Corruption or Kleptomania? -By Salman Mohammed Jiddah

Corruption: dishonest or illegal behaviour, especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers) – Merriam Webster dictionary.

Kleptomania: an irresistible impulse to steal, stemming from emotional disturbance rather than economic need – Merriam Webster dictionary

With the trials of the alleged corrupt leaders about to begin, the definitions of “corruption” and “kleptomania” leaves a shade of gray in how to go about judging these past leaders.

I am not a judge, nor am I a medical professional to qualify any alleged person as a corrupt person or a kleptomaniac to any form of authority. But I believe as a Nigerian I own the right to pass on my judgments even though opinionated, but I assure everyone my judgments are basically based on the character these past supposed leaders have played out.

In as much as I would personally love to see most of these past leaders rot in prison, I cannot help but give them the benefit of psychiatric evaluation; I mean it is only logical to do that after all by definition of kleptomania the word seems to define a lot of them from the allegations, besides categorising them as corrupt.

In the ongoing investigations which I believe will pave way for the upcoming trials, an unnamed past minister has been said to be responsible for stealing a million barrels of crude oil daily…a million barrels daily! Can anyone in there right senses give me a reason not to call such a person a kleptomaniac besides being corrupt? If the figure of a million barrels does not awe you then I believe doing the math on the value of a million barrels of crude oil will definitely leave your jaw dropping.

Been dishonest to the citizens of this country by stealing or looting funds meant to better their livelihood is definitely corruption, but looking beyond corruption, when they loot these funds in excess amounting to millions and billions of dollars, then exporting the stolen money to foreign soils, stashing and coming back home satisfied with their actions. Where is the satisfaction in that? Stealing what will never be of any economic significance to you while depriving those it was meant for, then forcing the country to go and borrow from foreign soils, and probably borrow what belonged to us in the first place.

And for those who are already coming out to say they are sick and in need of medical attention, maybe we will believe your sudden sickness if it was not cancerous but rather mentally inclined, all you have to do to justify your sickness is refer us to your actions while in office. All of you!

So while the nation parades you as corrupt people, I will give you the benefit of doubt, and not by disputing what the authorities are saying, no not at all. They could be absolutely correct or not.

This might be only an opinion to you, but this is not just what I think, no this is what I believe. These people are sick!

Mentally ill!