+The Secret Of His Good Health
What you are about to read is the 1970 interview the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, granted veteran journalist and Editor, Chief Areoye Oyebola, who was the first long-serving graduate editor of Daily Times.
It was published in The Sunday Times of June 3, 1970. Wrote Oyebola: When I requested that he should grant me an exclusive interview for publication in the Sunday Times when I was the Assistant Editor of that weekly newspaper, he paused for two minutes and said:
“You know what? I had never granted any journalist an exclusive interview in my life because I hate being misquoted. But trusting your ability and thoroughness, I will grant your request.” What followed was the 1st part’ of the exclusive interview you are about to read. After he had read the interview, Chief Obafemi Awolowo warmly shook my hands during a visit to his office and said: “You did not disappoint me. There was no error of any kind in the interview.” Below is Awolowo’s main ideas on how to kill Corruption and his views on the then unnecessary frequent Asset Probes
HIS KEY POINTS:
His suggestion for a halt on Asset Probes and How to permanently kill Corruption. Talking to Sunday Timesman, Areoye Oyebola, in an interview in his office, Chief Obafemi Awolowo declared: “There are so many thieves in the country today that it will be hypocritical, sectional and oppressive to clean only a part. For the next few years, all. energies should be channelled to reconstruction and the need for a more vigorous development in Nigeria” says Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Federal Commissioner for Finance and Vice- President of the Federal Executive Council.
“But after this period, all the 12 states, as well as the Federal Government, should establish permanent boards that would conduct corruption probes all the time,” explained Chief Awolowo.
“Each board would comprise persons of high proven integrity and wide knowledge,” explained Chief Awolowo.
“A law should be enacted to empower these boards to embark on a regular examination of the assets of public officers as well as contractors, businessmen, doctors, lawyers and all others, whether in the public or private sector of the economy. It should include male and female, young and old,” he said. It is my considered opinion that the exercise should be confined to our major cities which are the centres of corruption. The rural population should he excluded because they are the people constantly visited and exploited by the corrupt city people.
“Secondly, it should be enacted that any saving, or property of any descriptions whatsoever, owned or acquired by any Nigerian citizen in excess of his known or declared sources of income (including certified loan from a bank or a reputable lending institution) minus a reasonable amount of personal expenditure, should be forfeited to the State.” “To ensure that the spendthrifts who spend all the money they steal do not get away with their loot, it should be enacted that anyone ‘whose personal expenditure or style of living is in excess of his known or declared source of income should prima facie be guilty of an offence until he establishes hi’ innocence.”
“Lastly, any offence against the revenue should carry severe sanctions, including forfeiture of assets and funds and long-time imprisonment,” said Chief Awolowo. It is this type of probe that can serve as a true deterrent to corrupt people because of their awareness that it is all-embracing and constant.” He further claimed.
When. I asked him about the administrative complications, Chief Awolowo said: I am convinced that this suggestion is administratively practicable, After all, more elaborate procedures are followed in Census counts” I asked Chief Awolowo to elaborate on the reason that prompted his controversial call for an end to the present probes of ill-acquired wealth. He gave the following reasons for his stand on the probe:
* The present probes have become unduly protracted.
* Their results have been inconclusive, the reports have not been published so that the public have not been given a chance to know the reasons for peoples’ guilt or acquittal. * The, probes are neither total nor all-embracing. *They do not cover the whole country, while only public officers – these are the ex-politicians, the civil servants, corporations and local authority workers – are being probed. Consequently, clever public officers will in future make an increasing use of the private businessmen, contractors, journalists, lawyers and others who are not probed.
* If the probes are not total and all-embracing, they will lead to a great dissipation of energy as well as much bitterness and rancour, Hence, they are at the moment unnecessary and inimical to the nation’s progress. * Finally, the probes covered only a period of time, so that while they are on, some other people are committing worse offences.
The result is that by the time the probes will end, another series must start to cover the preceding period. Hence, those who are cleared will become corrupt later and the probes will cease to deter people from future corruption. Chief Awolowo described the argument put forward by some Nigerians that if the probes must stop, burglars and thieves who have been convicted should also be released from jail as extremely naive and untenable.”
