Mahmood Ahmadu Features in Dele Momodu's Thisday Newspaper Article

Mahmood Ahmadu Features in Thisday Newspaper – A recent article was written by veteran Nigerian journalist – Dele Momodu addressing the need to protect Job and Wealth Creators in Nigeria. Dele Momodu Wrote:

Fellow Nigerians, I am excited to report to you the feedback I got from my article last week, May 2, 2020, titled TIME TO PROTECT NIGERIAN COMPANIES AND JOBS. Reactions were varied but instructive. A few of the names I mentioned, who I had not seen or heard from for many years, reacted directly to thank me for the piece especially as they considered that they were doing a thankless task of trying to generate jobs for the mass of our citizens, and create wealth for a sizable proportion as well. Also, a top government functionary personally spoke copiously to me to give me the government perspective.

My simple conclusion is that while Nigerians from different walks of life moan and groan about lack of jobs, government needs to do much more about protecting those who create jobs and spread prosperity. My main grouse is that we are yet to understand the fact that we cannot harass businessmen and women in the same manner we treat politicians who run afoul of the law.

Everywhere in the world, the government would usually invite members of the business community to explain their challenges or inform them of whatever government has against them so that any issues can be resolved if they are capable of resolution. This is more so where the purported violations are more regulatory than anything else. When there are criminal allegations to be faced, the businessmen are to, and should, be treated with the same principle of innocence until proven guilty as that given to the ordinary citizen. The fact of his wealth, visibility and fame should not be used as an opportunity to create a circus out of the event in a bid to demonstrate that government can catch big fishes! They must not be pronounced guilty on the pages of newspapers or scandalised permanently and globally without considering the business and commercial implications, the impact on the economy or how many jobs may be lost if care is not taken.

 Imagine how many times the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has been invited to face charges bordering on suspected criminality. One of the most recent examples was the double-barrelled attack he got from lawmakers in the United Kingdom who labelled him a “digital gangster!” and from lawmakers in the United States where prosecutors frenetically scrutinised the activities of Facebook and subpoenaed two companies that had engaged in business with the powerful and influential social media platforms. As serious as the charges were, Zuckerberg was still accorded maximum respect and allowed to answer questions in a dignified atmosphere devoid of convictions before prosecutions!

As recent as March 30, 2020, Microsoft was accused of violating antitrust laws. Long before then, Microsoft and Bill Gates were charged at various times including in 1998 for the same antitrust issues. In 2019, Reuters reported that Microsoft Corp agreed to pay $25.3 million, plus a criminal fine, as settlement for “improper payments that were used to bribe government officials in Hungary and other countries…” Nothing you might say could be dastardlier. Yet, the countries involved did not seek to humiliate or scandalise Microsoft in the process. The government did not cut off the heads of the Microsoft operatives. Bill Gates was not treated like a pariah or made to appear responsible for the activities of his company. He was not forced into exile or made to withdraw into his shell because those countries understand the fact that throwing the baby and the bath water away simultaneously would spell bigger doom for the countries and the world at large. There was therefore no backlash at all on the promoter of Microsoft. Bill Gates continued to be the darling of the public because both government and the populace generally recognise the good work that he has done and still does, notwithstanding the major violations and the significant punishment that has been meted out to his company and the humongous fines the company had to pay.

The essence of my epistle today is to appeal to our country to learn didactic lessons and useful tips from other places. Many important companies and their owners have been ruined just for the fun of it or because someone wanted to play God and no one considered the plight of thousands, who may lose, or have lost their jobs! Some founders of big corporations lost their investments, hard work and sweat in a jiffy and even more painful, innocent shareholders, workers and indirect beneficiaries suffered collateral damage. This is unGodly. Mistakes are bound to be made and there are always remedies and punishments that are meant to be corrective and not destructive.

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