By Chimezie Godfrey
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre ,CISLAC, and Transparency International, TI, on Tuesday released the 2022 Corruption Perception Index, CPI, indicating that Nigeria ranked 150 out of 180 countries.
The Executive Directive, CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, Auwal Rafsanjani who disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja, revealed that Nigeria scored 24 out of 100 points in the 2022 CPI, compared to 24 points in the 2021 CPI.
Rafsanjani said in the country comparison for the 2022 CPI, Nigeria ranks 150 out of 180 countries compared to 154 on the 2021 CPI results.
He said,”Today Transparency International (TI) release the 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published exclusively in Nigeria by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, (CISLC)/ TI- Nigeria.The index reveals that Nigeria scored 24 out of 100 points in the 2022 CPI, compared to 24 points in the 2021 CPI. There has been no change in country’s scoring between 2021 and 2022. In the country comparison for the 2022 CPI, Nigeria ranks 150 out of 180 countries compared to 154 on the 2021 CPI results.
“The CPI for Nigeria aggregates data from 8 (eight) different sources that provide perceptions by country experts and business people on the level of corruption in the public sector. While the index does not show specific incidences of corruption in the country, it includes the perception of corruption in Nigeria. The index is impartial, objective and globally acknowledged as the most widely used cross-country parameter for measuring corruption.”
Rafsanjani stressed that the 2022 CPI was not an assessment of Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies who have made commendable efforts in the fight against corruption in country.
“It is important to stress that this is not an assessment of Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies who are making commendable efforts in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, despite the political interference they face. Rather, the CPI goes beyond the anti-graft agencies.
“The CPI is usually released at the beginning of the year with the previous two CPI released in 25th of January 2022 and the 28th of January 2021 respectively. This CPI result comes less than a month to Nigeria’s general elections which are crucial not just to Nigeria, but Africa. While Nigeria had high expectations that this regime could address corruption, the CPI index for the country has remained consistently low in the last 10 years.
“The data used for the CPI is not collected by CISLAC/TI-Nigeria but by independent and reputable organisations with sound research methodologies.
“CISLAC/TI-Nigeria notes that while Nigeria moved 4 places up on the country ranking, Nigeria maintained its previous score of 24 which is its lowest score on the CPI since 2012. This suggests a slowdown in the steady decline observed in the previous 3 CPI’s,” he said.
The Human Rights Activist expressed that despite claims by the federal government to fight corruption that it persists in the country.
“We deeply worried and concerned that inspite the claim by our govt to fight corruption sadly corruption continue to be a major problem in Nigeria.
“That is why Nigerian civil society organizations have struggled to ensure that we have a national strategy on the fight against corruption. So that when we have this plan to involve everyone, whether you are a government official, a security officer, a civil servant, a mechanic, journalist, an NGO, an individual person, all of us must play role to ensure that we compliment effort on the fight against corruption. But suddenly, this whole dimension of the fight against corruption appeared to be limited only maybe perhaps to the President.
“Corruption continue to undermine every single effort that even the government has put in it. We can see how as a result of corruption live has become worthless in this country.
“Now, the intention of Transparency International/CISLAC is not to laugh at the current state of corruption in Nigeria, but to serve as a clarion call, so that we block leakages, so that we improve on those areas where we are lacking. So it is important that Nigerian government understand that we are all stakeholders in this country.
“We are patriotic responsible Nigerians and we want to see our country working and functioning, and we will not be happy to go into the neighboring country, and be seen as corrupt persons. Many Nigerians are not corrupt but because of the general impression and certain irresponsible actions by public officials Once you carry a Nigerian passport, the best impression that some people will have is that you one of them and I know that majority of Nigerians are not. So, we have to be worried and concerned because our country’s image is getting down.
“It is only when you are open, honest, and sincere about the effort that you are doing that when somebody see that there are gaps in the way you are doing things, you listen and take corrections. But sadly some of the public officials, once you say this they politicize it, they start fighting you and they start calling you names, only for the anti-corruption agencies to be arresting the people that we have been pointing out that they are doing wrong.
“TI ranks America low in many times but America did not rise up to start insulting TI. It is only a corrupt government officials that will rise up to start attacking an organization that is trying to help them fix their system,” he said.
Speaking on the CPI, the Country Director, Accountability Lab, Friday Odeh noted that some of CPI 2022 scores are negative while others positive, adding that the passage of the Electoral Act 2022 has helped to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system, among others.
“Some of the key positive ones which I will leading the conversation on talks about: the first is the passage of key. legislations. The passage of the Electoral Act. 2022 has helped to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system. This has further improved citizens confidence in the electoral process. The Act complements the 1999 Constituion, especially in areas relating to the political party financing. And we would like to call an INEC to ensure that it plays its role in ensuring integrity in the conduct of political parties as envisioned in the 1999 Constitution and the Act.
“The second key legislation is the passage of the proceeds of Crime and Management Act 2022. This is also an important step in strengthening Nigeria’s assess recovery process. We are also seeing relevant state institutions take steps in compliance with this Act and we would like to encourage them to implement the act. Because most times when you see acts and policies implementation remains a challenge for all of us.
“Also the money laundering prevention of revision assets has helped to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework when it comes to the prevention and combating of money laundering and related crimes. The second strengths, which we have also seen is the strengthened resolve of anti graft agencies, despite political interferance. We recognize the efforts of the relevant anti graft agencies in addressing corruption despite political interference and the lack of adequate resources they need to perform optimally. These efforts cut across increased convictions and investigations,” he said.
Also speaking, the Representative of the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, Taiwo Hassan Adebayo some of the weakness that have contributed to the current ranking of Nigeria in the 2022 CPI, include the pardon of high profile corrupt individuals, increase in oil theft, opaqueness of the subsidy regime, lack of transparency and accountability in the security sector, lack of transparency in constituency projects, and judicial challenges.
“Some weakness might have contributed to the country’s current CPI ranking. One is the pardon of some high profile individuals. The pardon of some certain individuals like Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye respectively former governors of Taraba and Plateau states by the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who rise to power on the back of the promises to fight corruption and the anti-corruption rhetorics is a major setback in the effort to address corruption in Nigeria. Whereas there is no intelligent analysis of Nigeria’s problems can be made without coming to the terms with the problem of corruption.
“This singular act of pardoning these individuals, Mr Nyame and Mr Dariye is damaging as it fails the test of equity and fairness, as those pardoned were political exposed persons, and more citizens who have been jailed for similar crime or even lesser offences were left out of the pardon. This not only dampen the confidence of citizens, but it also weakened the moral of the anti-graft agencies who spent years, money and risked physical attacks during prosecutions.
“We conducted interview with some staffs of these anti-corruption agencies, EFCC particularly who worked on these individual cases, and they they said they felt shattered because they felt that there efforts have gone waste. It failed to make an ethical impact on the system after these guys were pardoned, so it is a very big setback for the country.
“In addition to this, it says a negative message from the international community, especially around sharing intelligence or cooperation or asset recovery, and other related matters.It greatly contributes to the negative perception about fighting corruption in Nigeria, every continued to believe that it is business associates,” he said.
In view of the above factors among many others, recommendation were made on the way forward in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
Speaking on the recommendations for effective fight against corruption in Nigeria, CISLAC’s Legal Officer, Bathsheba Tagwai noted that the presidency, INEC, political parties, security actors and other relevant bodies should ensure that the 2023 general elections are free, fair and results.
“She said,”aWe have listed the strengths weakness above. However, to ensure constructiveness, we would like to provide advice on the way forward with following recommendations.
“The presidency, INEC, political parties, security actors and other relevant bodies should ensure that the 2023 general elections are free, fair and results. The presidency should ensure that adequate consultation is made with citizens, the media, civil society, and other actors before presidential pardons are granted.
“The relevant anti-graft agencies should ensure that high profile corruption cases are pursued to their logical conclusion for the benefit of Nigeria and her citizens.
“Agencies given the mandate to recover assets under the Proceed of Crime (and Management) Act 2022 should ensure that they establish a database where information about assets in their custody is easily accessed by citizens in line with the Act and the proactive provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.
“The Federal Government should address the lingering issue of oil theft in the country. There should be transparency in the petroleum subsidy process, and the relevant agencies should investigate and prosecute those found wanting. The relevant agencies should investigate those the importation of toxic fuel to Nigeria in 2022.
“There should be transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s security sector.”
Tagwai also state d that the National assembly should ensure transparency in the implemention of the constituency project, adding that the relevant agencies should ensure that those found guilty are brought to book.
She stressed that with the elections fast approaching, the judiciary should ensure more than ever to deliver justice. “As we have always maintained , we are open to working with the relevant bodies on how to make Nigeria better for the interest otf the nation,” she declared.
