The national anger that trailed the fanfare with which the release of the PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George, from prisons was celebrated a few weeks ago is yet to abate as parents in this report by OLUNIKE ASAOLU condemn the action, saying it is tantamount to telling the youths that corruption pays and hard work hurts.
The nation is still angry. And most Nigerians have refused to see any justification for the wild celebrations that greeted the release of the former Chairman, Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Bode George, from prison after serving a jail term for corruption on February 26. Also, the allegation made by the Action Congress of Nigeria on Thursday that the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government was planning to give the embattled politician state pardon if the party wins the April governorship election in Lagos State, has further set Nigerians against George.
Parents and other stakeholders in the education sector are worried that the action could further erode values among pupils. They also described it as a wrong signal to Nigerian pupils, adding that the action was condemnable, immoral and not well thought out. The unholy celebration, the parents insisted, was capable of destroying the virtues of hard work, transparency and accountability being imparted into pupils by parents and teachers. They, therefore, called for the prosecution of those who celebrated George. The ACN also warned the ruling PDP against turning a villain into a hero by the alleged plan to pardon the former NPA Board Chairman. George and five other persons accused alongside with him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, over allegation of N85bn fraud at the NPA between 2001 and 2003 were sentenced to two years imprisonment.
George was specifically convicted on 35 out of the 68-count charge which included contract splitting, inflation, abuse of office and disobedience to lawful order.
However, some concerned parents had in a public announcement tagged, “What values do we nurture our children with’? in some national newspapers on Monday, condemned the reception of February 26, and demanded that all Nigerian leaders should live up to the highest standards of morality expected of leaders and focus on bringing the nation back to its past glory of economic and good moral strength.
According to them, “This concern of ours does not stem from politics; we are deeply concerned about the type of nation we shall eventually hand over to our children. There are so many social ills on the increase-kidnapping, armed robbery, murders, corruption in private and public spaces.
“We appeal to you and other leaders to desist from playing politics with the future of our children. What manner of battle are we fighting against corruption if we can celebrate someone who was convicted of corruption by a court of competent jurisdiction? What does the event of February 26 say about us as a nation? More importantly, what would it say about us as a people if we all keep quiet about it? What values are we nurturing our children with?”
Also, a former National Democratic Coalition Chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said it was a condemnable act.
“How can you celebrate criminality? All of them should have hidden their faces and find time to go and repent, that a high officer like that was convicted of corruption and was being celebrated, it was a show of shame,” he said.
Also, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mrs. Lai-Babatunde Adejoke, said the ceremony was unnecessary, adding that the effect was a wrong signal to young people.
She said, “I’m of the opinion that it shouldn’t have held, it wasn’t a good signal, it probably should have been a small family get-together, so that we don’t send wrong signal to the young people because whatever we do sends signals to our children, this is actually a wrong one. Our children are watching us, whatever we celebrate they are looking at the way we handle things. I believe if we cannot do much about our ancestors, let us strive to help this generation.”
A legal practitioner, Mr. Sunday Labitan, said the action was punishable under law. “I think it is against the rules of law and also our tradition as Africans. It is also a bad signal to our future generation, to our children and even to some adults. This is a country where we celebrate failure, corruption and other social vices which I believe should not be so.
“If at all he wanted to do a thanksgiving, that should have been within the family. And the thanksgiving should be of repentance, forgiveness in a solemn atmosphere. I believe such a person and those who celebrated him should be convicted and tried in the court of law because of its effects on children.”
A parent, Mr. Idowu Gaffaru, said that kind of attitude showed that good values were not being established for children. “What we are telling our children is that the end justifies the means, anything goes. The George thing is a tip of the ice berg, personally I’m against the celebration, it should not have been a public thing. Though there is nothing bad in thanksgiving, but he is supposed to be reformed, and be gradually integrated into the society.
“Children and youths should not emulate this type of attitude. They should condemn it in their mind, act, attitude, action and be focused in life. They shouldn’t see him as their mentor or hero, they should see it as a lesson from stories about tortoise. They should wait and see the end of the wicked, and I’m pretty sure that the law of karma will soon catch up with most of our leaders.”
Another parent, Mr. Yinka Salako, said there was nothing wrong with thanksgiving if the action behind it was justifiable. “It all depends on the action behind it, was he thanking God that he didn’t die in prison, was he thanking God that he had come back to enjoy his loot? If he was thanking God that he did not die in prison, there was nothing wrong with it, but what we should condemn is the euphoria that immediately followed his release, it was bad for the society.
“I just said that many of the pupils will say that he went to prison and came back to be celebrated. That is ok, we too can steal, and we will spend two years in jail, then we will come out and people will hail us. This does not augur well for our youths, it is like we are holding high the vices of stealing and corruption,” he said.
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Lagos State Branch, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said, “It is a negative attitude for pupils. It is so glaring to them that the bad ones in the society are being celebrated and seen as role models. How can we say we are teaching pupils moral instruction and somebody who has violated the law of the land by enriching himself is celebrated, morally how can we justify that and explain this to pupils? As teachers we are role modelling these pupils to a better behaviour and good character, it means that we don’t have any justification for what we are doing.
“My advice for pupils is that they should not join the bandwagon in the society, they should be able to distinguish between those who are upright and those who soiled their hands in corruption. I want them to know that the end result is destruction.”
Public Relations Officer, Old Students Association, Apostolic Grammar School, Ketu, Lagos. Mr. Yinka Awolana, said it didn’t teach any moral. “It doesn’t teach any moral, it is another way of telling our people that it is good to indulge in criminal act and at the end of the day they will be celebrated as a hero. So, we need to do things to correct the vices in the society and not encourage them,” he said.
The Head of Languages, Yabatech Secondary School, Lagos, Mrs. Arimoro Bunmi, noted that the reception was shameful and very disappointing.
She said, “The celebration that followed his release from prison was uncalled for. It must have been planned by bootlickers who don’t see anything bad in siphoning the nation’s hard-earned resources. What lesson are they teaching our children? Are they legalising corruption? Are they encouraging the younger generations to steal or become pen robbers? Nigerians definitely deserve an unreserved apology.”
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