Corruption is so deep- rooted and pervasive in Nigeria that it has made it difficult, if not impossible, for the country to find its bearing. In various facets of life, we see the impact of corruption. The nation’s infrastructure is dilapidated and in urgent need of attention. Rather than attend to it, public officials see any road or public infrastructure that need rehabilitation or construction as an opportunity to make personal money at the expense of the society!
While exchanging views with a friend recently on the state of the nation, vis- a- vis the anti- corruption war, we found common agreement that perhaps the best thing that President Muhammadu Buhari would be remembered for, and fondly, without prejudice to other things he might accomplish during this eventful tenure of his, is the war against corruption, and bringing to the awareness of the Nigerian citizen, elite and ordinary people alike, that there is something like betrayal and pillage of the commonwealth of the people and appropriation of same by those entrusted with its safe- keeping and management, that went on in a most rapacious manner in the last 16 years of democratic rule, beginning from 1999!
Most public enterprises, ministries and departments of government reek with the stench of corruption and that is why people talk of the divine nature of the Buhari Presidency. Buhari is the one sent to unmask the rot, pillage and unconscionable looting of the nation’s resources by those who are her privileged children, who ordinarily should love her, and do the best to make her great. In 16 years of democracy and with the enormous financial resources that accrued to the nation from the sale of crude oil, what excuse has Nigeria got that most of its critical highways and public institutions of higher learning are not of the highest quality? Unfortunately, those who were in power at all levels, since 1999, following the bad example of those at the top, frittered away most of the resources for their vain existence.
Within the period, rather than give the nation first class road infrastructure, railways, seaports and quality and comfortable airports as well as a national airline with affordable domestic air connection to the capitals of all Nigeria’s states, those in power in the now- crisis- ridden, Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), looted the common patrimony for the purpose of becoming important strangers in Dubai, London and New York. These people, notably those in government for whatever reason denied their country, their communities the opportunity of modernisation and development through using resources at their disposal to put up modern amenities and infrastructure including drinking water, public toilets and affordable modern housing for the people. Most of them, including the Dasuki’s, Okonjo- Iweala’s and Diezani Allison- Madueke and their maniacal compatriots invested more in the foreign cities mentioned above and other places, where they felt more at home to the detriment of Nigeria. The erudite and patriotic lawyer, Femi Falana, is right when he likened the crimes of these people to equal ‘ a crime against humanity’, demanding that the International Criminal Court help Nigeria to further investigate and try them for corruption.
The type of corruption perpetrated by these people, and former President Jonathan who was leader of the country when these evil took place ruined the nation’s economy, ruined the lives of millions of Nigerians by sentencing them to extreme poverty and terminated the lives of several thousand including Nigerian soldiers and civilians whom the Boko Haram killed because the Nigerian Army was not well- equipped to confront terrorists who invaded the country. As President Buhari noted in his recent media chat, about two million Nigerians are today, living like refugees in internally displaced camps across the country as in a period of war!
Thankfully, all hope is not lost. President Buhari’s anti- corruption war, despite the cynicism of partakers in the ruinous national looting, is having the desired impact, nationally and internationally. In the domestic realm, to the unsuspecting average Nigerian who is ready now to ask questions, the true status of many so called big men, and Jonathan’s big boys are becoming clear. Most are criminals, thieves, whose wealth and importance never added any value to the nation because they aggrandized themselves with the wealth of the people. In a place like China, what would happen to these people is clear and unambiguous, rule of law or no rule of law! Members of the former ruling PDP party, remorseful at the degree of damage done to the nation under their rule, have also come out to support the anti- corruption war!
Until recently, whenever the list of the most corrupt countries in the world is published, Nigeria normally occupied a prominent place. It does not take an average person or researcher much time to see the name of Nigeria prominently listed among the corrupt countries of the world, where it is risky and costly to do business. That has changed! In the latest listing of corrupt countries of the World, Nigeria’s name is conspicuously missing. Wait a minute, don’t say something is wrong with the list or that it is inconclusive. Transparency International is usually meticulous and is never off the mark in this noble task of telling nations how corrupt or clean they are. It is the Buhari phenomenon, his body language, the war against corruption has put Nigeria in a different class where the corrupt are afraid and the national thieves and negligent officials have been unmasked, hence the country has become a dangerous place for the corrupt!
Nigeria’s image is changing! The country is now seen in a better light as a country that wants to do things differently otherwise, the nation would die! As is said in popular official parlance, the Nigerian government is making the right noise or striking the right cord with the on- going anti- corruption campaign.
It should be noted that Transparency International is not alone in recognising and commending the value which the anti- corruption war of Buhari has added to the integrity of the nation. Recently, at the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry made an important mention of the war against corruption and how its success would help to re- position Nigeria. The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, during her recent visit to Nigeria, also drew attention to the importance of the anti- corruption war for Nigeria’s economic recovery and its future economic emancipation. And as recent as late January, 2016, the US Commerce Secretary, Ms. Penny Pritzker during her visit to Nigeria and after a session of talks with President Buhari, talked glowingly of the anti- corruption war and other plans of the government in the area of national security and poverty alleviation.
Similarly, the European Union is on the same page with the Nigerian government on the anti- corruption war. Speaking recently, European Union envoy to Nigeria, Michel Arrion, revealed that the organization has supported the fight against corruption through a range of programmes aimed at strengthening the anti- corruption agencies as well as the criminal justice system. He disclosed that the EU has committed about $35 million through ongoing projects being implemented by the United Nations Office in Nigeria targeted at various anti- corruption agencies.
The point is that an endemically corrupt nation like Nigeria must free itself from the malaise of corruption, otherwise, poverty in its generalised form, would be the twin of such a nation.
—Okoroma (iheokoroma@yahoo.co.uk), a Public Affairs Analyst wrote from Abuja.
While exchanging views with a friend recently on the state of the nation, vis- a- vis the anti- corruption war, we found common agreement that perhaps the best thing that President Muhammadu Buhari would be remembered for, and fondly, without prejudice to other things he might accomplish during this eventful tenure of his, is the war against corruption, and bringing to the awareness of the Nigerian citizen, elite and ordinary people alike, that there is something like betrayal and pillage of the commonwealth of the people and appropriation of same by those entrusted with its safe- keeping and management, that went on in a most rapacious manner in the last 16 years of democratic rule, beginning from 1999!
Most public enterprises, ministries and departments of government reek with the stench of corruption and that is why people talk of the divine nature of the Buhari Presidency. Buhari is the one sent to unmask the rot, pillage and unconscionable looting of the nation’s resources by those who are her privileged children, who ordinarily should love her, and do the best to make her great. In 16 years of democracy and with the enormous financial resources that accrued to the nation from the sale of crude oil, what excuse has Nigeria got that most of its critical highways and public institutions of higher learning are not of the highest quality? Unfortunately, those who were in power at all levels, since 1999, following the bad example of those at the top, frittered away most of the resources for their vain existence.
Within the period, rather than give the nation first class road infrastructure, railways, seaports and quality and comfortable airports as well as a national airline with affordable domestic air connection to the capitals of all Nigeria’s states, those in power in the now- crisis- ridden, Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), looted the common patrimony for the purpose of becoming important strangers in Dubai, London and New York. These people, notably those in government for whatever reason denied their country, their communities the opportunity of modernisation and development through using resources at their disposal to put up modern amenities and infrastructure including drinking water, public toilets and affordable modern housing for the people. Most of them, including the Dasuki’s, Okonjo- Iweala’s and Diezani Allison- Madueke and their maniacal compatriots invested more in the foreign cities mentioned above and other places, where they felt more at home to the detriment of Nigeria. The erudite and patriotic lawyer, Femi Falana, is right when he likened the crimes of these people to equal ‘ a crime against humanity’, demanding that the International Criminal Court help Nigeria to further investigate and try them for corruption.
The type of corruption perpetrated by these people, and former President Jonathan who was leader of the country when these evil took place ruined the nation’s economy, ruined the lives of millions of Nigerians by sentencing them to extreme poverty and terminated the lives of several thousand including Nigerian soldiers and civilians whom the Boko Haram killed because the Nigerian Army was not well- equipped to confront terrorists who invaded the country. As President Buhari noted in his recent media chat, about two million Nigerians are today, living like refugees in internally displaced camps across the country as in a period of war!
Thankfully, all hope is not lost. President Buhari’s anti- corruption war, despite the cynicism of partakers in the ruinous national looting, is having the desired impact, nationally and internationally. In the domestic realm, to the unsuspecting average Nigerian who is ready now to ask questions, the true status of many so called big men, and Jonathan’s big boys are becoming clear. Most are criminals, thieves, whose wealth and importance never added any value to the nation because they aggrandized themselves with the wealth of the people. In a place like China, what would happen to these people is clear and unambiguous, rule of law or no rule of law! Members of the former ruling PDP party, remorseful at the degree of damage done to the nation under their rule, have also come out to support the anti- corruption war!
Until recently, whenever the list of the most corrupt countries in the world is published, Nigeria normally occupied a prominent place. It does not take an average person or researcher much time to see the name of Nigeria prominently listed among the corrupt countries of the world, where it is risky and costly to do business. That has changed! In the latest listing of corrupt countries of the World, Nigeria’s name is conspicuously missing. Wait a minute, don’t say something is wrong with the list or that it is inconclusive. Transparency International is usually meticulous and is never off the mark in this noble task of telling nations how corrupt or clean they are. It is the Buhari phenomenon, his body language, the war against corruption has put Nigeria in a different class where the corrupt are afraid and the national thieves and negligent officials have been unmasked, hence the country has become a dangerous place for the corrupt!
Nigeria’s image is changing! The country is now seen in a better light as a country that wants to do things differently otherwise, the nation would die! As is said in popular official parlance, the Nigerian government is making the right noise or striking the right cord with the on- going anti- corruption campaign.
It should be noted that Transparency International is not alone in recognising and commending the value which the anti- corruption war of Buhari has added to the integrity of the nation. Recently, at the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry made an important mention of the war against corruption and how its success would help to re- position Nigeria. The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, during her recent visit to Nigeria, also drew attention to the importance of the anti- corruption war for Nigeria’s economic recovery and its future economic emancipation. And as recent as late January, 2016, the US Commerce Secretary, Ms. Penny Pritzker during her visit to Nigeria and after a session of talks with President Buhari, talked glowingly of the anti- corruption war and other plans of the government in the area of national security and poverty alleviation.
Similarly, the European Union is on the same page with the Nigerian government on the anti- corruption war. Speaking recently, European Union envoy to Nigeria, Michel Arrion, revealed that the organization has supported the fight against corruption through a range of programmes aimed at strengthening the anti- corruption agencies as well as the criminal justice system. He disclosed that the EU has committed about $35 million through ongoing projects being implemented by the United Nations Office in Nigeria targeted at various anti- corruption agencies.
The point is that an endemically corrupt nation like Nigeria must free itself from the malaise of corruption, otherwise, poverty in its generalised form, would be the twin of such a nation.
—Okoroma (iheokoroma@yahoo.co.uk), a Public Affairs Analyst wrote from Abuja.
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