South Council Area are being shortchanged in their monthly salaries is to say the least, wicked, saying it was in The POINTER Newspapers he read about an agrieved interviewee complaining that some newly employed workers in the council (the Local Education Authority Department) were not being paid according to their salary grade levels they were employed; with those on level 06 being paid salary of those on level 04, those on level 04 being paid level 02 etc, arguing why such should be taking place with the local government authorities pretending not to know what is happening. He said his nephew there is a victim hence he was crying out for the anomaly which they refused to be corrected.
He condemn the impunity exhibited by most politicians to do whatever they like because they hold the proverbial knife and yam which they cut to give anybody they feel like giving to.
The Imo State-born businessman said a lot of these politicians have the look of Godliness but in actual practice, lack the will power to do the rightful.
He condemned the current impasse between the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Hon. Nyesome Wike, and the suspended Rivers State governor, Mr. Siminalaye Fubara, and called for immediate intervention on the matter so that it does not escalate to a point it can no longer be managed.
‘Though I’m aware that certain moves by some Nigerians had been made on how to settle the matter, such moves had to be consistent so that a long lasting solution will be achieved between the Ikwerre and Ijaw-born politicians with the latter said to be a political son and loyalist to the former before the outbreak of the imbroglio.
‘Since it appears we are not ready for true democracy, practice it the way it ought to be practiced, then we should be thinking of other alternative means that will help the good governance more practicable.’ The University of Nigeria, Nsukka –trained Business Administrator, suggested.
He said from the present happenings all over the country, it was obvious that the country is tilting towards a one party state which is not the best for a country still struggling to come out of the political woods, and called on Nigerians and politicians to be up and doing because, according to him, Nigeria has become a laughing stock for other nations that are closely watching us and our immature political practice.
Still on what is happening at Oshimili South Local Government Area, he questioned the rationale behind junior workers at the Local Education Authority (LEA) being shortchanged over their salaries which their certificates eminently qualified them to be earning, stating that it was a typical example of man’s inhumanity to man.
