Joe Okei-Odumakin
15 November 2009
opinion
Lagos — Conventionally, corruption refers to the "impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle." It connotes depravity, decay, decomposition; and, of course, "inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means." It is nothing but "a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct."
The 'Lectric Law Library's Lexicon refers to corruption as "an act done with an intent to give some advantage inconsistent with official duty and the rights of others." In other words, it is "the act of promising, giving, receiving, or agreeing to receive money or some other item of value with the corrupt aim of influencing a public official in the discharge of his official duties."
From my own layman's perspective, corruption also embraces the malfunction of a political system in which government officials seek illegitimate personal gain through bribery, extortion, etc (i.e., Political Corruption). When a man abandons his home and willfully goes after other things which do not glorify humanity, that is moral corruption. When God's creature decides to 'step aside' from actions that are edifying and freely chooses activities that are hellish, that is religious corruption. When a match commissioner and his or her subordinates engage in match fixing, it is nothing but corruption. When corporate managers engage in the abuse of power against shareholders or consumers, it is Corporate Corruption. An unintended change to data in storage or in transit is called Data Corruption. The list is endless.
Corruption undermines good governance and negatively impacts on public policy and politics. It undermines trust and erodes development. It leads to problems in resource allocation and inhibits socio-economic development. It is a negation of the principle of international fairness and equity. Most importantly, corruption negatively impacts on the private sector and, in particular, the poor. From Afghanistan , to Pakistan ; from the Philippines , to Burma ; and from South Africa , to Nigeria , corruption Remains not only a significant impediment to economic and social development, it also weakens institutions and the rule of law. This is why, in order for the society to be up and doing developmentally, all hands needs to be on deck at getting rid of this cankerworm. Nonetheless, since a tree does not make a bush, the mutual relationship among the various strata that make up the society is of decisive importance for equilibrium and stability in the society. After all, "if a pillar collapses or is damaged, the pressure increases on the other pillars," and this in turn, "increases the risk of an entire social collapse."
If whatever that is bad must not only be condemned but must also be rejected in its entirety by a sane society, then, corruption, being the bane of any civilized clime, need not be condoned in any ramification. Hence, the word and the relevance of 'anti-corruption.'
With a special emphasis on Nigeria , it is sad that successive governments have continued to mouth platitudes about anti-corruption without either imbibing what it entails or leading by example. At the inception of this administration, we were told that anticorruption, or the fight against corruption, was one of the core agenda of the Umar Yar'Adua-led government. But, so far, so unfulfilling! Rather than become reduced, or get eradicated outright, corruption has been on the increase. In fact, it is now as if we can no longer do without it. And this has no doubt impacted negatively on the socio-economic development of the country and the wellbeing of her citizens. For instance, poverty has gone on the increase as crushing poverty now afflicts about 60% of our population.
Officially, Nigeria has a population of approximately 140million. Out of this figure, 36million are said to be illiterates; and 43million are unemployed, with 23million among them unemployable. Our international ratings have also corroborated these. Available statistics now ranks Nigeria as 121st in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. In the Human Development index, she is 154th; and, in the Global Peace Index, Nigeria now ranks 129th. Some years back, Nigeria was Africa 's 4th most prosperous nation. Now, she is 13th. In the Ease of Doing Business Index, Nigeria is now in the 125th position while she is ranked 146th in the Happy Planet Index. And, in the Governance Index, Nigeria is placed 35th. Britain , Nigeria 's former colonial lord and master, is now world's 7th most prosperous nation while Nigeria , world's 8th largest producer of oil, now ranks 99th.
Again, needless to state here gain that Nigeria , dear country, is at a crossroads: while the followership seems helpless with regard to what to do in order to earn sustainable existence, the leadership seems confused and unhelpful. Or, how do we describe a system that hides under the Rule of Law mantra to shield corrupt public and political officials from prosecution? Now, political gangsters are in control of the affairs of our nation and all we can do is to continue watching as if our fingers are clipped. While those who claim to be leading us have unashamedly driven away sincere leaders and replaced them with those who are ready and willing to do their bidding, the protected gangsters are even roaming around the corridors of power, certainly dictating to an unwilling president how to run the affairs of an 'about-to-fail' nation.
Have we not asked America , the mother of modern democracy, to come and learn from us how to homegrown, or teeth, a democracy? Have we not boasted that Nigeria has nothing to learn from Ghana 's openness, sincerity or development, especially, as it relates to electoral matters? Are our political Goliaths not admonishing us to continue praying without ceasing for the good of the land even as the rulers of the land are ceaselessly thwarting the efforts of the prayer warriors in us? Recent events around and about the Nuhu Ribadus, the Nasir el-Rufais, the Lucky Igbinedions, the James Iboris are still fresh in our memory.
Gone are those old days when civil society groups were productive through mere sloganeering. Then, it was fashionable for them to go on our streets, singing and chanting slogans as if these were the only needed recipes for good governance. In all honesty, we need not deceive ourselves that times and trends have changed. Matter-of-factly speaking, it is as if the current holders of power in the land have discovered the tricks of the opposition who, in the eyes of those in government, includes the civil society groups. Or, how do we describe a situation whereby we have a group of decent, helpless and lovers of good things being confronted and repelled by gun-trotting individuals in uniform? How do we describe a situation whereby those who are constitutionally expected to protect the helpless are the ones killing the helpless? What justification do our political practitioners have for being in possession of dangerous arms and ammunition which do not add to human value?
But, despite all these, shall the people, who no doubt are at the receiving end, continue to wait and watch as if they have no future to fight for? If 'yes' then, where lies our hope and future as a country and as a people? Again, if we are to take our destiny in our hands and confront these monsters who perpetrate and perpetuate misgovernance which no doubt is a byproduct of corruption, what should be our Modus Operandi?
In my own candid opinion, it is the duty of an effective civil society to raise the awareness on corruption among the people as well as provide support for national anti-corruption programmes and anti-corruption agencies. A civil society worth its salt must provide support to amend national legislation on corruption and provide support for tax authorities and customs. When issues relating to prudence in financial and audit, procurement and election processes are mentioned, there an effective civil society must be found. Efficient courts system, public prosecution, effectual policing and police agencies as well as support for the local government sector and decentralization are also some of the duties of an effective civil society group. Needles to mention again training programmes for civil society and the media. Which therefore means that fighters for a strong, civilized and virile society must also not be left behind in the scheme of things. In other words, the tutor should not be left untutored!
Civil Society Groups must be ready to partner anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Crimes Commission, ICPC, on issues relating to anticorruption. Without doubt, these bodies should be commended when their performance becomes encouraging and be reprimanded when their performance is below expectation. On a personal note, it is my considered opinion that all the needed laws for taming corruption are already embedded in our Constitution and, of course, the Police Act. In fact, I oftentimes ponder the duties of the Accountant General of the Federation outside the regulation of government's financial transactions. Are relevant laws, or acts for putting things in order; of rewarding achievements and applying sanctions not contained in the acts establishing the office of the Accountant General of the Federation? Again, come to think of it: how effective have been these anticorruption appendages since their establishment years ago? In any case, shall we abandon the future of our country and our children to the caprices of these financial gluttons?
Much as it remains our collective responsibility to rid this clime of corruption, it must also be our lot not to continue taking the backseat and continue to hope that those elements who are currently dictating the pace and space of governance in our country will let go of governance except and unless they are shown the way out. Clearly stated, while no one is in any form preaching violence or encouraging any despicable act, it is my sincere conviction that one of the inalienable duties of an effective civil society group is to encourage willing, competent and trustworthy individuals to get into the political space and contest for political offices. By so doing, they will be able to demonstrate to all and sundry what leadership, not rulership, is all about.
On a last note, if the civil society and other pressure groups can sustain and even improve on the level of pressure currently being mounted on the James Iboris of Nigeria, that which has now made the Marcel Awokhulehins of Nigeria's Bench to shiver, then, there will be hopes, not impediments, for Nigeria, our Nigeria. After all, Namibia has shown us that, with serious leadership at the helm of affairs and a functional system in place, things will definitely turn around for good.
Okei-Odumakin wrote from Lagos
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
