Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has blamed the current spate of terrorism and other criminal activities in the country on corruption.
Speaking when he delivered a paper entitled “Courage in Times of Extreme Danger” on Wednesday night, during the maiden edition of the Senate Press Corps award and dinner in Abuja, Senator Ekweremadu said human life in Nigeria has become too cheap “as we move from one gory tale of thoughtless waste of innocent human lives and property to the other”.
He continued: “Corruption, both financial and political, is responsible for the poor state of the nation and its continued inability to live up to the potentials it held at independence. We see it all around us; in poor socio-economic infrastructure, broken down industries, broken and deprived education system, poor per capita income, and mind-boggling looting in the system”.
The deputy senate president noted that corruption of the judiciary is perhaps the worst thing to happen to the nation saying, “If the foundation of justice is destroyed, what then can the righteous do? How does a nation or continent grow under such weight of corruption? We are already reaping from the dangers thereof in the forms of terrorism, militancy, kidnapping, etc. But even worse is that our future is even more gravely endangered should the trend be allowed to persist”.
He used the occasion to call on Nigerian journalists not to give too much media coverage to the activities of the Boko Haram sect because they have succeeded in creating fears in the minds of Nigerians through media reports.
Ekweremadu described terrorism as a mind game, which primary purpose is to instill fears in the minds of the people by carrying out acts of destruction of human lives and property to give the impression that they are in charge.
Speaking at the event, outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, noted that the media could still be the last defender of Nigeria’s democracy because they are recognising and promoting service, good governance and integrity.
In a veiled reference to last month’s governorship election in his state which he lost, Fayemi said that intellectual capacity seemed not to be popular in the country at the moment but grass roots popularity.
He, however, urged the media to sustain their efforts.
