Why fighting corruption is a collective responsibility

Corruption can be described or referred to as dishonest, illegal and immoral behaviours. Thus, it simply means indecent behaviours against the set norms of a given society, organization or system. For instance, a teacher who fails to teach his students and only assists them during examinations to cheat in order to pass their exam,or the […]

Corruption can be described or referred to as dishonest, illegal and immoral behaviours. Thus, it simply means indecent behaviours against the set norms of a given society, organization or system. For instance, a teacher who fails to teach his students and only assists them during examinations to cheat in order to pass their exam,or the staff in the office who inflates the budget and costing for personal interest and gains, is guilty of corruption.Those acts are inimical to the progress and development of any nation.    
Whenever such gross misbehaviour, abuses of office, illegal and immoral acts are carried out, the lives of the citizens are affected in one way or another.Such shameful acts certainly deserve commensurate punishments.
Inmost developed countries,corrupt persons areeither convicted, or where necessary made to pay adequate fines.  For example, former Governor Ibori and his accomplice in a corruption case abroad were jailed in accordance with the law of the land after investigation. But investigations in Nigeria take forever to be concluded, and most times without results or prosecutions. A case in point was when a ruling party chieftain was jailed for only six months for stealing huge amount of money from the nation’s coffers.
It was a show of shame at the celebration of his release from prison. More shameful is the fact that this ex-convict still has his shoulders raised high and is among the opinion leaders in our society. This ugly trend must stop if we are to progress as a nation, reclaim and sustain our integrity and international reputation.
When we think of the grave implications of acts of corruption by some heartless Nigerians, we should realize that it is a fight that should not be left for the president alone, but the collective responsibility of all Nigerians.
Corruption has ushered untold hardship into Nigeria as thousands of innocent lives have been lost to Boko Haram insurgency. The Army had been fighting with the wrong and obsolete weapons due to corruption in high places. Kidnapping and armed robbery have been on the increase because ofunemployment. PresidentMuhammaduBuharihas made it clear that we should either kill corruption or corruption will kill us.
It has become very important that the three arms of government – Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary,should uniteinfighting the common enemy called corruption to a standstill. However, to succeed in this all-important fight, the following must be put in place:
(i) There should be separate court for quick dispensation of justice. The legislature can quickly initiate a bill to that effect.
(ii) Our obsolete laws are long overdue for review.A situation where a person who carted away millions of tax payers’money is only convicted for a few months is no longer acceptable, especially in this present government of positive change.
From the body language of the Nigerian President, we can see it is no longer business-as-usual, when people looted with impunity and there was lack of accountability.
(iii) The judiciary has a very important and significant role to play if we must succeed in this fight to defeat corruption. But this role can only be effectively and successfully played if we all are on the same page of fighting it with the sincerity it deserves.
(iv) Nigerians with relevant information should willingly submit them to the government for possible prosecution and retrieval of funds looted from the public treasury which has adversely affected the quality of life of Nigerians.
Nigeria and South Korea started their steel sector development in the 1970s. While South Korea has since been churning out home made vehicles, Nigeria has nothing to show outside consistent corrupt practices which have grossly affected the development of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant – the purported cornerstone of Nigeria’sindustrialization. This has been made worse bylack of political will by previous governments. If completed, Ajaokuta Steel Company is capable of absorbing up to fifty thousand (50,000) Nigerians. It would be a disaster if this focused government fails to save the situation. It is now or never!
Before oilcame to the fore in our economy, agriculture and mineral resources like tin, lead, columbite, coal, rubber, cocoa, cotton, groundnut, millet, beniseed etc. were the main sources of income for Nigeria. Our lands are still fertile and we can achieve more with modern farming techniques and technology. It is only through doggednessand cooperatingwith the presidentin fighting corruption that hope can once more be given to the present and future generation of Nigerians.
Years back in Ghana, public treasury looters were given the capital punishment and today Ghana’s economy has re-bounced. Thus, the executive, legislature, judiciary and all Nigerians are stakeholders in this noble cause of eradicating corruption for the survivalof this great nation. Nigerians should no longer celebrate corrupt leaders.Enough is enough!   
Musa wrote in from Ajaokuta, Kogi State.