Integrity is a small word that is mighty in meaning. It is also about small things that make mighty impact.
I am reminded of this little thing by what we recently witnessed in this country of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, naming the International Conference Centre after President Tinubu. I subsequently read that several other buildings both at Federal and State levels have been named after him.
Tinubu did not build or renovate the ICC with his money. It was our money, borrowed, for that matter. He has however stolen or embezzled the honour that belongs to us and that is for us to confer on whoever we consider fit. The President is the trustee of our national assets, including our honours. The basic rule of trusteeship is that the trustee must not convert the trust assets or derive a benefit for himself from the trust.
Tinubu has debased the Presidency of the country. He has stolen our honours, the trusteeship of which he seized from us. He has confirmed one of the reasons that we rejected him at the polls. By official accounts, of which he boasts, 64% of Nigerian voters rejected him. They didn’t trust him not to embezzle or steal national assets. This is the stark reality of the official results of the 2023 elections, despite the statutorily presumed or imputed rigging by reason of the disabling of the IReV.
Tinubu was conferred with the highest national honor of GCFR upon being sworn in as President. The thing about greed, corruption and lack of integrity is that nothing is ever enough. What honour can be higher than GCFR? How could someone that is conferred with that honour be so hungry for honours that he cannot wait to utilize the power that he grabbed, snatched and ran away with commendably for the benefit of the people so that they could further honour him with naming monuments after him when he leaves office and leaves behind with the people a debt of appreciation and gratitude to him?
Am I surprised? Where did Tinubu learn integrity? Every information he has provided about himself is a subject of controversy. There is nothing straight, clear and direct in his biodata, except the fact of his having forfeited money alleged to be proceeds of narcotic trade in an American court.
By Chuks Nwachuku, legal practitioner and leadership and good governance advocate, [email protected]
