The war against corruption initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari is catching on like a wildfire in the dry season; unlike before, when Nigeria has been aptly described as a country of anything goes, now, people and organizations are determined to resist all forms of corruption and its manifold trappings. It is in view of this development that, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will not condone bribery and corruption within its ranks. Boboye Oyeyemi, FRSC corps marshal, said this while speaking with journalists in Abuja recently. He said the collaboration of the corps with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) has led to the investigation of 172 officers. “I wish to use this opportunity to urge members of the public not to hesitate to report any wrongdoings by the FRSC personnel for proper disciplinary actions, as the corps will not condone bribery and corruption from any of its personnel,” Oyeyemi said. “In all, 172 personnel are being investigated and to be prosecuted in the courts of law. “Our records show that in 2019 alone, a total of 62 personnel of the corps had their appointments terminated. “These consist of 14 officers and 48 marshals with several others receiving various degrees of punishment in accordance with the provisions of the FRSC regulations on discipline.”
He said the FRSC is the first government agency to collaborate with the Akin Fadeyi Foundation and MacArthur in the launch Flag-IT, an application developed for reporting corruption cases. “The corps under the leadership of the present corps marshal established the first National Traffic Radio 107.3 FM,” he said. “Apart from the cardinal role of sanitising the public on the best road use culture, the station is to serve as a direct medium through which dissatisfied members of the public can call in to report complaints of service failures, extortion, bribery against members of the corps by aggrieved members of the public,” Oyeyemi assured Nigerians that the corps will work hard to ensure that the Christmas season is crash-free.
Besides, A Joint Inter-Agency Team, led by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arrested 37 officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for allegedly extorting money from motorists on Nigerian highways. The Team, comprising officials of ICPC, FRSC and the Department of State Security (DSS), also arrested five persons said to be agents of the corps officials, in a sting operation carried out simultaneously in the six geo-political zones. ICPC Spokesperson, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, made this known in a statement in Abuja on recently.
According to her, the team swung into action following the receipt of a complaint from the management of the Corps of massive extortion of money from motorists on the highways by its patrol teams. “The FRSC management had, in the complaint to the Commission, observed that incidents of extortion were rife in the six states of Kaduna, Bauchi, Abia, Rivers, Kogi and Ogun. “Based on this, the ICPC-led team went into action and identified the notorious spots in each of the aforementioned states, which include Aba in Abia State; Ahoada, Ajaokuta, Itori, Toro and Gwantu, which are located in Rivers, Kogi, Ogun, Bauchi and Kaduna States respectively.”
She said that 13 FRSC officials and two civilians were arrested in Aba in the South-east, while 24 other FRSC officials and three civilians were arrested from various spots on roads spread across the other geo-political zones. “Findings from the Joint Inter-Agency Team indicated that various sums of money were found on the arrested Corps officials during the sting operations before they were taken into ICPC custody. “However, all the officials arrested and three civilian accomplices have been granted administrative bail and will be prosecuted by the Commission at the conclusion of investigations,” she explained. Meanwhile, FRSC Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, has said that the arrest was to send signals to anyone still harbouring corruption tendencies that the days of reckoning were here.
Corruption is a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire personal benefits. Corruption may include many activities such as bribery and embezzlement, use of powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain, trading in influence; prebendalism etc. even, PMB insists that corruption is the greatest form of human right violation. Corruption is efforts to secure wealth or power through illegal means private gain at public expense; or a misuse of public power for private benefit, corruption also involves all forms of nepotism, favouritism, conferring improper benefits on undeserving people, extortion etc, hence, PMB has a lot to do to really sanitize the polity of all manners of corruption, including but not limited to the public and private sectors.
In the same vein, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says he will sack any officer who cannot live within his or her remuneration and involve in illicit ways to acquire wealth. Ali gave the warning while decorating some newly promoted officers of the service in Abuja, not too long ago. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the service recently promoted 2,508 officers to various ranks and appointed three as members of its management. The customs boss warned that no officer in the service should live above his or her earnings if they desire to remain in service.
According to him, every officer could survive within the remuneration package of the service, if well managed. “I will show the way out to any officer who thinks he cannot survive with his remuneration but involve in illicit ways to acquire wealth. “I know the service gives you enough that you can survive with, it is just a question of prudence. “You can never have everything you that you desire to acquire “You must prioritise your needs and by the time you do that, you will meet your needs,” he advised. Ali charged the newly promoted officers to be more committed and dedicated to their duties. He advised them to take their jobs seriously, be fair and firm in their decisions and actions. Ali enjoined the promoted officers to uphold the change mantra in the service and be part of the reform being carried out. Mr David Chikan, Deputy Comptroller-General who spoke on behalf of the promoted officers thanked the management for their elevations. Chikan assured that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.
The fight against corruption must be pursued tenaciously; while the cost of governance pruned down significantly. However, the scale of corruption in Nigeria and the desire for good governance by the ordinary Nigerians dictate that government must act swiftly reduce the cost of governance, reduce the size of government and halt graft in the system. Albeit, corruption has expanded its borders beyond financial misappropriation and leakages, corruption is not only about the actions or inactions of individuals; it is also about group aspirations. In the economic and political parlance, it is now viewed in the modes of government structures, policies and implementations and lack of them; and by the individuals and sections of the country as it impacts their well-being. This has a far-reaching consequence for our polity.
Before the coming of this administration, corruption had assumed a life of its own, and it was more or less the official policy of the state; in fact, graft defined the character and direction of the state; as the state does not hide the fact that it is corrupt and corruption looms large. All the fight or war against corruption in the past was nothing more than lip service. Corruption more than anything else has facilitated the rapid development of development in all ramifications in the polity; as corruption was rife in the public sector; it was glaring in the private sector as well as ubiquitous in the various institutions and in the system. And, the values and morals of the society kowtow to corruption and extremely rapacious proclivities.
Over the years, the war against corruption has been lukewarm and lethargic with no serious attempt to recover looted funds and punish looters in accordance with the dictates and provisions of the laws of the country on corruption; corruption has permeated the three arms of government, and unfortunately including the judiciary, where judges collect bribes to deliver “purchased judgements”. And, in the courts in Nigeria which are seen as the last bastion of hope for the people; people no longer get justice but procured judgements, it is as bad as this, senior lawyers are engaged to pay huge sums into the bank accounts of judges to tilt judgements in favour of their clients. The police and customs are worse off in this regard, institutional corruption in Nigeria police is from head to bottom, and it is even done openly with reckless abandon. This is not restricted to these cited examples, but indeed all institutions in the country, even religious organizations and Non-governmental organizations; that is why we have weak and underdeveloped institutions in the country.
Furthermore, there is no doubting the fact that corruption has plagued Nigeria for so many years and this has ultimately brought the country to her knees, corruption in all shades and forms, which has diverse colourations, oozing putrid odour that stinks to high heavens, and there was no silver lining in the horizon until the coming into power of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB).
But PMB is now saying, corruption is the worst form of human rights violation, noting that, if we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria, it is to this end, that the present administration is not leaving any stone unturned, in a bid to tackle corruption and ensure that things in the country are carried out in accordance with international best practices. We as a nation can ill-afford to carry on like this, any country that elevates corruption to a place of pride cannot make any tangible progress and this is a fact of life. PMB is not afraid to take on graft at any level and in any place in the country; this is, of course, predicated on one of the underlying principle rule of law, which is equality before the law, there are no sacred cows, as nobody is above the law. In times past, the case of alleged forgery in the senate would have been treated as a family matter, conveniently swept under the carpet and condemned to the dustbin, as relics of history. But PMB has taken the bull by its horns in fight corruption and he should be commended for it.
Old things have passed away, we now new rules of engagement, in the past Nigeria was a country of anything is possible, indeed, anything goes and where there is no law, there is a free reign of impunity. Before the advent of the present administration, Nigeria was looked at with disdain and contempt; it was viewed as a country that full of potentials but lacked the wherewithal to actualize its dream because of several factors, chief of which is limitless grafts and corruption induced snags. In the old dispensation, corruption was the order of the day, government-supported and protected graft, it rendered the anti-graft agencies functionary impotent, corruption does not only looms large, it was the order of the day, as it was view as the official policy of the state. So many Nigerians believed that, that was the way things will continue to shape out, but in life, whatever has a beginning will surely have an end; and the only constant thing in life is change, now there is a new sheriff in town hence, the philosophical underpinnings have not only changed but have attracted added fresh impetus in this new era. In the last few years, serious matters were treated as family affair and swept underneath the carpet, never to be visited again, but in life, no condition is permanent, hence, the parlance soldier go, soldier, come, barracks remain.
Corruption wastes skills as precious time is often wasted to set up unending committees to fight corruption. It also leads to aid forgone; some foreign donors do not give aid to corrupt nations. It leads to social revolution, riots and violent take-over of governments. Corruption causes a reduction in the quality of goods and services available to the public, as some companies cut corners to increase profit margins. Corruption affects investment, economic growth and government expenditure choices. Corruption discourages honest effort and valuable economic activities, and it breeds inefficiency and nepotism. Corruption leads to information distortion, as it cooks the books and it also makes public policies ineffective. Corruption upsets ethnic balance and exacerbates problems of national integration in developing countries, corruption is destructive of governmental structures and capacity, corruption can destroy the legitimacy of a government, corruption is inimical to growth and development, as it fosters poverty and suffering on the generality of the people.
There is no doubt whatsoever that PMB has an uphill task in cleansing the Augean stables in the country, and no meaningful development can effectively take place without ridding the polity of graft. Therefore, he should be given all the assistance and support to clean up the mess in the system. And, those that have erred by way of corruption should be ready to face the music squarely. It is so doing that the country can reinvent its lost value systems and moral ethos. It is paramount that PMB should be more determined and unwavering in the anti-corruption war, the war should not be one-sided, it must be all-encompassing, to include members of his own political party, even his own inner circle of friends and associates. This is because fighting corruption in Nigeria is like fighting to regain the very soul of the country that has been stolen by “professional looters and rogues”. Therefore, nothing must be spared to accomplish this Herculean task.
The way the anti-corruption war is going, there would be more startling revelations, that will blow our minds, but the outcome will make the economy better and the people will benefit more and more from recovered the loots. What PMB should now do, is to expand the scope of the anti-corruption war, away from his personal conviction to a national priority. It is for this reason, for instance, that he should carefully examine and reassess the conduct of the ministers as well as all other categories of public officials and deal with anyone found wanting.
President Buhari has renewed his commitment towards the fight against corruption in Nigeria, saying there was no going back in tackling corruption headlong. While unveiling the AU’s anti-graft Campaign at the summit of Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU, the Nigeria President said he was determined to fight corruption “today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.” He told African leaders at the summit with the theme, “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to African Transformation,” that his administration had gone far in its change agenda of which the fight against corruption was an important part.
The President described strong institutions as a necessary condition for winning the fight against corruption, stressing that for the corruption war to be won; African leaders must empower anti-corruption agencies and insulate them from political influence. He cited a report that revealed that the African continent lost $50 billion annually to illicit flow of capital and stated that the manifestation of corruption in Africa was a demonstration of the need for strong leadership. He called on African nations to build synergy between the executive, judiciary and legislature in order to entrench good governance.
Buhari said that Africans, especially leaders, must have a change of mindset by prioritizing accountability and transparency in order to succeed in the fight against corruption. But he also told participants at the summit to be battle-ready in the war against corruption as it was not going to be a straight forward task, emphasizing that corruption will always fight back. He, however, admonished African leaders to remain resolute irrespective of the setback they may encounter in the bid to rid the place of corruption. He recommended, among other things, that an African youth congress against corruption be organized and the criminal justice system be strengthened in order to win the anti-graft war.
Also, recalled that there appears to be no backing down by President Muhammadu Buhari on his resolve to make anti-corruption and accountability the fulcrum of his administration as he issued fresh orders to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to account for funds that were stolen but recovered by the Commission.
Also, the focus on the fight against corruption by the Buhari administration appears to have been further dramatized by a recent pronouncement by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on plans to block the bank accounts of certain senior public sector officials. The pronouncement by the CCB came during a recent Special Town Hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Police Force and the CCB. According to the disclosure, the CCB has already probed 200 asset declaration cases involving about N40 billion and so there is a plan to block bank accounts of defaulting public officials in this regard. This definitely needs further evaluation. One point to make on this is that this is purely an administrative matter and prosecution would follow investigations without delay.
