…cites Lagos extortion ordeal
By Kehinde Jacobs
Political economist and public affairs analyst, Professor Pat Utomi, has cautioned that Nigeria’s governance crisis is rooted in a dangerous mindset that normalizes impunity, warning that the collapse of social order is already visible on the streets of Lagos.
In a commentary released this week, Utomi recounted being told that Catholic Bishops were informed during a meeting at the Presidential Villa that “all is fair in politics.” He contrasted that remark with the resignation of former United States President Richard Nixon over the Watergate wiretapping cover-up, arguing that the difference lies not in the act alone but in the underlying worldview that guides leaders.
“That statement speaks to a mindset. And mindsets are everything,” Utomi wrote, pointing out that “They depict a worldview. Germans sum it up well in the word Weltanschauung, a complete philosophy of life.”
According to Utomi, leadership is most powerful in setting the tone of culture. When that tone rewards cutting corners, he said, it produces what Nigerians now experience daily: pervasive impunity across institutions.
To illustrate, Utomi shared a personal experience from Lagos. He said a driver who took him to the airport at 7am on a Sunday suffered engine overheating near Obalende. Within minutes, the driver was approached by area boys who allegedly stripped him of every amount of money he had on him.
Utomi said the incident happened within the watchful gaze of officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, near their Sura Centre. After the area boys left, he said LASTMA officials moved in, threatened the driver and towed the vehicle. The driver was then made to pay nearly N100,000 to reclaim the car, with officials refusing to issue a receipt for most of the amount.
“This is how social order collapses when impunity reigns,” Utomi stated.
The account draws attention to the overlapping pressures faced by ordinary citizens in Lagos, where many commuters report being caught between street touts, traffic enforcement, and criminal elements. Utomi argued that when state actors and non-state actors operate with similar disregard for rules, citizens are “sandwiched” and lose faith in institutions meant to protect them.
He linked the street-level experience to the remark allegedly made to the Bishops, suggesting both reflect a broader philosophy that politics has no moral boundaries. For Utomi, that philosophy explains why infractions that forced resignations in other democracies are treated as routine here.
“Leadership does most by setting the tone of culture,” he said. “If the tone says anything goes, then area boys will act with brazenness, and agencies will extort with confidence, because both believe there will be no consequences.”
Utomi did not name the officials involved in the Villa meeting with the Bishops. He however urged a national conversation on ethics in public life, saying Nigeria cannot address insecurity, corruption and economic hardship without first confronting the mindset that enables them.
The professor called on religious leaders, civil society and citizens to insist on accountability, arguing that restoring order will require more than policies. It will require, in his words, a new Weltanschauung, a philosophy of leadership grounded in law, transparency and respect for citizens.
As of press time, the Presidency and LASTMA had not responded to Prof Utomi’s claims.
