Virtually everyone agrees that corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of Nigerian society and that it has held the development strides of the nation.However, the cause and solution to reducing and ending corruption in the nation are subjects of debate at practically everywhere Nigerians are gathered.

Last week, while speaking at a book presentation in Ibadan, Oyo State, former President Olusegun Obasanjo accused members of the National Assembly of institutionalising corruption and described them as a bunch of “unarmed robbers”.He was referring to the lawmakers’ huge monthly take-home pay which is alleged to be the highest in the world.

However, the former President’s “rogues and armed robbers” comment attracted reaction across the country. The Senate has challenged him to name the rogues and robbers in the chamber, while the House of Representatives has set up a panel to investigate the comment.

Speaking on the issue, Chief Edwin Clark, First Republic Information Minister, stated that Obasanjo lacked the moral right to call anyone corrupt. Clark said, “In this country, Obasanjo accused the federal legislators, labelling some of them as armed robbers. He is not the person to make that statement because he too has not given a good example to Nigerians.”

Olisa Agbakoba, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, added that Nigerians were tired of allegations like the one made by Obasanjo. He said Nigerians had remained a laughing stock in the world because its government had failed to show enough seriousness in fighting the corruption.

The questions are; does Obasanjo have the moral standing to demand that the lawmakers reduce the amount of money they take from the national purse so that there will be more fund for infrastructure? The answer is debatable. Did he lay a good example when he was president in the area of probity and accountability? Your guess is as good as mine.

However,  he does have the political right to ask the lawmakers why they should be the highest paid legislators in the world when a huge majority of Nigerians wallow in abject poverty.

The lawmakers should leave the messenger, look themselves in the mirror and ask why they should collect millions of naira as salary when the minimum wage in the country cannot buy a bag of rice.