Vin Duru condemns monetization of politics in Nigeria.
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A Nigerian political scientist in Diaspora of Umuaka extraction, Mr Vin Duru has condemned in outright terms the unlimited inclusion of money in the current democratic process in Nigeria. Duru who was reacting to a question posed to him by the American correspondent of Umuaka Times was referring to the N100,000,00 APC presidential nomination form the party has charged its aspirants. In his observation, Duru who is also a commentator on national issues lamented that APC has introduced institutional political arrangements and development that are bent on strengthening the foundations of corruption and maladministration in the next political dispensation.
Duru who went further and listed the flaws concluded that the “institutional arrangement being referred to here are, (A), the current hiking of fees for nomination forms to the various political offices. (B), the recent electoral act passed by the National Assembly that increased the amount allowed for campaign financing for the various political offices- from the Presidency to the house of assembly. Duru finally disclosed to Umuaka Times that these developments have further monetized Nigerian politics and created a demarcation which has indeed shut the door against a lot of people who cannot afford the huge costs of getting into political offices. “It has increased the stakes – those who have “invested” in politics will do whatever it takes to recoup their investments- the higher the stakes, the more daring of political behaviors that the investors will engage in, to gain access to the positions of authority (political offices therefore becomes positions of ” investment recouping advantage”)- political violence- higher incidents of thuggery and brigandage.”
Still on the issue of recouping from the political investments politicians make, Duru also disclosed to Umuaka Times that when eventually those “business politicians” get into their different political offices, they will first “devour” the treasury, remove the cost of running a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy and whatever that is left as capital expenditure will be siphoned through inflated contracts and substandard projects- if the contracts ever get executed.
Duru visibly lamented that the current “investments” going on today were the dividends derived from previous investments by politicians.
After expressing his reservations on the Nigerian money politics, Vin Duru offered some solutions. According to him, there must be an end to “money politics in Nigeria. “Demonetize politics – reduce the tradeoffs or monetary gains for political offices by reducing drastically, salaries and remunerations for public offices, enact stricter appropriation laws. Establish more and workable ombudsman for all public offices.”
