By Nwabueze Okonkwo
Industrialist and transport magnate, Chief Godwin Ubaka Okeke, has attributed Nigeria’s current economic crisis to what he described as monumental corruption among political leaders and top civil and public servants.
Speaking with journalists at his residence in the GRA area of Onitsha ahead of his 76th birthday celebration, Okeke, the Chairman and CEO of GUO Motors Limited and GUO Group of Companies, lamented that corruption has deeply infiltrated every sector of Nigerian society, crippling industries, refineries, power generation and distribution, and other key areas of the economy.
He therefore recommended capital punishment, including death sentence or life imprisonment, for any political office holder or senior public servant found guilty of corruption, similar to anti-corruption measures in countries like China.
“If we amend our constitution to make corruption a capital offence—punishable by firing squad or life imprisonment—any political party that adopts a zero-tolerance stance on corruption will attract massive support, because corruption is the root cause of Nigeria’s economic collapse,” Okeke said.
Quoting former Governor Peter Obi, he added: “Nigeria has enough resources to meet our needs but not enough to satisfy our greed.”
According to Okeke, while the vast majority of Nigerians—up to 90 percent—can no longer afford basic meals, a small elite group of about 10 percent continues to plunder the nation’s resources with impunity.
“We have moved from stealing in millions to billions and now trillions, while the masses suffer. Our conscience has been mortgaged for peanuts during elections. Politicians use the youth for their selfish goals, only to abandon them while sending their own children abroad to study and return to continue the cycle of corruption.”
On the broader implications, he noted: “There are no good roads, no security, no electricity, no food, no medication—nothing. How can industries survive, let alone thrive, in such an environment? It’s no surprise factories are relocating to other African countries.”
Okeke also expressed strong support for the removal of fuel subsidies, noting that only a few individuals had benefited from it. However, he criticized the corruption linked to its implementation, saying the same clique that profited from the subsidy continues to manipulate the system.
Reflecting on his life at 76, he expressed deep regret over the level of corruption in Nigeria:
“Without corruption, Nigeria would not be in this mess. These corrupt individuals have dragged the country into a bottomless pit.”
On a lighter note, Okeke highlighted his philanthropic work through the Godwin and Patricia Okeke Foundation, which supports disadvantaged groups, including the deaf and disabled, by providing education and building relaxation centers to promote inclusion.
His wife, Lady Patricia Okeke, also weighed in, condemning corrupt public officials:
“God must surely punish corrupt politicians and civil servants. I urge well-meaning individuals and groups to support the less privileged and physically challenged in our society. I thank God that at 71, I am alive and healthy.”