Alarming clowning over corruption
Over the 2018 Easter holiday weekend, the Federal Government and the leading opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, took Nigerians on a roller coaster. The subject was corruption, and the goal was to distract and deceive citizens. It was and remains a cynical game of power.
Fighting corruption is a cardinal goal of the Muhammadu Buhari-led government of the All Progressives Congress party. Anti-corruption was the standard banner for President Buhari, the basis for his appeal. It has taken three years and much verbiage with very little success. No one expected, however, that both the ruling party and the one hitherto in power would turn it into a game of cynical manipulation of public opinion and an elite sport.
Through the Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Federal Government released a list of five names of persons who it said “looted” funds belonging to the commonwealth. The Government allegedly did so to counter a dare from the opposition. PDP sniggered at the list, wondering if the Federal Government could only muster a shallow record. They then drew up a differentreckoning of alleged looters from the other side.
Two days later, the Federal Government introduced a more extended accounting of names of persons who it said were either standing trial before the courts or had returned sums of money robbed from the Nigerian purse. PDP also drew up a list of persons who it said the Federal Government neglected to name among the corrupt, these being persons who were in the party but moved to the ruling party. There was plenty of fireworks but no illumination.
A key take away is that there is elite consensus on the issue. The agreement is that corruption is a national pastime. It is a subject for animated but empty discourse, full of the proverbial sound and fury but signifying nothing. Another is that the matter of corruption is now a blood sport for use by politicians to frighten each other. Moreover, corruption is becoming another buzzword whose overuse has denuded it of specificity in meaning.
In law, “corruption” is illegality. Black’s Law Dictionary says it is “The act of an official or fiduciary person who unlawfully and wrongfully uses his station or character to procure some benefit for himself or another person, contrary to duty and the rights of others.” The world agrees with one of its major anti-corruption institutions, Transparency International, that “corruption creates and perpetuates poverty, weakens democracy, distorts national and international trade, endangers national security, and threatens natural resources around the world.” There is further agreement on the need for proper sanctions as a deterrent, with the Chinese, our new friends, going as far as the death sentence.
A second takeaway is the admission of guilt by both parties. The Nigerian elite freely admits the presence among leading lights of both parties of persons who have unlawfully gamed the system but remain in power or serve as persons of consequence in either party. Young people watching the drama are apt to conclude that it is all a game.
The Federal Government should ponder its role in the creation and sustenance of values as it concerns the core issue of fighting corruption in Nigeria. What is the message of its vaunted anti-corruption strategy of naming via media trials without any substantive deterrent action? What does it have to say regarding accusations of distinct bias and favouritism even in the limited steps it has taken so far?
More fundamental concerns arise. When will this anti-corruption government take action to raise corruptionas a matter of crime and consequence? The lack of effect is a crucial factor for the perpetuation of corruption, as all authorities agree.
The World Bank and other bodies recognise the importance of institutional measures including the adoption of technology in the fight against this monster. The PMB government commendably adopted the treasury single account system introduced by its predecessor to check inflow and outflow of resources. Nigeria also instituted the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) whose audit of the oil industry value chain led to recoveries of no less than $9.8b including $4.7b from the NNPC. Current efforts at tax reform also feature among anti-corruption measures.
In other words, fighting corruption involves policy, institutional and technological steps as well as necessary legal measures. It is not a matter of grandstanding or speechifying. It is not a badge of honour calling for a roll call of infamy.
Nigeria needs much more. Nigeria should be in the forefront among nations seriously contending against corruption as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Treating it as a blood sport of the elite is not one of the routes there. Nor is the cynical and Machiavellian presentation of the matter merely to distract citizens by providing a topic for the chattering masses. There should be no clowning over corruption.