The continuing shrinkage of viable business models, along with the fragility of Nigeria’s private sector, have meant that the only safe havens in the land are public offices. In truth however, even public offices do not guarantee eternal bliss! Yes, these offices have huge discretions and often contain significant windows for offering patronage. But the competition for public offices is not only heartless; additionally, the winner of the prize is often expected to cope with the animosities of fallen opponents, until the incumbent himself falls from grace.
The public office environment in Nigeria is therefore a universe of agony. Not surprisingly, a great amount of public office careers often end in controversy, litigation, humiliation and outright disgrace. This trend is beginning to establish itself as a tradition and the Nigerian public appears to have developed a malignant appetite for feeding off the flesh of disgraced officials. The greatest challenge faced by public officials in Nigeria is of course that of corruption, and allegations around this theme have often provided a basis for bringing their careers to grief. In many instances, the corruption smear tends to hold and several incumbents have been tragically undermined by them.
One unflattering consequence of all this, is that public offices in Nigeria have become a byword for corruption. This itself, cloaks a lot of the idealism and integrity, which the Nigerian service inevitably retains. And equally important, is the reflection, that in spite of our residual goodness, opportunistic allegations of corruption are sometimes invoked in damaging otherwise sterling careers.
Most narratives about corruption in Nigeria often create the impression that the worst forms of this phenomenon became extant only in modern times. And yet sleaze in public offices has a fairly long history in our country. Perhaps the volume and intensity of our current experience of this social ulcer, encourages the belief that it did not exist before now. Indeed sometimes it creates the extreme determination, that the past was a golden age, in which public servants operated in a sinless world.
Nothing can be further from the truth. Any attempt to romanticize the past will collapse under scrutiny. The First Republic In spite of all the hopes and optimism it inspired, had its own blemishes. Corruption and it’s traveling companion called nepotism were an important feature of the First Republic. And frequently they provoked public outrage. The regions made steady progress, and competed and sought to outpace each other in the provision of social infrastructure. There was Liberty Stadium, the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, the Niger Dam, the Niger Bridge and others. This notwithstanding, society was riven by clamor and dissension. A sense of crisis was pervasive and between 1964 and the first coup in 1966 there were over 200 strike actions. But on top of all this, was a growing sense of outrage produced by corruption and public sleaze.
One of the very instances was the case which involved the purchase of equity by Zik’s firm in a bank, the African Continental Bank. In 1962 also, Adegoke Adelabu was forced to resign as Council Head over charges of inclement conduct, while Chief Obafemi Awolowo seemed to have been indicted by the Coker Commission. These were important failures but the stridency of the anti corruption vanguard, often gave the impression that the phenomenon was more corrosive than it actually was. We may note here, a similarity between the current outcry and the outrage expressed during the First Republic. I once discussed corruption with Peter Enahoro, an influential writer, who at 26 edited the reputable Daily Times in the 60s. He recalled that Lagos and Nigeria were at one time scandalized by the news that our Prime Minuster Alhaji Tafewa Balewa had built a palatial house in his hometown Bauchi. Everybody was sure that government money had been siphoned to produce this piece of vanity. Not until Peter Enahoro himself visited Bauchi only to be humbled by the fact that the palatial house was a simple home. In many ways, talk of corruption though not always idle, is often overstated. And it’s invocation is an important feature in the armoury of opposition parties or coup makers. Not surprisingly Major Nzeogwu’s coup speech dwelt on the corruption theme “The aim of the Revolutionary Council” he said, “is to establish a strong united nation free from CORRUPTION”.
The need to wipe out corruption has remained an enduring dream not only for coup vendors but also for settled governments which truly wish to endear themselves o their citizens. So all through our history most of our governments have sought to challenge this cankerworm with varying amounts of success.
The Third Republic has had its fair share of public scandals and there has been no shortage of efforts to fight the evil of corruption. As always, the anti-corruption vanguard is on overdrive and the EFCC and ICPC have their hands full. Whatever our anxieties, we must admit that the process for apprehending public office offenders is firing on all cylinders. As at the last count, over 50 public officers are facing legal action because of infractions committed when they served.
Corruption is a huge problem in Nigeria and it’s impact may account for a huge part of our underdevelopment. It is important that government continues to take decisive action against those who abuse public trust. The process requires to be properly vetted so as to avoid legal malingering. It seems that many of the cases that have been taken to court are allowed to fester with no prospect of a rapid determination. Nigeria may well be populated by several self-servers. But there must be some people who are capable of expressing idealism through their conduct and public service.
One of the tragic consequences of the attack on public service in Nigeria is the evolving dearth of idealism and the rise of cynicism. Public service is now mixed interchangeably with corruption and corrupt conduct. And nowhere in our calculation, do we create any room for men and women of service. So as more and more accused are docked by the conveyor belt of the anti-corruption agencies, the public has learnt to applaud in accustomed glee. Yet in a more service driven environment, people are bound to express dismay at the ease with which people in high offices soil their hands.
The moral landscape in Nigeria appears to have been considerably fouled up and confused. The transition from hero to villain, and back to hero, is a well known trajectory. Nuhu Ribadu for example, was dragged through this tortured route. He became famous when he was posted to head our anticorruption agency- the EFCC. He procured high- profile convictions and was distinguished for the passion with which he conducted his obligation. Yet the same Ribadu was hounded out of office.
Sunday Ehindero, fomer Insopector General of the Nigerian Police has also had an intriguing experience. Privileged to be among the first set of graduates recruited into the force, he was the last man standing. He became Inspector General of Police, and before then, cornered the distinction of being the first Nigeria Policeman to prosecute and convict a fraudster under the 419 provision, long before this section became infamous in Nigeria. As Inspector General of Police, Ehindero, was twice given tenure extension by the President.
And yet, as a whole, is anybody carrying a magnifying glass around, looking for something in the wood work?
Watching the big man fall from high office has come close to being a spectator sport in Nigeria. Each time we scan the news, what many hanker after, is knowledge of which political or public office incumbent has been decapitated. This also turn ready servants into faint hearts. We must arrest this trend and in order to do this , we ought to ensure that the screening process as well as the benchmarks for scrutiny, punish only the guilty.
• Dele Olowu, writes from Abuja
