From Okwe Obi, Abuja

Anambra State governor-elect, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, yesterday, divulged that he received 19 threat letters for undertaking the banking revolution when he headed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Soludo, who spoke in Abuja at the graduation ceremony of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), on the topic: “The Purpose and Price of Disruptive Change,” said beneficiaries of the corrupt system physically assaulted him.

His words: “In Nigeria, we remember what happened to Murtala Muhammed, and the history books are replete with hundreds of examples of the inherent risks.

“At a personal level, undertaking the banking revolution in Nigeria came with 19 written threats to me and my family, including physical attacks.

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“Disrupting the existing social order is dangerous. Beneficiaries of the current order are powerful enough to organise and viciously fight back to protect their privileges.”

Aside taking a swipe at some politicians who see government jobs as an avenue to lavish scarce resources, Soludo also blamed the citizenry whom he claimed embolden corruption by inundating political office holders with financial and frivolous demands.

He said: “Politics has become big business. Appointment or election into public office is seen largely as an opportunity to ‘eat’ rather than a call to selfless service. There is an army of rich (big men) who have never worked or done any productive work in their life, and believe that it is their right to expect something for nothing.

“The tiny less than one per cent elite have a stranglehold on the public purse, sprinkling occasional crumbs to the citizens as ‘dividends of democracy.’  The citizens themselves either out of helplessness or acquiescence join the party, expecting the politicians to dole out pittance out of public treasury as charity. The citizens actually clap for such phantom ‘charity.’ Politicians who refuse to do so are deemed as ‘stingy’ or ‘wicked,’ and the circus goes on.  With a rentier system, a culture of freebies emerged, and most people don’t expect to pay for anything, including taxes, electricity, water, petrol, etc. A classic feature of the political environment is that corruption has become part of the ‘culture,’ with little incentive for honesty.”

On her part, the pioneer Dean of SPPG, Dr Amina Salihu, charged the graduands to deploy their leadership skills and to remain committed and focused in the face of challenges.