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Corruption still exists because the authorities in Nigeria are not sincere.
A renowned professor of law at the University of Lagos, Akin Oyebode,
has attributed the failure to curb corruption in Nigeria to the
“hypocrisy” of the nation’s ruling class.
Mr. Oyebode stated this during the session ‘Building Systems and
Institutions that precent Corruption’ at the 3rd Retreat of the Nigeria
Governors Forum, NGF, held in Lagos.
According to Mr. Oyebode, the tolerance exhibited by the ruling class
for the misconduct of its members and friends is an affront on
Nigeria’s corporate interests.
“Where there is selective enforcement and a high tolerance level for
the misdeeds of public office holders, it becomes highly problematic to
sermonize on the survival of the Nigerian nation state,” Mr. Oyebode
said.
“The nation would be judged by the preparedness of the ruling class
to apply the full weight of the law on all violators, without fear or
favour, affection or ill-will. The moment it
is sounded loud and clear
that in the enforcement of law, there shall be no sacred cows, there is
most likely to be greater compliance with the law.
Mr. Oyebode said that successive efforts to tackle corruption had
failed due to the insincerity and lack of tenacity of purpose by the
powers-that-be in the country who have refused to lead by example.
“The hypocrisy of the ruling class who demonstrate double standards
and inability to walk the talk has induced long yawns among the populace
who can no longer stand the cant, hypocrisy and
sanctimonious, holier-than-thou stance of their rulers who fail egregiously to practice what they preach.
“Nigeria has enough laws and institutions to combat corruption. The
architecture of the war against corruption seems adequate even if there
might be the need for re-tooling here and there. What has been lacking
hitherto is the requisite political will to fight the disease to a
logical conclusion.
“A situation where anti-corruption agencies are denied the
wherewithal to sustain anti-corruption crusade smacks of a calculated
attempt to disembowel and incapacitate them,” Mr. Oyebode added.
Governors’ lavish lifestyle
In attendance at the retreat were Rotimi Amaechi, Rivers State
Governor and Chairman of the NGF; Babatunde Fashola, the Lagos State
Governor; Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State; Aliyu Wamakko,
Governor, Sokoto State; Adams Oshiomhole, Edo State governor; Abdulazeez
Yari, Zamfara State Governor; Segun Adesegun, Ogun State Deputy
Governor; Eze Madumere, Deputy Governor of Imo State; Titilayo
Laoye-Tomori, Deputy Governor of Osun State; Peter Kishira, Kwara State
Deputy Governor; and Bukola Saraki, a serving Senator and Former
Chairman of the NGF.
Also speaking in the same session, Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, accused state governors of
fuelling corruption with their extravagant lifestyles.
Mr. Ribadu said the tendency by the citizens to indulge in corrupt practices would be minimised if leaders lived moderate lives.
“Show us how to behave and we will follow you, if we have less
private jets,we see you live in moderation, we will follow and copy
you,” the former anti-graft boss said.
He said corruption is a major threat to development, saying Nigeria would be far better fighting it.
Mr. Ribadu, a former presidential election under the platform of the
defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in 2011, called on state
governments to put in place mechanisms to check corruption in their
respective states.
He said corruption is a deep-rooted malaise which could not be fought by centrally-controlled agencies alone.
He said that the active involvement of the states in the fight against corruption would check leakages and promote development.
“The states can do more and achieve more in the fight against
corruption because they control a substantial amount of development
resources.
“If they leave the fight to centrally controlled agencies alone, we will not get the desired results.”
Mr. Ribadu also urged state governments to put in place a sanction regime to punish offenders to serve as deterrence to others.
Also speaking, Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd), the former Chairman,
the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission,
ICPC, said there was the need to strengthen anti-corruption agencies to
fight the menace.
Mr. Akanbi said corrupt leaders were powerful and influential and
urged heads of anti-corruption agencies to muster enough courage to
bring them to justice.
“The heads of these agencies must have the political will to fight
corruption. Without courage, you can’t fight the menace; these corrupt
people are powerful and it takes courage to fight them.”
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