Nigeria achieved politi
cal independence from  Britain on October l,1960. Each of the three dominant political parties in the country then was one of the three region that made up the federation.
The Northern Peoples Congress was the ruling party in Northern Nigeria, the National Council  Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) was the ruling party in the East and the Action Group (AG) controlled government businesses in the west.
In fact, it is crucial for a proper appreciation of the politics of  that period to actually  note that each of the parties controlled the region of origin of its national leaders.
However, Sir, Ahmadu Bello, the NPC national leader and Sar’duana of Sokoto was the premier of Northern Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the NCNC leader was until the December 1959 federal elections, the Premier of Eastern Nigeria, while Chief Obafemi Awololo of AG led the officially recognised opposition in the federal parliament.
He too had been premier of Western Nigeria before  both Awolowo and Azikiwe resigned their office of premier in their bid for  that of the federal prime minister.
The feature of politics after the collapse of First Republic  stated with new alternative parties for Second Republic, where Mallam Aminu Kano of the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPA) floated the Peoples  Redemption Party, the AG reemerged as UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria), the NCNC simply re-christened NPP, the old NPC metamorphosed as NPN (National Party of Nigeria). That was how regional political sentiments began in Nigerian political battle field.
In fact,  52-years after attaining independence, corruption in Nigeria has indeed reached a massive proportion. Imagine, at the dawn of January 15, 1966, barely five years after independence, Nigerians woke up to the strange sound of martial music, which marked the beginning of the long military rule in the country.
In deed, the mission. of the junta then was the destruction and elimination of the corrupt apparatus through which the First Republic politicians sought to perpetuate themselves in power. In his address to the nation, the leader of the “revolutionary coup” Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, a major, vowed to deal decisively with the political profiteers, the soldiers, the men in the high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10 per cent … those that have corrupted our society.
However, the objectives and promises remain a dream, since the military institution’s constitutional duty was not for governance but protection of lives and properties. Besides, Aguiyi Ironsi,  the then military head of state, was toppled the same year, paving way for Yakubu Gowon.
In fact, Gowon’s government went through 30 months of gruesome civil war with Biafra. Nigeria emerged from the war more conscious of becoming a great nation.
It is on record that Nigeria and Nigerians have suffered on corrupt practices occasioned by bad administration in the hands of military leaders.
Infact the general indecision, indiscipline, corruption and economic waste that characterized Gowon’s post-civil war regime made Murtala Muhammed’s take over a welcome change.
Muhammed took the country through a dramatic and breathtaking pace of events. He purged the civil service and retired all the military governors and other top ranking officers involved in corruption. Unfortunately, he was assassinated on February 13,9176 in an abortive coup led by Buka Dimka, a lieutenant colonel.
This brought General Olusegun Obasanjo to power, albeit reluctantly. So on October 1,1979, after general elections, the military   handed over power to the civilian  government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari.
Even though the Shagari administration launched an Ethical Revolution and went ahead to create Ministry of National Guidance, corruption assumed the status of a national monument.
Consequently, on December 31, 1983, the military struck again in an attempt to avert a complete breakdown of law and order in the country as a result of continuing tension and massive corruption.
In fact, Major General Muhammadu Buhari,  who took over  the mantle of leadership, accused the civilian government of  mismanagement of the nation’s economy, profligacy, corruption, and indiscipline in complete disregard to the nation’s economic realities.        Although, little progress was made in various directions, most of the problems proved intractable and even defied the draconian decrees of the despotic government. That regime was cut short by General Ibrahim Babangida whose administration was characterized by high level of assassinations, corruptions, annulment of June 12 election and absence of social infrastructures nationwide.
Under Babangida, a presidential election, considered the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history was annulled, thus shredding the soul of the nation and plunging her into another long military-induced nightmare from which the people did not recover until May 29,1999.
Going by investigations and analytical reports, military leaders especially, Ibrahim Babangida and late General Sani Abacha left the oil-rich nation in deep financial ruin. Nigerians were appalled when it was revealed that they amassed stupendous wealth for themselves, their families and relations.
Besides, the class struggle for wealth as well as the glorification and deification of materialism  has become the rule rather than the exception. Indeed, no amount of draconian legislation or judiciary measures, divorced from the fundamental  restructuring of the material finally base of the society, can eliminate or eradicate corruption in Nigeria. Corruption is indeed a wasting disease like cancer even if its beneficiaries regard it as mother’s milk.
It is probably  for the sad state of affairs that the first  President  of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, once observed: “let it not be said of us that we struggle all these years to win independence for our people, and when we had the chance to build a heaven on earth for them, we made a colossal mess of our country because, in our selfish· materialism, we allowed our private prejudices and partial affections to distort our interest to our mother land”.
Let it again be said of us that when we obtained power, we regarded it as an end in itself and not as a means to bring peace, happiness and contentment to our people.
Perhaps, for   years of Nigeria’s independence, the North has controlled the affairs of this nation for forty-two years, while West had eight years of the business of state. But Niger Delta region has not been allowed to, irrespective of the contribution to the national growth and economic development. This time is the turn of the region, under Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as the emerging president of Nigeria come 2015.
Agumuo is a Public Affairs Analyst.

Elder Godspower Ibe Agomuo