Thief Tafa Balogun

I was thinking the other day about how short our collective memories can be. So much that ought to stand as a warning for all time in the annals of our collective consciousness gets pushed into apparent irrelevance.

In this nation, we've seen dictators turn into raging democrats, junta dons reaping more democratic dividends than anyone person deserves, chiefs proven to be thieves and thieves turned into chiefs.

I just heard that former IG of police, the legendary Tafa Balogun, was conferred with a chieftaincy title in his hometown. All I could think was… why?

This is the same person who stole billions of naira, confessed and was even convicted and did (soft) time in prison – the biggest dishonor imaginable to a policeman not to mention a police chief. And they honored him.

He embarrassed his office, brought ridicule to members of his family and shamed his community. And the elders of the same community in their wisdom turned around and lifted his hand as a worthy son to be emulated. God help us all.

His is not the only case of such irritating foolishness brought about by a combination of communal myopia and selective amnesia, but it certainly is one of the most galling particularly since it represents a new low – now even the convicted government thieves can expect chieftaincy titles.

I recall when Bayelsa's former governor DSP Alamieyeseigha was turbaned in Katsina state. It was a carnival. Those who attended said they had never seen so much money on display. I recently saw a towel commemorating the event, typically I had to take a snapshot of the poor old thing.

It seemed life could only get better and better for Alams. Instead he ended up as the poster boy for corruption in governance and gave us our most monumental national embarrassment ever when he fled the authorities in the UK. Our Nigerianness hit a new low that day.

Imagine if our traditional rulers would resist the pressure to honor those of questionable character and dubious financial means. Imagine if our people would let it be known what they really thought of such people's actions. Imagine if our fathers would all refuse to attend such debacles. I doubt that will change in a hurry, everyone wants to eat free food and carry towel souvenirs home.

Thank God for the father of a friend who turned down the invitation to attend Chief Tafa's event on account of what people would think of him – a noted criminologist – fraternizing with the biggest criminal ever caught and punished in recent history. May our fathers not shame us in their lifetimes.

Here's a thought: Yar'Adua was governor when Alams, a rumored police thief turned governor, was turbaned the kjhgdhg of Katsina. Now he's president when a convicted police thief is honored as a chief. Sigh… I wonder if my friend got another towel this time.