LAWLESSNESS, CORRUPTION AND THE COMEYCAL TREATMENT

I was thinking this morning..... we were watching the Stoke vs Arsenal match yesterday and with Arsenal leading 4:1, an Arsenal defender, Rob Holding gave the Stoke striker a bad shove and the commentator screamed, 'that is reckless, that is cheating.' And my co-in-law watching the match with me, added, 'that is corruption.' Hmm!! It got me thinking about lawlessness, corruption and the 'Comeycal Treatment.' Yes, we understand corruption and lawlessness but 'the lawlessness of corruption' and 'Comeycal Treatment' (thanks to Dagogo Buowari) are recent vocabularies gaining ascendancy. Oh, I remember the good old days while in secondary school. We kept a notebook of vocabularies, where we write new words we come across daily. Surely, 'lawlessness of corruption' would have made the cut and entered my book of vocabs.

Where did that term come from? I first came across it when I read the published statement of Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie titled 'Do we have a nation?' He had given a long list of disturbing indices in Nigeria and amongst the lot is what he called 'the lawlessness of corruption.' Hmm!!! 

I was thinking, how can corruption be lawless? If there is lawless corruption, could there be 'lawful corruption?' As I wondered, it occurred to me that when the citizens are involved in corrupt practices, it is corruption, but when lawmakers, law-enforcement agencies or the custodians of the law engage in corruption, then that is 'lawlessness of corruption.' Abi beko?

Reflect on this; The EFCC had busted a sister agency, the NIA, that stashed $43 million dollars cash in an unmarked private apartment at Ikoyi. Ehnhen, how is this case different from the Andrew Yakubu dollar-in-the-village case? The difference is while the Andrew Yakubu case is corruption, the NIA case typifies the 'lawlessness of corruption.'

Fast-forward a couple of weeks, the hunter became the hunted. The DSS, which is the chief internal security agency of the country leaked a story to the press to the effect that the EFCC may have been engaging in corruption. They said, 'It is sad to note that in the course of our investigation, we discovered that an agency, which is also saddled with an investigative authority, is rather creating a platform for criminal fugitives.' Hmm!! What more can this be if it is not 'lawlessness of corruption?'

The cycle was completed when the DSS itself, the chief hunter, was involved in a recruitment scandal, at which point I threw my hands in the air in submission.

As I made to end this frustrating line of thought on 'lawlessness of corruption' and how we have failed to react appropriately, I drifted to Donald Trump and his co-conspirators in government. They were being investigated by the FBI on the Russian connection, which to me, was looking like 'lawlessness of corruption.' Will the reaction be same as Nigeria? Hell No! Before the Senate could intervene, Don T. released the antidote - the 'Comeycal Treatment.' The FBI director, James Comey was sacked. Hmm!!!

Truly, it is a Babylonian world. So, whether in government circles or private sector, watch out for the 'lawlessness of corruption,' but before you react, think about the 'Comeycal treatment.' Nevertheless, do not despair for our nation, for though against hope, I still believe in hope (Romans 4:18).

Happy Sunday.

.....Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey.