Prebendalism
Here's a report from the Guardian (Lagos)Opposition won't enjoy money raised by Agagu, says commissioner
"AN insight into why the Ondo State government decided to embark on massive award of what it termed 'monumental projects' just after the verdict of the election petition tribunal voiding Olusegun Agagu's election was given yesterday as the Commissioner for Finance, Tayo Alasoadura, said: 'We cannot allow the opposition to spend our hard-earned resources'.
"The commissioner, at a press conference to present a breakdown of the 2009 budget, said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led state government had done enough financial engineering to raise the money in the state coffers and 'we will not fold our arms and watch some people expend the money on frivolities'.
"On July 25, 2008, the five-man Garba Nabaruma-led election petition tribunal unanimously nullified the declaration of Agagu as winner of the 2007 governorship election and declared that the petitioner and Labour Party (LP) candidate, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, was duly elected while citing several irregularities that characterised the poll...
" Accusing the opposition LP of 'trying to reap where it did not sow', Alasoadura said the aim of the opposition 'if they come on board is to empty the state treasury within a very short period of time'..."
Here's my translation. PDP governor Agagu's election was nullified by a court. But before the declared winner, LP candidate Dr. Mimiko could take office, the PDP administration spent N65 billion on public projects (that's about $400 million) because the money was PDP "hard-earned resources." The PDP people couldn't let the LP politicians "empty the state treasury."
I don't think you can find a better example of prebendalism.
Thanks to Imnakoya, who blogs at Grandiose Parlor.
See also:Prebendalism: Nigeria's Unique System of Corruption!
Labels: corruption, Nigeria, political culture
posted by Ken Wedding @ 5:58 AM
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