Bombshell! FG can’t win anti-corruption war without musicians — Wiliki

Reggae musician, Orits Williki, has urged the Federal Government to involve Nigerian musicians in the ongoing fight against corruption.

Williki, in an interview with our correspondent, said that musicians could be useful to the anti-graft war by creating the kind of songs and slogans that will stir Nigerians into taking positive action against corruption.

The incidence of corruption, he argued, got worse because nobody, especially past Nigerian governments, bothered to listen to musicians.

Noting that Nigeria would have been able to get rid of corruption and other vices affecting the progress of the country, if musicians had been taken seriously, the musician added, “If past governments in this country and the people had listened to all that Nigerian musicians have been preaching in their songs from the beginning, we probably would not have found ourselves in this condition.

“All of us spoke out against corruption and other vices that are limiting the progress of this country and her people.  Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for example, never got tired of criticising corrupt government officials till his death. Unfortunately nobody bothered to take musicians seriously because they felt that we didn’t know what we were saying.

“At a point, I began to wonder how those who had ears could not hear and those who had eyes could not see the direction in which our country was heading to. If government had listened to the voices of musicians and the various civil rights groups in the country that were deeply involved in campaigns for equality, fairness and justice, as well as for a better deal for the masses, things would have been much better today. But they didn’t listen and now the problems facing the country have eaten very deep into our system, ” he said.

Although President Muhammadu Buhari meant well for Nigeria and her people, Williki also noted, he could possibly do very little to salvage the situation because of the kind of people around him.

“The President is surrounded by people who are not sincere. As long as such people are in power, this kind of scenario that we are seeing now may persist. And there is nothing that the average Nigerian can do about it because we are in a democracy.

“Many of the people that Nigerians would have supported are already worse than corruption itself. So where do we go from here? From the look of things, only God can save this country. It seems that the older the country grows, the deeper the incidence of corruption. This is really sad,” Williki said.

The popular musician advised the Federal Ministry of Information to start a massive anti-corruption campaign in the country that will involve all departments of the Nigerian society.

“I expect to see lots of posters, billboards and other campaign materials in the streets and major highways talking about the need to fight corruption in the country. I expect to listen to jingles on the radio and television, too. Every Nigerian should feel the impact of the ongoing anti-corruption.

“Government should also get musicians involved and pay them to make songs that will turn the tide against the enemies of this country, if it wants to fight corruption with propaganda,” he said.Punch