Can Nigeria meet target of corruption free Africa?

2018 will be a significant year for Africa and more importantly Nigeria, as it is the targeted year to end corruption in the continent with Nigeria leading the fight. This challenge was made by the African Union in July, as it endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari to champion the fight to end corruption in the continent. […]

2018 will be a significant year for Africa and more importantly Nigeria, as it is the targeted year to end corruption in the continent with Nigeria leading the fight. This challenge was made by the African Union in July, as it endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari to champion the fight to end corruption in the continent.

Likewise, Heads of anti-corruption agencies in the Commonwealth have also endorsed Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, to host the next conference of the association next year.

It is not surprising that African leaders have seen the need to address this menace that has stunted economic, political or social growth and development in the continent. Every region in the continent reeks of public officials’ abuse of office for personal gains and interest, from cases involving money laundering in billions of foreign currencies, illegal acquisition of assets, misappropriation of funds, to negligence and total abandonment of responsibilities to the masses.

This cankerworm has made the continent a constant object of ridicule and disrepute, inviting negative comments and assertions from notable world leaders. Beside the soiled image, the ineffable hardship and backwardness visited on the continent because of this menace necessitate the need to fight back.

Considering the pivotal position Nigeria occupies in the continent being at the forefront of negotiating peace and independence for some countries, it is only normal that the country plays the big brother again in the quest to liberate this great continent, setting it on the path to positive transformation. This agenda has come at a time Nigeria itself has had enough of corruption and is desperately seeking for a total cleansing of the system. 

Recall that President Buhari at the onset of his administration launched the war against corruption and vowed to hold defaulters accountable. Popular belief had been that, the anti-corruption war was going to be like the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) where the government was going to be rigorous and swift in prosecuting and convicting suspected corrupt officials.

The expectation of the fight being rigorous was never in doubt.  However, those expectations have been dampened with incessant cases of reported public lootings running in billions of dollars by high profile government officials, incumbent and former, walking free. Also, there is no synergy between the administration’s anti-corruption outfits.

Similarly, the leadership of the National Assembly has unresolved cases of corruption. Even more worrisome is the unresolved allegations of corruption marring the reputation of the EFCC chairman. 

The blow against the fight on corruption was marred with the report by the National Bureau of Statistics on the Nigerian corruption. The report which indicated that 95 per cent of Nigerians will receive or give bribe if given the opportunity is a testament to the fact that corruption indeed isn’t merely a systemic and governance issue, but a culture.

A corresponding report from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime showed that a whooping N400billion is given annually as bribes to public officials. Most disappointing is that the most critical institutions in the fight corruption-the police and the judiciary-reportedly came top in the lists of corrupt institutions.

As a country, we need to appreciate that the fight against corruption must be won. The fight cannot start without sanitizing the judiciary to be able to truly deliver justice. Also, prosecutors and the police must adequately prosecute offenders without compromise while citizens should totally abhor corruption, rejecting, condemning and criminalizing it in every form.

Understandably, we cannot always have the best laws, but having a judiciary that is truly pro-development will be strategic to this fight.  Sanctions must go beyond mere forfeiture and paltry jail terms with an option of a bail for any offender. Corruption demands the harshest prize to be paid because it has a ripple effect on the society. Thus, countries that abhor corruption know that it cannot be courted. China and North Korea, for instance, have death sentences for public officials involved in bribery, corruption and other related crimes. Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam all shares the same sentiments.

Except if it is business as usual, this administration must appreciate that this snail speed cannot yield meaningful results. The commitment to combat corruption comes with a corresponding responsibility to implement strategies of preventive measures, criminalization and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance and information exchange as prescribed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes.

The call to end corruption in Africa is real and Nigeria only has few months to deliver on expectations. This is an opportunity to reclaim our position as the continent’s pacesetter and harness every resources to collectively eradicate this shackle, at least, let us begin in earnest like Frantz Fanon rightly stated “each generation must out of relative obscurity discover it’s mission, fulfil it or betray it.”

Ukpoju wrote in from Abuja.