“Corruption has
become a state of the Federation, drawing its weekly and monthly allowances
from the Federation Account unabashedly” – Lagos lawyer and activist, Fred
Agbaje
Lately, the Nigerian media has been awash with
opinion, analysis and editorials on the spiralling rate of corruption
especially under the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration. The war
against graft is now an issue of national interest in public discourse in the
light of Nigeria’s consistent top rating in global corruption index and its
eroded image in the comity of nations. More damning is the lethargic approach
the President Jonathan administration has adopted in fighting corruption. As
most Nigerians would readily agree that if the menace of corruption is reduced
by 50% then more than half of Nigeria’s problems becomes effectively solved.
The long term iron-clad impunity of Nigerians
political elite has escalated in recent time under the nose of President
Jonathan’s Administration resulting in the disappearance of a whopping
N5trillion in just two years as revealed by Punch investigation. The gargantuan
sleaze over the years has left an estimated 11, 886 federal government projects
abandoned across the country according to Professor Kole Omotoso. No surprise,
the Gallup Poll and KPMG Report ranked Nigeria the second most corrupt country
in the world and most corrupt in Africa respectively. Another study by the
Economist Intelligence Unit, says Nigeria is the worst place for a baby born in
2013 but just days earlier Mr Jonathan braved up in a media chart on National
TV… “I can assure Nigerians and the global community that this government is
fighting corruption frontally, we have dealt with political corruption, the
corruption in fertiliser procurement and corruption in the oil industry. There
has never been a time corruption in the oil industry has been attacked in all
fronts. The effort this government has put in fighting corruption, I don’t think
any other person has done that”. Going forward, he gave an insight to how he
intends to fight Corruption using the staggered elections in Edo and Ondo as a
template.
These and many more scams unraveled on a daily
basis across all sectors of the economy , indicate that special attention at
the ongoing constitution review process need be given not only to the removal
of immunity clause and severe (if not capital) punishment for corrupt leaders,
but appropriate laws to strengthen the relevant anti-corruption agencies so as
to fast-track prosecution of cases.
The fuss by the anti-graft agencies about their
efforts in the anti-corruption war have so far failed to translate prosecution
of indicted individuals to conviction for any of the ex-Governors accused of
enriching themselves through corrupt means save for James Ibori, former Delta
State Governor, who was only sentenced with the help of a British court and
Olabode George. A situation where Dr. Peter Odili secured a court injunction to
shield himself from prosecution makes one wonder if such corrupt persons still
enjoy some form of immunity even after leaving office. They employ the services
of lawyers skilled in delaying court processes with unnecessary adjournments.
Such injunctions have turned the Nigerian judiciary to a laughing stock. A slap
on the wrist treatment of high profile offenders have inspire would-be-looters
and emboldened those neck deep in the act.
Nigerians clamour for scrapping or merger of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the Independent Corrupt
Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as a way of strengthening
the commission in the anti-graft war, should have a rethink as such move will
not only hamper the fight but exacerbate the present endemic corruption. I am
not an advocate of multi-agency approach in tackling the gargantuan graft in
various sectors but if this argument is to be won on such numbers, then Nigeria
is behind when compared with other countries around the world. For instance,
China has 3, 563 agencies fighting its corruption and related offences, the
Philippines with 94 million people has 18 anti-graft agencies, Argentina with
40 million population has three anti-graft bodies and Australia has four
anti-graft agencies. In Africa, Ghana with just 24 million people has three,
South Africa with 49 million has four and several countries around the world
with more than two agencies waging war against corruption.
To the government of the day, of paramount
importance should be the harmonization of the workings of the anti-graft
agencies so as to avoid duplicity of functions and to eliminate waste of public
funds considering it now cost as much as N9.32billion, from its 2013 budget, to
run the EFCC in a year without any guaranty of convicting a single accused
person.
The Western countries today are more advanced and
developed not because of the absence of corrupt persons but by means of
effective anti-graft agencies which are empowered with the right constitutional
framework, making them strong enough to ensure whoever, be it a common criminal
or looter of public funds, is prosecuted and convicted, thereby serving as a
deterrent to others.
The bogey of Boko Haram, unemployment, rising
crime rate, poverty are all concomitant effect of sleaze. The attack of the
Police SARS headquarters in Abuja by a new Islamic sect is a testament that no
part of the country is safe and no one, leaders, looters or political office
holder will be spared if the country is left to continue in its steep downward trajectory.
To give a boost to the anti-graft crusade, grey
areas in the law establishing them need to be revisited. A look at the Plea
bargain for instance, former Governors of Edo and Bayelsa states Lucky
Igbinedion and Dieprieye Alamieyeseigha were accused of gargantuan corruption,
after plea-bargains with the EFCC, the former saw 191 charges against him
reduced to just one upon conviction and thereafter asked to pay a paltry N3.5m
while the latter was sentenced to only two years imprisonment. Offences that
would have at least guaranteed life behind bars after forfeiture of all assets
and ill-gotten wealth to the state.
Such is tantamount to a slap on the wrist which
will only inspire other looters. Unnecessary adjournment of cases and
congestion of the regular courts have lead to calls for special courts to try
corruption offenders.
To fight corruption, President Jonathan must
first give priority to political corruption by powerful politicians and their
immediate cronies. He must throw his weight behind the leadership of the
anti-corruption agencies in their quest to go after corrupt persons and prove
to Nigerians beyond doubt by his actions that he is not in tacit support of
corrupt practices oozing from close quarters around him. He must ensure that
laws that would engender speedy prosecution and conviction of corrupt persons
are reviewed by the National Assembly. President Jonathan has got enough time
in his administration to combat Nigeria’s monumental corruption and to see that
it cease to exist in aphorism as the 37th state of the federation.
Written By Theophilus Ilevbare
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