Mohammed Danjuma currently serves as the senator representing Gombe Central district in the national assembly.
Some years back as members of the civil society arm of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), we visited Goje, during his tenure as the governor of Gombe state, to inform him of our responsibilities and also discuss some corruption issues generally.
He declared to us that corruption could only be minimised but not completely wiped out in Africa.
His reason was that as you get appointed or elected into an office, new demands increase.
In his words, “When your wife tells you that she wants to change from driving a Corolla to a Jeep, your primary school mates will quickly remind you that you used to be their school mates, and your village will start organising a chieftaincy title for you etc.”
He attributed these demands to factors that often push people to dip their hands into public purse just in a bit to satisfy such needs.
He further told us of his personal encounter when he visited Germany as a governor then.
According to him, while Goje was in Berlin, he had a guide who took him to the market and while moving round, his guide saw someone in his shop and excused him (Goje) to greet the person.
After few minutes, he came back to ask if he (Goje) knew the person and he replied, “How can I know him when I am a visitor?”
He was told that the person selling in the shop was the only brother of the German Chancellor then.
Their parents had only two of them.
The former Gombe governor said that his mind quickly reflected back to Africa and he asked himself, “Can this happen in Africa or Nigeria, which is my country?”
A President’s only brother selling in the market and does not give a hood about what happens in Aso Villa?
His conclusion was that when we don’t have the principles to resist such unnecessary demands, we are likely to do the unusual while in office,(of course, he was guilty of such) and the society will suffer for it.
Written by Mogaji Wole Arisekola.