The Nation Newspaper

Tag: corruption

  • Ending the corruption scourge

    The scourge of corruption did not start with ‘Oduahgate’, Jonathan presidency or indeed PDP, a ‘new breed’ political party that emerged after 15 years of military social engineering. It started with the NPC/NCNC coalition partners’ declaration of state of emergency in the Western Region, invalidation of the unfavourable British Privy Council judgment through a retroactive amendment of the constitution of the West and rigging of the 1965 regional election, all in an attempt to impose their ‘chop I chop’ vision to replace that of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number of people’ espoused by the ruling elite of the West. But for that fraud, we would not have had an Obasanjo, a great Nigerian who celebrates his ‘Nigerianess’ by insisting he is a Nigerian leader and not a Yoruba leader, being imposed from outside as president of Nigeria to fill Yoruba slot in the presidency; and but for that destruction of the structure of Nigeria, as distinguished as President Jonathan is, I am not sure whether he would have emerged to fill the Ijaw slot in the presidency.

    Other symptoms of that initial fraud such as the ‘cement armada’ of Gowon era, when bureaucrats colluded with soldiers to clog the Apapa port with a capacity for 1million metric tons with 20 million metric tons of cement, Umaru Dikko’s rice scandal of Shagari era and NPN gluttonous consumption that wiped out our foreign reserve in four years, confiscation of the nation’s common wealth by Babangida and Abacha and their ‘army of anything is possible’. All happened before PDP emerged in 1998

    If PDP is guilty of anything, it is that of creativity and openness. For instance they came up with an ingenious policy of ‘monetisation’ to enable privileged members of the party buy freshly built government properties in Abuja and other GRAs around the country. Similarly, some of their members and fronts forged papers to share part of N1.7trillion fuel subsidy. And in their intra-class gang wars, no weapon is forbidden. Presidents, vice president, governors, senate president, Speakers of the Lower House, and lawmakers have openly exchanged brick bats. In fact, today the war between new PDP and the original PDP is an open sore.

    And to the credit of the party, members have been very frank and open about this national corruption, our national scourge. President Jonathan once ordered the arrest of the son of his party chairman for alleged fraud , a move Dr. Doyin Okupe , his special adviser, described as a ‘ courageous action of a politician still eyeing an elective office’ which Nigerians should applaud. Only two weeks back, before his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he had set up a panel to probe the ‘Oduahgate’. And as if to further confirm our rating, as the eight most corrupt nation in the world, our own minister of agriculture Dr Akinwunmi Adesina recently confirmed during “Agbeloba’ AgroBusiness forum 2013 organised by Ekiti State government that Nigerian leaders stole N776 billion out of N873 billion released for fertilizer subsidy between 1980 and 2010 (PDP was in government for 11 of those 30 years).

    The Task Team Leader of the World Bank in Nigeria, Dr. Tunde Adekola followed this up by confirming that Nigeria cannot benefit from World Bank financial assistance because of ‘profound level of corruption embedded within most of the institutions applying for aid in the country. To further drive the point home, Walter Omowale Carrington, our American adopted son recently reminded us that “corruption is the most terrible monster that confronts Nigeria, and that “virtually all the problems associated with governance would be removed if we can summon the courage to tackle corruption and banish it from our activities.” And From a man who should know better, the President of Nigerian Bar Association, Okey Wali came a sombre admission that “corruption is the number one problem of the country, whether by embezzlement of public funds, appointments in public and private sector or by selective justice (prosecution and conviction)”. His fear, he said is “not just the impunity with which corruption is practiced or that it is attaining the status of our way of life in the country, but that a “corrupt legislature may endure; a corrupt executive may thrive; but a corrupt judiciary will die”.

    Like Wali who recommended “a strong political will and commitment on the part of the executive”, Sanusi Lamido, the CBN governor in a BBC programme last Saturday also insisted what is needed to fight corruption is the political will of the executive claiming that of the 164 fraud cases arising from his own war against banking sector frauds, only one indictment has been secured two years down the line.

    But I think both Wali and Sanusi are wrong. They are not fair to the president. It will be expecting too much from a president who was not the source of corruption to demonstrate a political will that his godfather, President Obasanjo could not exhibit in the midst of vicious PDP hawks. I think if we are serious about fighting corruption, the first step is to change the structure that sustains corruption. This is because the forces in our society that insist they own society and must determine the fate of the less privileged are as desperate in Nigeria as they are in other nations. It was perhaps this reason, Awo who spent the greater part of his life studying Nigerian problems and proffering solution, came to the conclusion after a failed life-long struggle to sell his own vision of how Nigerian should be run, likened successive Nigeria governments since independence to “a cow held by some and milked by powerful, and ‘cunniest’ few”.

    It has become clear to all the conflicting forces in our nation, including those who want sovereign national dialogue through the back door, that the only way forward is to revert back to our old structure jettisoned by ‘chop I chop’ politicians and legitimised by bungling military, with some modifications to replace the current one that oils corruption. With 30 million unemployed graduates and symptoms of deformed structure like fuel subsidy fraud, pension scheme scam and the recent ‘Oduahgate’, we don’t need an impersonal, all powerful federal Leviathan in Abuja that confiscates over 50% of our resources, unilaterally decides the education our children receive, the road we pass to our farms, the airline we fly, the support our local farmers need, the water we drink and the God we worship.

    We don’t need a parasitic wasteful federal structure with 36 ministers, 105 senators and 360 lower house members earning, depending on whose figure we accept, Itse Sagay’s between N204 million and N250 million per annum, or the CBN governor’s 25% of the nation’s budget, or even the lawmakers’ N190 billion, in a situation where a US senator earns $174,000 and a British parliamentarian, $64,000.

    We don’t need unwieldy 36 states where governors operate like emperors, with state owned or leased aircrafts, fleet of armoured cars, 720 commissioners and an estimated 700 lawmakers for all the 36 states houses of assemblies.

    Of course it amounts to gross irresponsibility to sustain 774 Local Government Areas, whose creations were based on no known objective criteria, collecting handouts from Abuja every month to undermine the activities of the state governments with whom they have shared responsibilities to the people.

    I am sure changing the political architecture, will allay the fears of the CBN governor about importation of dollars by politicians to fight the 2013 election as he had averred during his BBC ‘Hard Talk’ last Saturday. There is no doubt our award -winning CBN governor, who claimed with his knowledge of what goes on in government , he will not survive a year in Abuja as president, knows that the sources of the money politicians are using to import dollars in preparation for 2015 ‘do or die’ contest can be traced to governors security votes, or proceeds of contract deals by ministers such as the current ‘Oduahgate’ in which the minister of aviation was alleged to have approved an expenditure of $800,000 for a BMW armoured car whose market going price is $200,000.

  • Corruption and federation account system

    I agree that corruption has done incalculable damage to both our national economy and psyche, but I differ from those that hold the idea that it represents all our challenges. Our corruption challenge to me is a legislative error that can be corrected through genuine law-making process in just one stroke.

    Like most commentators have argued, majority of Nigerians abhor corruption. Only a few are neck-deep in the unholy act. There is a consensus among public commentators that corruption in the First Republic was very insignificant until the military took control over.

    First, was the Unification Decree of Aguiyi Ironsi which brought all matters directly under the office of the Commander-in-Chief as against the delicately worked out federal system that our founding fathers had put in place. Even when Ironsi was removed from office, Unification Decree 34 was never repealed. The next move from the military was the Balkanization of the regions into states. These were to achieve two things; first, to weaken the regions from putting up any resistance and to exploit the greed of the individual opinion leaders in those areas just like the preceding colonialists.

    When General Yakubu Gowon took over, his tenure was not too different from Aguiyi Ironsi. The Gowon administration in “1968 established the Interim Revenue Allocation Review Committee (IRARC) headed by Chief I. O. Dina, then Permanent Secretary in the former Western Region. The main term of reference of the committee was to find out sources of new revenue and suggest any change in the existing revenue allocation system.”

    Among the recommendations of the Committee were:

    (i) That the Distributable Pool Account should be renamed “State Joint Account.”

    (ii) That there should be established (a) A Special Grants Account; and (b) A Permanent Planning and Fiscal Commission to administer the Special Grants Account, and also to study and review the Revenue Allocation Formula.

    (iii) That horizontally the allocation principles should be

    (a) Basic needs;

    (b) Minimum national standards;

    (c) Balanced development; and

    (d) Derivation.

    (iv) That the vertical sharing formula for royalties from on-shore mining should be:

    (a) States of origin- 10%

    (b) Federal Government-10%

    (c) States Joint Account-70%; and

    (d) Special Grants Account-5%

    (v) That rents from on-shore operations should be paid to the states on the basis of derivation-100%

    The Dina Committees’ Report was rejected on the grounds that its range went beyond the mood of the military government of that time. For example, it recommended that there should be uniform tax legislation for the nation and that the pricing of Marketing Board produce should be harmonized. In addition, it proposed that the federal government should finance all higher education. The government continued with the then existing formula.

    Under Obasanjo’s watch, the circle for unitary government was completed through the Land Use Decree and the unification of the local government system. Through the Land Use Decree, Obasanjo appropriated the fossil products and other mineral deposits from states to the federal government rather than as the exclusive preserve to the state or the old region where such mineral is deposited. Through its unified local government system, it destroyed the individual administrative initiatives of the regions in the running of their local governments, which had always been based on tested culture and tradition. He did not stop there; he brought them under the federal allocation system rather than allow them to remain as a creation of their respective regions or states as they were.

    This was the situation until the Second Republic.

    Since Nigeria’s potential in commercial exportation of oil was established, attention was diverted to oil to the neglect of other sources as the main revenue earner. Gradually, the system became compromised from the allocation of oil blocks to importation of refined products. At the end of every month, the federal government, states and local governments share whatever is claimed to have accrued to the account. The amount each tier of government got was determined by an agency of the federal government. Every month, the states, local governments and the federal government meet in Abuja to share out money irrespective of contribution. In the thinking of the military, all parts of the country must develop at the same pace and time not putting into consideration that it is even against the natural order.

    As a result, foreign bank accounts became swollen with slush funds from Nigeria. How can anyone expect the states to share funds that they did not work for and expect that there will be no corruption? It is the idea of maintaining a federation account, whether one makes contribution or not, but yet assured of monthly allocation that fuels corruption in Nigeria. The idea that the federal government can maintain larger portion of the funds with little or no responsibility is what allows corruption to thrive.

    A legislation that cancels the idea of a federation account and supplants it with a contributory account like we have in the First Republic will take out of the spiral of corruption and put us on a solid footing of economic buoyancy. No amount of a safety valve would stop this cycle of corruption unless the federal government is willing to give up some of the undeserved power the 1999 Constitution vested in it.

    Every state within the federation must get ready to work in competitive environment among its peers. The federal government must join the National Assembly in ensuring that this aspect of our life is corrected through the process of constitutional amendment. Have we ever wondered why it is only countries that develop its economy through taxation that thrives rather than those that rely on natural resources? When revenue is raised through taxation, the tendency that the people might rise up in revolt one day keeps the leaders from messing up with the treasury. In fact, a friend told me that one of the reasons we could not witness a replica of the Arab Spring is because we do not actually own the government. It is not only through election that we own government; our financial contributions to sustain the government go a long way.

    For a very long time, California, a state in the USA has remained the world’s sixth biggest economy. Its economic growth was buoyed by effective taxation not only on income tax but property. The 2010 GDP survey exercise carried out by the Lagos Bureau of Statistics (LBS), put the state’s GDP at N12.091 trillion i.e. ($80.61 billion) representing 35.6% of the national GDP and 62.3% of national non – oil GDP for the same year. Among African cities, the state ranked fourth after, Cairo- $145 billion, Johannesburg – $110 billion and Cape Town – $ 103 billion.

    In addition, Lagos GDP is higher than that of 42 individual African countries’ GDP, including Kenya – $66 billion, Ghana $61.97 billion, and Tanzania -$ 58.44 billion while only 10 African countries have GDP that surpassed that of Lagos State. The countries are: South Africa – $523.95billion, Egypt – $497.78billion, Algeria -$251.117billion, Morocco – $151.432billion, Angola- $107.31billion, Sudan – $99.99 billion, Tunisia – $99.995billion, Libya – $90.571 billion and Ethiopia – $86.123 billion. Lagos GDP is higher than 14 of the 51 states in the US, and, bigger than the GDP of 22 of the 27 states in Brazil.

    I deliberately brought Lagos into focus because it is a classical case of a functional government. I also know that a state like Osun and Ekiti are also setting template that is revolutionizing governance and free their people from dependence on allocation from Abuja. From the clinical attention that is paid to budget preparation and the workings of the budget, these governments have accepted responsibility that they are answerable to the electorate.

     

    •Raji writes from Lagos

  • Cleric charges police on corruption

    THE general overseer of Christ Revival Evangelical Ministries Inc (CREM) Sapele, Delta State, Archbishop Professor Simon Onibere, has charged officers of the Nigeria Police Force to shun all forms of corrupt practices and work towards changing Nigeria.

    He spoke at the consecration of a retired police officer, Ukpong, last week as a bishop.

    Onibere called for a honest, truthful and diligent police force committed to enthronement of justice, fairness and equity.

    He applauded the commitment and Christian virtues of Ukpong as a police man, saying “despite all odds faced by the Nigeria Police Force, especially massive corruption, Ukpong is a plain man who I am proud to present to the Christendom and world as my son.

    “Bishop Ukpong was a decent policeman who instead of collecting money on the roads was collecting souls for God’s Kingdom.”

    Ukpong, who retired as a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said his elevation to the bishopric in the body of Christ will help in the expansion of the gospel.

     

  • Don decries corruption in academia

    Corruption has eaten deep into the academia and has contributed to the falling standards of education in Nigeria, a former Dean, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof Ademola Popoola, has said.

    He said universities are not spared the “agony” of corruption infection, adding that sometimes intimidation has replaced dialogue in the ivory towers.

    Popoola believes funding alone is not the problem of universities, saying standards will remain low until graft in the academia is tackled.

    The academic spoke at a public lecture he delivered as part of activities in the ongoing Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) Annual Festival of Legal Scholarship, which began on Monday and will end on Friday.

    He spoke on the topic: The challenges of postgraduate legal studies in Nigeria.

    Popoola said: “Poor funding is not all the reason for the plight of our universities. The collapse of academic excellence is accentuated by the unhealthy worship of material acquisition, and primitive accumulation of capital in the larger society.

    “Money has become our god. Corruption has eaten so much into the fabric of the Nigerian society. The universities are not spared the agony of infection. There is also corruption there. Force and intimidation sometimes replace dialogue and civilised discussion and communication,” Popoola said.

    The law teacher said despite corruption, university education needs better funding.

    He said for university teachers to be an inspiration to their students and a role model in terms of discipline, erudition, dress mode, general life style, their conditions of service should be made more attractive.

    “A frustrated teacher cannot serve as a role model to any student. An impecunious teacher can hardly establish an enviable lifestyle worthy of emulation. A harassed teacher cannot command the respect of his student.

    “If we are to achieve the ultimate goal of high quality legal education in the 21st century, the teachers’ welfare should be given utmost priority and attention,” Popoola said.

    As part of the festival, NIALS honoured foremost constitutional lawyer and academic Professor Ben Nwabueze with the distinguished legal scholarship award.

    Others who got gold medal awards for exceptional legal scholarship include former Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); Prof Popoola, Prof Obiora Okafor and Prof Osidebamen Osunbor.

     

  • President Jonathan and corruption

    SIR recently, President Goodluck Jonathan remarked that corruption is not Nigeria’s worst problem. But Nigerians know better. Corruption is the reason why the refineries in Nigeria are not working and Nigeria imports fuel and inadvertently exports jobs. It is the reason why Nigeria spent so much money on power supply yet Nigerians are in darkness, with every family that can afford it owning one or more generators. Even Aso Rock has a monumental budget for generators, its maintenance and fuel.

    It is unbelievable that the history of electricity in Nigeria is over 100 years! Corruption is the reason why planes crash in Nigeria frequently. There was one last year, another this year. Aren’t Nigerians silently asking themselves when the next one will occur?

    Corruption is the reason why the roads in Nigeria are death traps. Corruption is the reason why the banks failed in Nigeria, the thieves walk free and government paid over N5 trillion to recapitalize the banks. Corruption is the reason why the government doled out over N1 trillion to its friends for fuel not imported –sabotaging the Nigerian people and the economy!

    Corruption is the reason why about 70% of the population live on less than $2 a day. It is the reason why water is not running in our taps and we are forced to sink wells or boreholes. Corruption is the reason why billions of naira in pensions fund was stolen and the thieves walk free. It is at the heart of Nigeria’s security challenges –Boko Haram, kidnapping, armed robbery, militancy etc -with trillions of naira paid to warlords that have been engaged as security consultants (militancy pays in Nigeria!). Corruption is manufactured in the National Assembly where lawmakers use oversight functions to demand for bribe (they are all rich and majority of Nigerians are poor!). Corruption is the reason why pupils do not have good classrooms. Corruption is the reason why the universities in Nigeria have been shut for the fourth month running (and the government has not been sacked).

    Now, this is how. Every naira stolen has an opportunity cost – the best schools we should have had, water running in our taps, uninterrupted electricity supply, universities that rank among the best in the world, safe country, smooth roads, safe skies, high per capita income, good hospitals, industrial growth, employment for the populace etc.

    Corruption is the reason why Nigeria is what it is today –the shame of the black race. President Jonathan knows why he has chosen to make light the issue of corruption in Nigeria. Yes, the president and his finance minister were right that corruption in Nigeria is across the value chain. But they were so very wrong to advance that as reason for the government’s helplessness. The anti-corruption agencies have become hopelessly inefficient and as compromised as the people who run Nigeria. Only a clean government can square up to corruption. The government remains our problem on corruption. Next time when Nigerians go to the polls, we must not be swayed by rhetoric, religion or tribe. We must elect a president that has the moral authority to fight corruption.

     

    •Olami Akanni

    Abuja

  • Youths, groups condemn corruption

    Youths from Anglophone countries in West Africa have held a seven-day Youth Integrity Camp at the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos. They discussed how to halt the rising spate of corruption.

    Organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Crimes (ICPC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development (Nigeria), and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the event was aimed at grooming youth leaders for higher responsibilities in the future through exposure to knowledge, tools, and practical ideas, to participate actively in governance and fighting corruption through transparency and accountability.

    One of the participants from Liberia, Anderson Miamen, said: “The fight against corruption is very challenging. The corrupt usually use their proceeds to fight back; so, if there is no political will at the highest level, the corrupt ones will end up winning. Awareness and protection should also be promised for those who are willing to assist the government in exposing those involved in the act. Executive order can be given so that they will be protected.”

    The young man who works with the Centre for Transparency in Liberia, an anti-corruption agency, said though coming to the camp did not guarantee the curbing of corruption, he said it would go a long way in achieving its aim.

    The Chairman, ICPC, Barrister Ekpo Nta, while speaking with The Nation, said, if a country’s system does not deter its citizens from doing wrong, corruption, like a sore, will fester.

    He also urged individuals to know that every corrupt act deprives them of some rights like access to good roads.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, who was represented by the Director General, Office of Transformation, Mr Toba Otusanya, said the fight against corruption and need for integrity and accountability are not for the faint-minded.

    Minister of Youth Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who spoke on “The Place of Integrity in Creating an Enabling Environment for Youth Development,” preached integrity and accountability.

  • Corruption: A President against the people

    SIR: President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent attempt to shift the blame of the cesspool of corruption that has characterised his administration and the public sector on ordinary Nigerians is a pure demonstration of his administration’s lack of will, focus and sincerity to tackle this menace. It also exposed the Peoples Democratic Party’s hypocritical approach towards the fight against official graft in the country.

    This ludicrous accusation by the country’s number one citizen came while making a presentation at the 54th annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society. He told participants at the forum that Nigerians “reward corrupt practices” through their actions and conducts. According to him “I want a society where all of us will frown upon people who came up with what they are not supposed to have…”

    It is unbelievable that the president said this, given his administration’s record of dining and wining with persons of questionable character. It reminds one of the Holy Writ’s admonitions to remove the speck in one’s eyes before venturing o remove the log in another’s. We need to remind the president that he does not have the moral justification to so paint us black whereas his administration reeks with avarice.

    When the president took that infamous decision to grant the ex-corruption convict and his kinsman, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and other thieves, presidential pardon, despite the barrage of criticisms and public condemnation that trailed it, did it not occur to him that he was tactically endorsing this cancerous menace in the corridors of power? Was it not this same president who recently hosted the ex-convict Olabode George in Aso Rock for God-knows-what mission, that now turns back to accuse Nigerians of encouraging corruption by our conduct?

    If, perhaps the president has forgotten so soon that some of his cabinet members are seriously facing integrity question over their alleged involvement in corrupt practices in their various ministries and yet he has refused to bat an eyelid and still keeps them around him, we will remind him. Recall that it took the collective threat of the Senate before the former chairman of Pension Reform Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, accused of being involved in the N195 billion pension scam, was reluctantly relieved of his job by the same Presidency accusing Nigerians of supporting corruption by their actions and conducts.

    One also wonders if it was ordinary Nigerians that squandered the nation’s $67billion of foreign reserves and Excess Crude Account, as recently alleged by ex-Education Minister, Obiageli Ezekwesili, an allegation the presidency is yet to debunk.

    To further expose the president’s weakness and his regime’s non preparedness towards the fight against this hydra-headed monster, he also reportedly said at the event that he would not disclose the names of the individuals and private sectors that have been found wanting in this regard on the lame excuse that “ I will not want to be attacked”. This clearly shows that our president sees some individuals as more powerful than this country. Little wonder the anti-corruption outfits under his regime have been literally rendered toothless and ineffective.

    The president should leave the ordinary Nigerians who have become victims of his inept leadership alone. He should first deal with this malady among his officials before pointing accusing fingers to the Nigerian populace.

     

    • Barrister Okoro Gabriel,

    Lagos

  • Jonathan on corruption

    Jonathan on corruption

    • Contrary to the President’s view, Nigerians are not to blame for the cankerworm

    But for the fact that the statement to the effect that Nigerians are to blame for the high wave of corruption in the country has not been denied days after the media reports, we would have thought that President Goodluck Jonathan was either misquoted or that he was not the one who made the claim. Speaking while declaring open the 54th annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society in Abuja on September 17, the President lamented that despite the institutional reforms aimed at fighting corruption in Nigeria, Nigerians kept encouraging graft through their actions.

    According to President Jonathan, “I want a society where all of us will frown upon people who come up with what they are not supposed to have. (If) a young man who just started a job and within six months or a year comes up with a car of N7m to N15m and you clap for him, then you are rewarding corruption.

    “So, for us as a nation to bring corruption down, it is not just blaming government or blaming the police. but all individuals must frown upon people who have what they are not supposed to have; who live in houses they are not supposed  to live in; who drive cars they are not supposed to drive and who wear expensive suits  they are not supposed to wear. And until Nigerians are able to do this, I don’t think we will get to where we want to go.”

    We disagree with the President that corruption thrives in the country necessarily because Nigerians encourage it. Even in some instances where Nigerian have blown the whistle, government and its agencies responsible to act have merely looked the other way. For instance, Nigerians have been clamouring for the removal of the petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke since the fuel subsidy racket broke in January last year. Many people are still wondering how such monumental fraud could take place in a ministry and the minister in charge would still sit pretty in office.

    A few weeks ago, the same minister was accused of hiring private jets with about two billion naira in just two years. Yet, she was not affected by the cabinet reshuffle carried out by the President on September 11. Isn’t this corruption? And if it isn’t, what then is it? Is this a way by which Nigerians encourage corruption? Even the President who is accusing the people of aiding and abetting corruption has refused to publicly declare his assets. How does this help the cause of transparency? And how many people want to take the risk of exposing corruption in a country where such information may not be treated with the utmost confidentiality that it deserves? Can the police keep such secrets secret?

    Even the government accusing Nigerians of abetting corruption is by far guiltier. Look at its list of heroes: Diepreye Alamieyeseigha that received presidential pardon despite the monumental fraud he committed against the people of Bayelsa State; in the same vein, the late General Sani Abacha’s son, Mohammed, has found solace in the president’s political party. When all these are happening, why won’t former Governor James Ibori’s people too celebrate their own despite being in jail abroad?

    President Jonathan should realise that human beings will always be human beings, irrespective of their colour or creed. Corruption is pervasive in Nigeria not necessarily because Nigerians encourage it; but because successive governments have not summoned the courage to deal with it frontally. When the government takes the lead, and Nigerians see a genuine intention on its part to fight corruption, they will always fall into line.

    Moreover, the government has to focus on the basic things of ensuring people have jobs to do, to keep them away from idleness. So, the ball is back in the President’s court.

  • Why corruption thrives

    SIR: If there is a single phenomenon to which almost every failing of Nigeria is attributed, it is corruption. Corruption exists in almost every facet and level of our society.

    Corruption is variously referred to as the bane of the country’s development, a hydra-headed monster, a cancerous cell, the worm eating up the fabric of the society etc. The rich, the poor, almost everyone rail against it. But with all the negative attention and repeated vows to stamp it out, corruption sadly has not only continued to survive in the country but in fact thrive.

    Most persons would say that government is not doing enough to combat it, or the anti-corruption agencies are inefficient. But are these the whole truth? I don’t think so. The question is: who really should be most eager to end corruption? People in government and even leadership of the anti-corruption agencies are not so adversely affected by corruption. So they actually don’t have much incentive to fight it; the fight is not really theirs. On another hand it would be extremely naïve to expect those who benefit from corruption to lead the fight against it. This leaves us with the majority who suffer its consequences. These actually are those who should take up arms against corruption. The fight should never be left in the hands of government alone.

    Experience shows that the average government will not seriously bother itself with fighting corruption unless it is prodded by citizens bearing its brunt. The people’s body language matters a lot, it determines the priority government would place on the fight against the monster. Where the people are tolerant of it, government also tend to look the other way. But where they take an uncompromising stand against it, government equally sits up. So, though the federal government wields the powers and resources of state with which to fight corruption, it may need a kick at the backside from Nigerians to effectively deploy it. But before this can happen, Nigerians must first reject corruption in its entirety.

    Before one destroys something, he must first convince himself that it’s no longer of use to him or he wants nothing from it. As long as there still exists some belief or hope that it might still be of service someday, it will be difficult to act decisively. Corruption despite all the verbal attacks it receives has continued to wax strong because majority of those suffering its consequences and who should be most eager to see an end to it hope (consciously or subconsciously) to somehow, someday, also benefit from it. We celebrate and shield individuals whose source of wealth is shady with the intention of benefitting from their often ill-gotten wealth.

    It is not uncommon, for instance, to hear suffering Nigerian youths while discussing corruption make comment like, “my guy forget that thing, if you get there you no go thief? Me if I reach there I go collect my share o!” He perhaps forgets that the overwhelming majority of the citizenry (including most likely himself) will never get to the position where they can dip their hand in the public till. The point here is that when it comes to corruption we tend to speak from both sides of the mouth. While it is condemned on one hand, on the other, we still hope and ‘pray’ to benefit from it. The result is a conflict of interest which manifests in the indecisiveness with which the fight against the monster has been so far prosecuted.

    To effectively fight and reduce corruption to the barest minimum, Nigerians, especially the majority suffering untold hardship as a result of it must reject it absolutely. An uncompromising stand against corruption by the majority will send a strong message to whoever might consider tampering with public fund; it will also set government on its toes. Very importantly, we must critically consider who we honour. When only real men of honour and integrity are celebrated, even the not-so-honourable would want to act with some honour.

     

    • Nnoli Chidiebere

    Aba, Abia State.

  • What the youths can do about corruption

    Just like ingenuity is required for any socio-economic transformation of a society, disingenuity is also responsible for corruption embellishment. One can then opine that the latter has been more predominant than the former. Schism between the rich and the poor and the astronomical rise of poverty are great attestation to prove that corruption has thriven high in this morally decadent world.

    Within the last decade and still counting, convention against corruption has greatly increased and yet the increase in corruption has remained undoused. It then becomes logical to deduce that recommendations or treaty signed by the international bodies are to talk the talk, not to walk the talk. The ‘get rich quick’ syndrome is the rationale for corruption. The writer doesn’t condemn the proclivity for wealth; he only calls to question its propensity without any index (competence, hard work).

    Before the world went into recession, executive corruption was reported and was predicted would cause corruption. Banks and mortgage houses disregarded professional ethics and instead concentrated on illegal/inordinate gains. The net result was catastrophic. As a youth passionate about changing my world and anticipating a volte face from corruption to the principles of fairness, equity and justice, youths should launch aggressive, unsparing and non-violent campaign.

    Accounts have it that a huge chunk of African wealth is trapped and stored in western banks notwithstanding their prior knowledge. The western banks cum financial institutions would rather disregard banking ethics and give illegal wealth a safe haven. The perpetrator of a crime is not the only guilty person; accomplices are equally guilty and must be punished accordingly. Therefore, the west having proved to be confederates in corrupt practices in the area of money laundering and other subversion of banking ethics should equally be tarred with the same brush. This should be greeted with their demotion from the rank of the very clean countries from the transparency international perception index (I mean the United States and the European continent).By doing this, the façade would be removed and unsparing analysis /criticism be done to every partners of corruption.

    And also the establishment of strong anti-graft institution would go a long way in dousing corruption.

    By Olaniyi Kolawole

    Akute Odo, Ogun State