There are leaders who misled their followers about COVID-19 but they will never admit they were wrong. There are men who fathered a child but they’ll die denying rather than take responsibility. There are women who will never reveal their child’s real father. There are employees who will never admit that they were fired on non-performance. Most people are loyal to their past mistakes.
Every now and then, you get or see people creating a page and/or account (mobile money wallet or bank account) to solicit for funds to support a cause especially medical or social intervention causes. These people appeal to the emotions of the citizenry by showing pictures of what they want to do. As to whether the monies collected will be used for the intended purpose, is a question most of us don’t know. This practice, if not checked, can create an avenue for exploitation by criminals to advance their criminal activities. Terrorist Groups can or is adopting this technique to finance their terrorist activities. In Canada, over the past five years, cyber criminals have used crowdfunding websites to launder nearly $30 million.
Like many Nigerians, I read the embarrassing story of the 21st African Senior Athletics Championships held in Asaba, Delta State. I saw embarrassing pictures of Athletes sleeping on the floor at the airport in Lagos because they could not find connecting flights to Asaba for three days. I saw a picture of the collapsed overhead water tank in a newly constructed stadium. Yet, it took 4 billion naira to host the event.
The term above is as pandemic as it is endemic to the national economy. Why? This is owing to the fact that virus as an organism behaves like a timing bomb and reproduces every millisecond of its young. Corruption has been described as a virus because it reproduces as it permits the fabric of society. The words of wisdom say that "charity begins at home" and here and now Nigeria will be the focal point of my discourse.
