Corruption on the Next Level Train -By Femi Oluwasanmi

Just like yesterday when president Mohammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinuba, Atiku Abubakar among others presented the All Progressive Congress (APC)’s agenda on economic, security and corruption to Nigerians in 2014. This presentation led to the exist of People Democratic Party (PDP) from the corridor of power with a landslide victory of APC at the 2015 general election. However, despite this victory, the menace still remain unabated as corruption continues to grow more wings.

On 23rd January, 2020, the International Transparency ranked Nigeria as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Based on this report, Nigeria scored 26 out of 100 points making the country the 34th most corrupt country out of 180 countries assessed by the global anti-corruption watchdog in 2019. Though, the report continues to witness serious criticisms from the government and its apostles, despite being the true picture of corruption in Nigeria.

For instance, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on 24th January, described the report as unfair, untenable and a pointer to the failure of the Transparency International to take into consideration the efforts of the government to tame corruption especially, in the light of the increasing number of cases filed in court and jail terms secured in several convictions against corrupt persons across all levels of the society.
In the same manner, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) faulted the ranking and described it as a jaundiced and illogical rating particularly considering the year under review by TI, where the EFCC secured a remarkable record of 1,268 convictions, including that of a former state governor and a serving senator who was convicted for defrauding his state to the tune of N7.65billion.  

While this account seems to be true, the level of multi-dimensional corruption in Nigeria shows that the report of the global anti-corruption watchdog is nothing but the truth. Infact, the only error that might have occurred if any, could have been an under reportage of corruption and not the other way round. This is because corruption in Nigeria is visible to the blind not to talk of those with two eyes opened.

Not too long ago, the news of how two bullon vans entered the residential building of one of the founding fathers of APC in Lagos State on the eve of the 2019 general election was reported all over the media platforms. Though, the amount of the money in the vans and their mission were not disclosed up till date but it is of general knowledge that money is election and election is money in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, the more money spent by a candidate most times in an election determines the victory. This has been the bane of the nation’s development and one of the reasons corruption and poverty continue to grow more wings in the land.

As a matter of fact, where there is massive poverty automatically there will be corruption. In August 2019, the World Poverty Clock reported that the numbers of people living in an extreme poverty in Nigeria have jumped to 91.16 million. Similarly, the last data released by the National Bureau Statistics (NBS) in 2018 shows that 23.2 percent Nigerians are unemployed. Even, most of those employed are struggling to cope with the #18,000 minimum wage.
No wonder the level of corruption continue to change method despite the chorus of those who claimed to be anti-corruption crusader. Because, how can a government successfully fight corruption in a situation where the minimum wage introduced when a dollar to Naira was 150 still being used now when a dollar to Naira is 360. This is not to talk of the hike in the prices of goods and services, cost of living, school fees among others.

Apart from poverty which seems to be the propelling force for corruption in Nigeria, the lack of political will to extend the war against corruption across all the classes of the society plays a crucial role in sustaining the monster. This is complemented by the issue of ethnicity and religion revolving around the nation’s political space.

Most people have accused the current government of appointing more people from a section of the country to juicy and important positions especially, the security sector which is another form of corruption itself because it negates the principal of Federal Character designed to encourage even development.

President Buhari in 2015 seems to have agreed to this term when he said that he cannot leave those that gave him 97 percent votes to attend to those that gave him 5 percent which based on African mentality is correct but totally negate the democratic principles and the oath that brought him to the office. In an heterogeneous country like Nigeria, appointing people from a  particular section to fill the important positions at the detriment of the principle of Federal Character is another form of corruption which is not only inimical to the so called war against corruption and poverty but also to the unity of the country itself because it creates countries out of country.

Femi Oluwasanmi, Ibafo, Ogun State.