By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Business man and political economist, Professor Pat Utomi has decried what he described as the pervasive culture of impunity in Nigeria, warning that the mindset of the country’s leadership has significant consequences for the behaviour of citizens and public officials.
Utomi, in a post on his X handle on Saturday, said a recent message to Catholic bishops at the Presidential Villa that “all is fair in politics” reflected a troubling worldview capable of shaping the nation’s political and social culture.
He questioned why former United States President Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal if, indeed, all was fair in politics.
“Catholic Bishops were told in the Villa that all is fair in politics. So why did Richard Nixon resign as US President for covering up Watergate wiretapping?” he asked.
According to Utomi, the statement was more significant because it revealed a particular mindset, which he said ultimately shaped leadership and the wider society.
“But the statement speaks to a mindset. And mindsets are everything. They depict a worldview,” he said, citing the German concept of “Weltanschauung,” which he described as a complete philosophy of life.
He argued that because leadership plays a major role in setting the tone of a society’s culture, a leadership mindset that tolerates impunity could inevitably encourage similar behaviour across the country.
“As what leadership does most is set the tone of culture, we can see the effect of that mindset in the pervasive impunity in the land,” Utomi stated.
He illustrated his argument with what he described as a personal experience involving a driver who took him to the airport in Lagos.
According to him, the driver’s vehicle developed an overheating problem near Obalende at about 7am on a Sunday and was subsequently confronted by area boys.
“Within minutes he is stripped of every kobo on him by area boys within the watchful gaze of LASTMA officials near their Sura Centre,” he alleged.
Utomi said that after the area boys left, officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) allegedly moved in, threatened the driver and towed his vehicle.
“As the area boys moved on, LASTMA moves in, threaten and then tows the car, extorting nearly N100,000, most of which they refused to offer a receipt for,” he alleged.
The economist said the incident demonstrated how ordinary citizens could become vulnerable when public institutions and individuals operate without accountability.
“This is now social order collapses when impunity reigns,” he warned.
Precise Post recalls that Utomi’s remarks come amid continuing national debates over political ethics, accountability and the conduct of public officials, with calls for stronger institutions and greater adherence to the rule of law.
