• Home
• Columnist
• Videos
• Artist
  • Musicians
  • Actors
  • Comedians
• Notable Nigerians
• Legend Dies
• Articles
  • Nigeria Articles
• Photos
• Submit Article

Author: chukwuka N. Eze
Posted to the web: 3/27/2007 7:36:19 PM

Chukwuka Eze                                                                   

chuksnkemeze@yahoo.com

 

COMBATING CORRUPTION CORRUPTLY – THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE

 

It would be the height of unfairness for anyone to suggest or assume that the Obasanjo administration did not set out to wage war against corruption in Nigeria. Right from the outset of the administration, the government’s determination to confront the evil monster of corruption has never been in doubt. Starting from the Anti-corruption Bill, which was the first Bill that was sent to the National Assembly by the Obasanjo administration, to the setting up of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Obasanjo-led federal government has exhibited its aversion for corruption. However, the way and manner by which this fight against corruption is executed leaves much to be desired.

            Thus, this piece takes a panoramic overview of the practical implementation of the anti-corruption stance of the federal government of Nigeria. It is not considered prudent to dwell on the ravages of the evil cankerworm of corruption on the Nigerian state and populace as it is so visible that even the blind can see it.

            Nigerians are living witnesses of the pulling down of many big-weights, and the touching of hitherto untouchables. Senate Presidents, Speakers of the House of Representatives, Ministers, Governors and many others have been blown out of office by the whirlwind of the anti-corruption crusade.

            Noble as the anti-corruption crusade might sound or be, its practical implementation, no doubt gives room for worry. A situation where the EFCC picks and chooses only corrupt politicians who have fallen out of favour with the President for prosecution or ‘persecution’ is condemnable. What about those corrupt friends of Mr. President? An answer to this question would do Nigerians a lot of good. A number of examples illustrate the questionable nature of the Obasanjo anti-corruption crusade.

            In order to remove the recalcitrant Chuba Okadigbo as the Senate President, a probe panel was established, accompanied with some facilitating bags of ‘Ghana-Must-Go’. Once the Probe Panel’s mission was accomplished, namely unseating Okadigbo as the Senate President, the idea of ‘probe’ was abolished in the National Assembly.

            There is no gainsaying the fact that the practice of money laundering resides at the heart of corruption in Nigeria and should be condemned. It might also not be far from the truth that no Nigerian Governor and politicians in general can really come clean of this unwholesome practice. Thus, using it as a basis for besieging the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to either impeach former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha or be impeached, with battalions of Nigerian soldiers to drive home the threat, can be anything but democratic.

            On a more serious note, the idea of using the EFCC as a political tool for the victimization of political opponents dents the image and credibility of the noble institution. How else can one explain the threat of Mr. President to use the EFCC against Dr. Olusegun Mimiko – erstwhile minister of Housing and urban development for joining another political party? Doesn’t that show that the EFCC is in substance Mr. President’s ‘task force’ for dealing with perceived political opponents? This is simply unfortunate, to say the least.

            One question Nigerians should seek answer from Mr. President is why the corruption charges against the Vice-President – Atiku Abubakar never came up until after his opposition of the abortive third term bid. Did the alleged mismanagement of the PTDF funds occur in 2006? While I am neither a fan of Obasanjo nor Atiku, I am persuaded that the timing of the whole PTDF allegation is directed more towards frustrating the presidential ambition of the Vice-President than fighting corruption. Moreover, recent evidences tend to show that both the accuser and the accused are accomplices to the offence. What an irony!

            Another disturbing trend in the practice of anti-corruption in Nigeria is the compulsion of members of a House of Assembly to impeach a ‘scape goat’ Governor, who does not occupy a place in the good books of Mr. President on charges of corruption. Cashing-in on the fact that even the impeaching House members are not free from corruption, they are left with two negative alternatives - “impeach or face the EFCC?” Hence they always impeach in flagrant disregard of the constitutional process. No wonder seventy-five percent of these stage-managed impeachments have been upturned by our activist courts. Bravo your Lordships!

            The return of Alao Akala’s ticket as PDP Gubernatorial candidate for Oyo state in the face of serious indictments by the EFCC calls for more explanations on the integrity of the anti-corruption crusade. What about Governor Chimaroke Nnamani whose corruption charges in the EFCC is still alive and intimidating, but his senatorial ticket was given to him.

I would resist the temptation to go into details about the conduct of elections in Nigeria, but the fact that the likes of Adedibu, Chris Ubah and their cohorts are still free citizens in Nigeria after repeated assaults on the Nigerian electoral process portends danger to any free and fair election in Nigeria.

As an afterthought, can these questionable practices be justified on the ground that that is the only way to fight corruption in Nigeria given how deep this canker has eaten into the fabrics of our national life? While the peculiarity of the Nigerian situation is not in doubt, the fact remains that two wrongs do not make a right -one does not use fuel to quench fire; and worth doing is worth doing well.

 

May God help Nigeria!

 

(To be continued).