HUGE POLITICAL EXPENSES: A JUSTIFICATION FOR LOOTING? Written by Saint-Olawale Jimoh

  Someone bought a governorship party's nomination form for N11million; lobbied all the party executives with N50million. He won his party's ticket and moved to the next level.
  
     Again, he spent over N200million for the general election campaign; spent another N100million to settle political godfathers in addition to another N200million to buy votes on election day.

   In essence, he has spent close to N1billion from his hard earn money to win the governorship election...

    Let's say he eventually won and got sworn into office, how does he recoup all the outrageous expenses of his political investments without having to divert State allocations or other public funds to settle the various political debts he owed?

    I think it would be unreasonable and unfair to think that he incurred such expenses on election for nothing. He obviously didn't establish a kind of charity organization. Even if he's a philanthropist, the people that invested in his campaign are not. They need returns for their investments.
  
     Or let's view it this way, we know it's unethical to embezzle while in government office but is it ethical not to make gain from your huge investment? If we say he should never tamper with State allocations in settling his debts, then he's faced with conditions that would make him pay debt throughout his lifetime!
    
     Yet in all of these, two things stand out. First, if things continue this way, no typical Nigerian youth would ever aspire to be elected into a governorship position. Why? Because it's simply impossible for a typical Nigerian youth to raise such an amount to obtain nomination form, let alone affording other millions for the campaign.
Two, it would also be unfair to assume that one who spent such a huge amount would not loot State treasury.

     This underscores the overwhelming nature of our problems. We need to first fix the psyche of a worsted and damaged citizenry who sees politics as a good business that must be hugely invested into and public offices as a passport to become moneybags before we can ever fix this great country of ours.

      I think I might agree with Barrister Oshuntoye, a Canadian-based lawyer who onced suggested that fixed minimum wage be established for public office holders, from ordinary Councilors to the President. If this is achieved, no one will go take a bank loan of N27.5m to obtain a party's presidential nomination form when no means of recouping such amount is guaranteed.

    Our political parties and political culture in Nigeria is faulty; our political structure too needs reform, until we reform these institutions, no good person can come out of them and perform excellenctly. We must change our mindset and the way we view public offices.

    Reforming our political structure and changing our mindset and beseeching our citizens to see the danger that lies ahead if this tradition is not stopped is a job that must be done if we are to step forward. If not, how are we ever going to hold anyone accountable?