ICT and the anti-corruption fight

Though corruption is a universal phenomenon which Transparency International defines as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, in this part of the globe called Nigeria, corruption exists as a nebulous concept, defying concise definition and comprehensive understanding.

In most societies, it is frightening to realise the extent to which corruption and bribery have undermined people’s welfare and stability. The range of corruption is vast, from government officials demanding relatively petty payments, police taking N20 bribe, a smart banker taking undue advantage of an unsuspecting customer, petrol station attendant tinkering with his meter to cheat fuel buyers, etc, right up to politicians taking huge kickbacks on oil and arms deals, and legislators demanding ransom to pass bills.

For many years corruption has been endemic in Nigeria, a festering sore licking up the fabric of the entire society. The burden of proof is heavy because it touches almost every facet of our national life – education, politics, government, media, banking, oil and gas, etc. The country’s international image has over the years been terribly battered; mutual trust has diminished irredeemably, and, above all, the economy has not only been mindlessly raped, but its growth has also been stultified and the country has remained an infant ever struggling to stand on its feet. Even anti-graft institutions of government, such as Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have hardly been up and doing, often crippled by corrupt influences from power brokers in society.

We commend the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s anti-corruption stance which to some extent has raised the consciousness of Nigerians that corruption is a menace that must stamped out if we desire to make progress. However, we daresay that the president’s “body language” can only go so far. It is on that basis that we advocate intensive use of information communication technology (ICT) to fight corruption in this country before it does more damage and renders this space a wasteland unfit to bear any good fruit.

For us, ICT is everything, more so when all businesses, including government business, rely on it. This is why we agree totally with Bill Clinton, former president of the United States of America, who once said that Nigeria could make use of ICT to fight corruption. Specifically, we want the country to develop an ICT base that could be used to prevent interface with government officials where financial transaction is involved.

We hail the anti-corruption internet database (ACID) in the country which has pulled together data and information, tools and resources, and has forged a coalition of players to fight the corruption that pervades the society.

Government has to leverage this innovation, and it is instructive that the ACID website provides the means to track corruption in public procurement and hosts downloadable training, advocacy materials and interactive tools to enable members of the public to text or tweet reports of corrupt activities live onto Google Maps to raise awareness and to shame perpetrators.

Most government ministries, departments and agencies may have adopted e-government for their businesses, but the citizens are yet to see its impact on the fight against corruption. This has to be strengthened because of its capacity to help reduce opportunities for corruption in several ways such as depersonalising and standardising the provision of services, leaving little room for payment or extortion of bribes.

We recommend the Egyptian example where the country’s young men and women, angered by the rampant corruption of their politicians and judiciary, founded an online citizen monitoring movement called Shayfeen, and through off-line organising, radio and press alongside social media channels such as Facebook, YouTube, podcasts and SMS, campaigners successfully mobilised public discontent against corruption.

The whole world today is propelled by knowledge and technology transfer, and this is why we see something for Nigeria in the Indian approach to fighting corruption. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in India has taken the initiative of formulating a national anti-corruption strategy which would serve as a concerted and coordinated approach to fighting corruption in the country. The commission has been working towards leveraging ICT for not only simplification of processes but also enhancing interaction with all the stakeholders in the fight against corruption. Nigeria does not need anything less and it is our hope that government will not bluff an initiative as useful as this.