By Oluwole Ogundele
Corruption lies at the root of most (if not all) challenges being faced by today’s Nigeria. Nigeria is a developing economy that remains heavily (and uncritically too) dependent on the Western world, and to a lesser degree, parts of Asia, for modern scientific and technological productions. Not surprisingly, sustainable development cannot be experienced despite the enormity of Nigeria’s natural resources and enviable human capital. Indeed, the Nigerian spirit is being steadily barbarised.
Although corruption is a global challenge, the Nigerian case is too serious to be trivialised under the guise of national consciousness and/or Africanism. It is on record that Nigeria has lost more than $400 billion to the super powers since its political independence in October 1960. Without mincing words, corruption has become a way of life in this country. The future looks bleak for national development except there is a change of this primitive mindset. In today’s Nigeria, an incorruptible leader is considered to be a moron of the first order. This ugliness permeates all levels of our society.
However, it is most misleading to use a reductionist method of approach to develop an understanding of the ontology of corruption. In other words, we need to craft an encyclopedic knowledge of corruption as a basis for successfully tackling it. Inflated contract awards, padded budget, paying salaries to “ghost” workers, and other forms of economic/financial as well as social recklessness constitute acts of corruption enshrined in monumental spiritless-ness.
Thus, for example, irregular/prostituted appointments, and promotions in the various ministries as well as tertiary institutions are corrupt practices, very poisonous to the heart and soul of the Nigerian society. It is worrying that academia is no longer an exception in this connection. This is not a loose statement by all noble standards. It is very disturbing that more and more mediocrities, including drug- twisted heads, are occupying the country’s leadership space.
This is one reason for the poor performance of the national economy. It is pertinent to note here that the Corruption Rank in Nigeria averaged 125.67 between 1999 and 2022. It reached 154.00 in 2022. Corruption reigns supreme in this country from top to bottom. Our oil and gas resources are being stolen by a few powerful Nigerians, often in collaboration with some dubious foreign business partners while most citizens are groaning under the weight of material poverty.
It seems to me that the central Nigerian political authority can do much better than hitherto in curbing the menace of corruption. Moral probity, intellectual imagination, and near-complete angelhood are of the essence. This is achievable through the lens of unalloyed patriotism and determination. In this context, ethnic or religious bigotry (a relic of savagery) has no place to stand. Ordinary Nigerians will not have confidence in the leadership that does not work for justice. The current non-effective punishment systems are at variance with sustainable peace and progress. Any society where some people are above the law is doomed to failure. The anti-corruption bodies must be allowed to work freely.
According to the south western zone of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), a sum of N330 billion was being owed retirees as of November 2022. This backlog was from 2012. Similarly, pensioners in Abia State protested in April 2022 for being owed for 38 months. The story was/is the same in other parts of the country, leading to the death of a lot of retirees. It is unacceptable that Nigeria has no provisions for social security or welfare policies for the aged citizens. This situation encourages public workers to be very corrupt at the tail end of their services to the country. This is because they will need to save for the rainy day. On the other hand, those who have no opportunity to take bribes will not demonstrate enough commitment to their work. In the long run, the national economy suffers.
The government cannot afford to pretend that the welfare of workers and retirees does not matter. There is no wisdom in giving peanuts to workers and retirees especially in the face of rising inflation. The offence of these retirees was that they once served their fatherland.
Hedonism, the popular Nigerian political ideology, is the height of man’s inhumanity to man. According to this belief, the people can go to hell while the rulers continue to cut corners. It amounts to killing the citizens by cutting off their heads with a guillotine. Nigerian leaders need a radical rethink of their approaches to governance.
It saddens me a great deal that retirement, which should be a pleasant experience, is now (in most cases) a horrible phenomenon/death sentence. Aged people are made to face the whole rigmarole of verification, as if the country is yet to go digital. Many of them often slump and/or die in the process. What a country! Even judges and professors are not spared. Nigeria has no respect for its senior citizens.
The Nigerian central parliament needs to do much more to alleviate the sufferings of the people. They have to come up with more people-centred laws instead of harassing the citizenry, especially our young medical doctors, who are trying to leave the country for greener pastures. After studying for 6 or 7 years in the medical school, under unimaginably difficult conditions (without loan and/or bursary facilities), a doctor ends up receiving peanuts monthly. This happens in a country almost irredeemably ravaged by galloping inflation. Sometimes, doctors are not paid for three or four months.
Poor salaries are an invitation to corrupt practices. Material poverty dehumanises anybody regardless of his status. The federal legislators should focus on the all-important issues of doctors’ welfare and working environment. “Janjaweed” and/or cosmetic approaches can never tame the monster of brain drain in Nigeria.
Every scientific explanation has some logic behind it. This existential reality straddles the domains of causality and effects. Europe and North America, among other segments of the developed world, will continue to harvest the skills and competence of the Nigerian medical doctors and allied professionals like nurses and physiotherapists, so long as the push factor is not pragmatically addressed.
In this connection, the government, particularly the legislative arm, must shun small- minded egotism at all costs. Uncommon intellectual imagination and unalloyed patriotism are of the essence.
Fuel subsidy removal (without first and foremost, salary increases across the board) will worsen the problems of the masses. Such a scenario will definitely put Nigeria on the edge of a precipice. It is wiser to avoid a landmine. Salary increases at this critical time must not be selective because everybody (except the hedonistic political class members and their business associates) is under stress.
Again, the timing of the fuel subsidy removal has to be perfect. Apart from this, the exercise has to be phased. The Nigerian masses have made enough sacrifices. If truth be told, our economy and security are in a fragile state. Therefore, the in- coming administration under the direction of Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs to craft a new understanding of sustainable national peace and progress embedded in sophisticated, world-class political morality.