By Onah Iduh
ONE of the underlining ironies in Nigeria’s unending tussle with corruption was captured in 2009 by Mrs Farida Waziri when, shortly after her appointment as Chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), she paid a courtesy call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to appreciate the importance, strategic relevance and support of the labour movement to the anti-corruption crusade.
At the time she visited, the NLC was engaged in what were very popular multi-themed national campaigns – one, against corruption; two, for a truly independent INEC capable of delivering free, fair and credible elections, and three, for the removal of Prof Maurice Iwuh as Chairman of INEC. In a simple but lucid and logical tone, Mrs Waziri stated that when one puts into context the general expression of disgust on corruption by Nigerians, one would wonder who actually was doing the corruption.
“When you find people in the beer parlour, in a cyber cafe, grouped together, even on the television, they are talking about corruption. Everybody is worried, everybody is concerned and saying the same thing. When I look at it, I wonder who is doing the corruption because everybody is talking about the same thing.” Mrs Waziri had stated.
Waziri’s reflection was, and is still, very correct! Wherever two or three Nigerians are gathered – in families, beer parlours, inside commercial buses, taxis and kabu-kabu, newsrooms, television and radio programmes, churches and mosques’ in fact, any social space with enough room for conversation – corruption always ultimately manage to surface as hot topic for passionate discussion. This is understandable given the broad acceptance that corruption remains arguably the most formidable obstacle hindering our transition to collective prosperity and development in accordance with our human and natural endowments.
Beyond the pedestrian and general understanding of corruption and its occupation of our collective imagination anytime and anywhere, is Mrs Waziri’s puzzle – who actually is doing the corruption? The answer, for many Nigerians, is simple – public office holders.
The real paradox is that, in spite of the degree of revulsion that Nigerians express against corruption by making it perpetually a passionate topic for daily discourse, why has it been so difficult to translate it to positive action by enthroning a leadership with a mix of intellect, dynamism and virtue for reawakening and systemic transformation? That is where Buhari’s failure to live up to his promise to fight corruption in a way never seen before in our national existence becomes one of the greatest tragedies in the quest for the recruitment of the right leadership to anchor Nigeria’s renaissance.
If you look around, in terms of inexplicable wealth, or the obscene flaunting of wealth, there can be no other answer as good as people in power, those EFCC calls politically exposed people (PEP). They are the readymade perpetrators of corruption, recognised in our literary, social, political and historical literature over the course of our history from independence to this very day – be they soldiers or civilians. Indeed, the failures and the broad dysfunction at both personal and public spheres, and the general and systemic uncertainties in our entire political economy by and large originated from the corruption orchestrated by this class of thieving elite.
Though empirically true that our ruling elite have for decades stolen and are still stealing us to perdition, but are they the only ones engaged in the act of corruption? This is where the problem lies! The fact remains that majority of Nigerians may not have come to terms with the full ramifications of corruption in our society – at the levels of the individual and socio-political contexts.
From those who have been convicted to those standing trial and generally, to those who daily promote one way or the other acts of corruption; including the multitude who, due to the prolonged years of unchallenged acts of perfidy in our national life, and through which acts of corruption have comfortably been domesticated and reclassified as virtuous, as well as the quiet majority not partaking but collectively are victims – are essentially enablers of corruption.
In order not to take for granted that we really understand what corruption means, it is vital to try to have a broad understanding of what corruption is. While Oxford Languages defines corruption as a “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery,” Wikipedia defines it as “a form of dishonesty or criminal offense undertaken by a person or organization entrusted with a position of authority, to acquire illicit benefit or abuse power for one’s private gain.”
But the definition and conceptual framework provided by Transparency International (TI) more succinctly capture the framing of corruption in the imagination of the average Nigerian when he or she talks about the subject. TI sees corruption “as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.” It stressed that “corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.”
Illustrating further, TI states that corruption takes many forms, including behaviours like “public servants demanding or taking money or favours in exchange for services, politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs or contracts to their sponsors, friends and families, corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals.”
Buhari is not only a fiasco; he has even become one of the tragic casualties of corruption in a manner that can only be fully unravelled by historians of power after he exits from the Presidential Villa. While nobody, including his most fanatical support base, expected him to magically cleanse Nigeria of all vices even within two terms; however, the popular expectation was that he was going to be different in setting up a more transformative and scientifically systematic process for eternal vigilance on, and confrontation with, all forms of corruption and corrupt practices.
Corruption, TI says, is pervasive – in business, government, the courts, the media, and in civil society, as well as across all sectors from health and education to infrastructure and sports – and involves anyone from politicians, government officials, public servants, business people and members of the public.
While these characterisations of corruption appear straightforward and simplistic, they have become, as noted earlier, so ingrained in not only our political economy, but more pathologically so in the psychosocial behaviour of the average Nigerian. Our daily experiences clearly indicate that our entire political system and the society in general have become saturated with acts of corruption – be they public and private sectors, non-profit or non-governmental establishments, in our religious communities particularly the churches and mosques, interpersonal lives, and in every aspect of our existence including right in the families.
The real paradox is that, in spite of the degree of revulsion that Nigerians express against corruption by making it perpetually a passionate topic for daily discourse, why has it been so difficult to translate it to positive action by enthroning a leadership with a mix of intellect, dynamism and virtue for reawakening and systemic transformation? That is where Buhari’s failure to live up to his promise to fight corruption in a way never seen before in our national existence becomes one of the greatest tragedies in the quest for the recruitment of the right leadership to anchor Nigeria’s renaissance.
Although the jury may still be out, especially in the imagination of the unrepentant Buharists, but it is only proper to say at this stage that Buhari has metamorphosed from the hope that he was to being the greatest flop of a leader; perhaps deservedly so on account of the historic broad national support he garnered based on his assumed capacity to confront corruption and insecurity.
Buhari is not only a fiasco; he has even become one of the tragic casualties of corruption in a manner that can only be fully unravelled by historians of power after he exits from the Presidential Villa. While nobody, including his most fanatical support base, expected him to magically cleanse Nigeria of all vices even within two terms; however, the popular expectation was that he was going to be different in setting up a more transformative and scientifically systematic process for eternal vigilance on, and confrontation with, all forms of corruption and corrupt practices.
It is not that President Buhari only failed to ‘change’ the pre-existing paradigm of corruption, he, his cronies and the entire system exude corruption in ways far worse than what Nigeria has ever experienced. The sad and depressing reality is that under Buhari, Nigeria’s corruption virus became a dangerous mutant strain, more defiant, arrogant and pervasive. Nigeria has become increasingly ensnared and in the quandary and throes of the wages of corruption which has escalated to absolute existential uncertainties of Nigerians and Nigeria as a nation.
Onah, is Editor-in-Chief of National Record. Reactions to this column, which will be out every Wednesday henceforth, can be sent to: 0803 320 9749, via sms and whatsapp only or email @: nationalrecordng@gmail.com.
