EDITORIAL: The Hushpuppi Saga

The melodrama revolving around a Nigerian scammer who is known by the moniker “Hushpuppi”(real name Ramon Abbas)  predictably ended in a court in the United States with his being sent to a correctional facility for eleven years. He deserves the jail term. Unfortunately, there are consequences for the rest of us as well as for the economy of Nigeria.

The speediness of the trial as well as the diligence of the prosecutor is something we should learn from. Due process was followed without being bogged down in a never-ending trial full of twists, turns as well as tales of the unexpected. There are economic and social consequences attached to the judicial process and we should be aware of this if we are ever ready to build a competitive economy. No potential investor is going to be enthusiastic about investing in an economy in which the judicial process goes on as in forever

The convict himself is the product of a society which has sadly over time tolerated licentiousness. The fellow was not born a miscreant and did not create himself. Unfortunately, Nigerian society and the authorities have tolerated even glamourised deviant behaviour for far too long. The social consequences have led to an unacceptable perception and the consequences include unfavourable credit-risk assessment of Nigerians trying to carry out legitimate businesses. There are in addition a host of debilitating consequences.

There must be a push back and the state as well as civil and political society must now be assertive. The country needs to enforce zero tolerance for unexplained sources of wealth. We will do well to look at the United Kingdom’s highly effective “ 2017 Unexplained Sources Of Wealth Act”. It is obvious that the tax authorities are not up and doing. This must be changed. As long ago as the nineteen-twenties, it was charges of tax fraud and not murder that nailed the notorious gangster Al Capone and assorted criminals. Without proactive tax authorities, the country will continue to be embarrassed. For too long, crime fighting in Nigeria has focused on closing the stable doors after the horse has fled. It must now be preventive.

The activities of people like Hushpuppi is an embarrassment and the political will must be summoned to stamp out what has become a threat to the cohesion and moral stability of society.