Fighting corruption by destroying institutions

One of the enduring tragedies of post-colonies, especially in Africa, is the tendency to destroy or sideline established institutions in the quest for accelerated development. Early independent leaders, who claimed to be so much in a hurry to develop their countries, were impatient with the workings of the institutions bequeathed by the colonialists and in most cases sidelined or altogether destroyed these institutions and personalised power. Over fifty years down the line, none of these countries has developed. Rather, they have been turned to virtual wastelands, ravaged, as it were, by tyranny, bad and disastrous governance, impunity, mindless orgies of crime and death, poverty, hunger and diseases. Yes, these countries now have the worst socio-economic indices in the entire world! One lesson these African countries and leaders ought to have learnt by now is that strong institutions are the best guarantees for sustainable growth and development and not strongmen.

Strong institutions are enduring and guarantee societal progress no matter the people inhabiting them. Personal rule, however, is subject to the whims and caprices of rulers and tends to fizzle out when the ruler departs. Recent extra-legal actions by security agencies such as the invasion of the houses and arrest of judges by men of the Department of State Security (DSS) which clearly sidelined the National Judicial Commission (NJC), the body constitutionally vested with the duty of ensuring discipline on the bench even when it is clear the body has investigated every petition forwarded to it against any serving judge is very unfortunate.

The government and by extension the President has also consistently acted in contempt of the courts, ignoring valid court orders and judgements and carrying on as if only he is the most patriotic Nigerian and only he can salvage the country. The president is effectively setting himself as Nigeria’s messiah, under whom all should bow including other coordinate branches or arms of government whose constitutional duty is to perform oversight functions on the executive and prevent it from abusing its awesome powers. President Buhari does not appear to have learnt any lessons from sub-Saharan Africa’s misadventure with strongmen. He was once a strongman himself. In 1984/85, as military dictator, he attempted to eliminate corruption from Nigeria with military zeal and ruthlessness.

But after he was shoved aside by his army chief, he watched helplessly from behind bars as all his efforts or plans were rolled back and the new government continued with ‘business as usual’, as the Nigerian cliché goes. Now, under the pretext of salvaging the country from ruins and propelled by a messianic complex, Buhari has set about his task in an autocratic manner by disregarding and sidelining key institutions.

Apparently, he is now effectively the accuser, prosecutor, and judge in cases involving corrupt officials. He may have, through his actions, given the impression that he totally disdains the judiciary and may not respect or obey court orders that go contrary to the ways he thought best of handling corrupt officials. Institutions, simply defined, are established laws or practices and are a sine qua non for societal progress and sustainable development. In fact, for Francis Fukuyama, the development of a capable state that is accountable and ruled by law is one of the crowning achievements of human civilisation.

It is the absence or weakness of institutions or, more appropriately, a capable state that is at the root of corruption. In Nigeria and other developing countries, corruption serves largely to grease the wheels of inefficient bureaucratic government machines leading to efficient outcomes. Common sense therefore dictates that an effective war against corruption must involve the strengthening of state institutions.

This, however, is not the case with Nigeria. Nigeria’s war against corruption necessarily involves the weakening or destruction of state institutions. From Obasanjo to Yar’Adua, to Jonathan and now Buhari, the stories have been the same. But at no time has any government shown absolute contempt for the rule of law and order and state institutions like Buhari is doing now. Like it happened in 1985, he may wake up to realise that all he succeeded in doing was to create the environment for corruption and impunity to thrive in the country.

Editorial