By Godwin
Onyeacholem
Over
the years, it has been identified in countless studies that one of the core
reasons Nigeria has failed to develop to its full potential is pervasive
corruption.
Corruption, it is said, runs
through the entire gamut of the country’s life such that many official
enquiries and probes have exposed widespread monumental fraud, bribery,
embezzlement, rent seeking and kickbacks across the public and private sectors.
It can’t be emphasised enough that
funds which ought to have gone into building infrastructure and generally
improving the lives of the people invariably end up in the pockets of some
people. The result is that healthcare,education, food security, human security,
job creation and other areas where funds are needed to make life meaningful to
the people are severely neglected. Why? The monies budgeted for these sectors
over the years are spirited away by a few heartless crooks.
Today, all over the country evidence
of this willful theft and unconscionable looting of public funds can be seen in
the appalling healthcare delivery system,deplorable facilities in educational
institutions, avoidable food importation,massive youth unemployment, dreadful
state and federal roads, as well as shockingly ill-equipped armed forces,
police and other security outfits.
Even the emergence of violent
extremism in the North-east, militant agitations in the Niger Delta and the
serial abysmal performance of Nigeria’s athletes in the Olympic Games cannot be
attributed to anything other than corruption.
In the words of Eghosa Osagie,
professor of comparative politics and Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University,
Okada, “It is easy to see how corruption breeds on the ownership of the state
on the one hand, and the weak bonds and structures of accountability on the
other.” According to him, corruption does not symbolize privatization of public
office for private gain, embezzlement and other negative pecuniary transactions
that deprive society of much needed resources only. It also includes the
manipulation and subversion of institutions, rules regulations, procedures and
laws which he said is mostly evident in the flawed electoral process.
Indeed the damage corruption
inflicts on society is huge, costing the global economy some $2.6trn annually,
according to John Kerry, US Secretary of States during his recent visit to
Nigeria. From all indications, going by the manner corruption has torn through
its fabric, Nigeria no doubt would be one of the countries contributing a large
percentage to the global scam.
Mindful of the havoc it continues
to wreak on nations, Kerry describes corruption as not just a disgrace and a
crime, but also dangerous. He praised President Muhammadu Buhari for
confronting the monster frontally and pledged continual support in that regard.
From the way the war is being conducted, he surmised that Nigeria could in fact
be a model to other nations.
And truly since assuming office
May 29, 2015, Buhari has lived up to his campaign promise of tackling
corruption headlong and providing a fresh template for instilling transparency
and accountability. On the matter of corruption, credit goes to him for he
indeed hit the ground running. Seeing the way the screw has been turned on treasury
looters and the big thieves in the society, all those harbouring the belief
that there are ‘untouchables’ who would never be called to give account are now
beginning to have a rethink.
The message is now out there that
under this administration, it would no longer be ‘business as usual.’ But the
fight should also not be conducted in a manner that leaves the impression that
Buhari as the general of this war has no army behind him. It cannot be denied
that at the federal level the battle is raging, but it has to percolate to the
state and local government levels for it to register the desired impact.
Governors, especially those of the ruling party,must take a cue from Buhari in
the quest for zero tolerance for corruption.
But by far the greatest army in this
all-important assignment is the now rejuvenated Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC). The institution has so far demonstrated not just the
courage, but also the will and the focus to ensure that corruption is reduced
to the barest minimum in the country.
The Acting Chairman of EFCC,
Ibrahim Magu, has not betrayed the image of him that was awash in the media
when his name was announced as the new anti-corruption czar, in November last
year. Magu was said to be the squirrel teeth that cracked many cases leading to
the conviction of some treasury looters during the tenure of the first chairman
of that agency, Mallam NuhuRibau. He was described as more ruthless in the
anti-graft war front than even his famed former boss, Nuhu Ribadu. The man is proving
to us that all that was true, and even more!
Going by the accolades and
international respect his work has earned Nigeria from all over the world, Magu
is indeed a patriot that should be encouraged.
Rising up to the rots of
corruption and challenging the powerful cabals in the temple of graft is no
mean task. It is not for the lily-livered nor is it for one with moral deficit.
Under Magu’s stewardship, and with
the full support of President Buhari, EFCC has regained its biting teeth by
tackling cases of monumental fraud.Several billions of Naira have been
recovered from looters and many of them have been dragged to courts.
Considering all these, by the time
Magu’s appointment is confirmed by the Senate, it is expected that the
anti-corruption war would be more invigorated and the EFCC more emboldened in
its quest to rein in the monster of corruption and the merciless parasites that
have been sucking on our collective patrimony.
Onyeacholem is a journalist. He
can be reached ongonyeacholem@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment