Recent developments in Nigeria seem to suggest that the country is one in which only the criminal-minded individuals and brazen thieves hold the reins of power. The current anti-corruption crusade of the government has lifted the veil off the deep and serious existential issue of corruption. Rarely does a week passes without one celebrated case of money, mostly in foreign currencies, found somewhere, albeit, without owners.
Despite the huge challenges of the war against corruption as witnessed in the poor investigation, lack of cohesion among law enforcement agencies and the inability of EFCC to secure convictions in most of the celebrated cases of looting, the anti-corruption war has succeeded in unraveling a most fundamental problem: corruption has left Nigeria and Nigerians perpetually incapacitated.
At the core of the culture of endemic corruption in our society is the obvious lack of productive or entrepreneurial spirit among most Nigerians. Our value system has become so skewed in favour riches, even if questionable, as against time-tested virtues of honesty and hard work. Many of our people in position of responsibility have become so irresponsible that the talk of probity and accountability has no place in their workbook. Despite the appalling indices of poverty, some leaders at the different levels run the country so recklessly that we are now more of a republic of thieves. From the over N7 trillion unremitted NLNG proceeds, trillions of Naira stolen in pension funds to the shameful arms procurement scandal running into billions of dollars, there is no sector of the economy that is free of massive corruption.
The Ikoyi Cash
The 13 billion Naira found at a flat in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos by the EFCC which has now claimed the job of the erstwhile Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Ayodele Oke, is symptomatic of how some hundreds of rapacious state actors and their cohorts scattered across ministries, departments and agencies of government at all levels have misappropriated the collective patrimony of Nigerians. Perhaps the most curious implication of the massive cash haul now being found in obscure places in different parts of the country is that it reflects the extent to which corrupt and privileged people can go to obstruct justice and the inability of institutions like the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies to successfully bring these corrupt but very powerful Nigerians to justice. These people have access to the best lawyers; some have dual nationalities; enjoy immunity while in office and they are able to successfully ‘plant’ their cronies and surrogates in influential positions among other means of circumventing the course of justice. With the weak institutional framework and mostly obsolete laws in our penal codes, a convicted criminal in Nigeria can simply pay a fine from his chest pocket after plea bargaining or serve a short prison term, if luck were to run out on him, and then return to massive thanksgiving in a church or mosque and a presidential pardon or even win elections from the prison custody and later assume a position of authority in the same country.
SGF Babachir Lawal suspended
The case of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, is one high profile executive recklessness and crass abuse of office that could derail the anti-corruption efforts of the government. His suspension is therefore the loudest statement yet by President Muhammadu Buhari in line with his much publicized inauguration refrain: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”.
And the war goes on
Going forward, the government must take deliberate steps to strengthen institutions that are involved in the fight against corruption and also make examples of corrupt officials in high places as a deterrent for smaller or aspiring thieves before Nigeria becomes a federal republic of thieves.
