The Anatomy of Corruption
by Dele Momodu
There is no better time than now to examine the socio-political dynamics of corruption in Nigeria. The landmark judgment handed down to some bigwigs of the ruling party last Monday has made the topic even more attractive to commentators. But I’m not about to comment on that particular case, which like most things Nigerian, is already being politicised. My only worry is why it is ever so difficult for our politicians to accept a simple verdict, and if necessary, challenge it later.
Rather they must cast aspersions on the judiciary when things are not favourable and hail it when it is expedient to do so. The good thing about legal tussles is that there are always options to be explored, and it is almost impossible to accuse everyone of bias, from the lowest to the highest courts of the land.
The judiciary is the last hope of the common man whatever the imperfections that may exist within the system. No matter what you want to say about the Yar’Adua government, those days of brazen disobedience of court verdicts are gone. The type of political rascality we see on parade in Anambra State would abate when it is certain that politics would be played in the true spirit of democracy, and the perpetrators of anarchy would enjoy no protection from the government.
A strong message must be sent out that no one is above the law of the land, and that membership of the ruling party would not guarantee automatic victory at the polls. The only reason the political gladiators fight to finish is because of the high stakes that the control of political offices has become. Winners always take all, without any consideration for others.
This is why we must establish the rule of law as one of the major pillars that can save us from total Armageddon. Even if the economy and regular power supply are beyond the capabilities of the federal government, President Umaru Yar’Adua would be fondly remembered for his avowed protection of the rule of law. As such, we must continue to encourage his administration to even do better. Let us hope that all the cases in many of our courts pertaining to corruption and election rigging are quickly concluded and respected by all parties.
Nigeria is in desperate need of a miracle. Most of our national institutions have collapsed and the process of restoration has been painfully slow. If the judiciary can rescue us as an impartial arbiter, perhaps we’ll be able to avert the imminent conflagration that some politicians are hell-bent on attracting to our nation. It is so sad because only a few of our politicians are ready to talk about what positive contributions they can make to the country. We do not know their manifestos. Theirs is not about service. It is all about making money by all means. Nothing scares them because of the belief that they can get away with anything. Sadly, they are not wrong. They often do.
It is almost a given in Nigeria that corruption is it! We are now better known for corruption than for our wobbly dexterity in the field of soccer. It is as if corruption is non-existent elsewhere. But it does exist everywhere. The problem is we’ve not managed our own situation well. There have been flashes of good efforts here and there, from the regime of General Murtala Mohammed to the present administration. But they remain flashes of hope. We have never really been able to set up a proper structure that can punish, discourage and reduce corruption at all levels.
Our style has always been to handpick a few people, hype the operations up to the highest level, and everything goes quiet again. There have been many cases of double standards, and of sacred cows. There are no clear cut criteria that we can strongly hold on to as to how we arrived at certain decisions. A few governors are arrested and painted as devils incarnate while many bigger cats walk away as if they were never in power. Such situations would always compromise the integrity of the war against corruption.
The war ought to be fought across board, and with sincerity of purpose. We have also not been able to bring our infrastructural development to a standard where most Nigerians would not have to erect their own government at home and at work. The pressure this puts on the individual is huge, and every human being must survive first before being a radical and patriot. It is the first rule of the jungle.
I’m interested in proposing my ideas on how to truly combat the menace of corruption. This should be more productive than the staccato fashion virtually all Nigerian governments have used to fight against corruption these past years. It seems both the governments and the governed are not very clear about how to deal with this stubborn goat called corruption. Before we continue, we must agree on what constitutes corruption and corrupt practices. My definitions are going to be elaborate and all-encompassing. I’m not unmindful of the controversy that this topic usually throws up everywhere, but every solution begins at the level of discourse and theoretical postulations. This assignment cannot even be concluded in one column. But we must start from somewhere.
Every human being has the proclivity to be corrupt. It is the degrees that differ. While some can resist corruption, most people cannot. I’ll love to see the man who has never fallen for the temptations of corruption at one time or the other in his lifetime. In fact, my theory is that if you’ve not been tempted, you can’t claim to be a radical. If you’ve not received bribes in different forms, you must have been offered gratifications or inducement at one time or the other. A friend of mine once said that “if you search the wardrobes very well, you’ll find some white cockroaches.â€
Corruption therefore is a common phenomenon and cannot be reduced to the exclusive preserve of political office holders. The Nigerian state makes corruption too irresistible. A country where there is no form of social security is a natural habitat for criminals, induced or hardened. There is also the lack of a credible pension scheme. The fear of the future usually haunts most of our public servants who now believe that you must prepare for the dark days ahead.
Unfortunately, the virus has now spread to the private sector and is of epidemic proportions. A nation is doomed when the public and private sectors are both corrupt simultaneously. Such is the tragedy we face in Nigeria. There seems to be an unwritten law that the only avenue to success is through making money corruptly. And the easier way is to have a juicy government appointment. Such positions of power usually attract serious lobbying. It is almost impossible to get such plum jobs on merit.
If public officials regard themselves as servants of the people, there’ll be no compulsion to fight over any special placements, rendering the godfathers would be idle. There will be no need to organise thanksgiving services over government appointments. But you and I know it doesn’t work that way most times. A powerful appointment confers on the appointee an instant power over life and death. Your house soon becomes a beehive of activities. Suddenly, you are the beautiful bride of everyone, and the toast of every lip.
This is what I call the institutional corruption. It is a crime in some communities for their kith and kin to return home with poverty after a meritorious or even unproductive service in government. Such appointment is seen as an invitation to partake in the cutting and eating of the national cake. The man who holds the biggest knife returns with the chunkiest part of the proverbial cake. That is never a big deal. It only becomes a major deal when you fail to return home with enough to show for your stint in the kingdom of thieves.
This is why the lazy promoters of zoning and federal character will never give up the fight. It is the same reason Nigeria will find it difficult to make substantial progress in the comity of nations; when the right people will never find themselves in the right positions. A situation where a Donald Duke for example, and there many of them, cannot be offered a strategic post by their own PDP government is a tragedy. When a hardworking man cannot be encouraged, then bad people would continue to thrive.
Every political party has its good and bad people. But the good materials find it hard to have a say in what goes on. Many of our ambassadors fall far below expectations in a modern world. The Ministers see themselves as representing a sectional block. They are loyal to their parties and communities and not to the nation.
My theory is that you cannot put people who have failed in their personal lives in positions of authority. They will first try to take care of their personal failings. They are the ones who build the biggest mansions in a village where they don’t live. They buy expensive cars for their young kids in order to oppress their mates. They marry brand new and more sophisticated wives to announce their newly-acquired status. The poor wife who followed them from the village, and suffered through thick and thin, is no longer posh enough to be seen with Oga. It is a case of beautiful wife, big budget. Now imagine a country where a public servant has acquired countless wives and concubines, the result would always be catastrophic.
The next form of corruption occurs where a man cannot survive on his income. This is induced corruption. I’ll love to see a hardworking man who can easily pay all his bills on the salary he takes home. You have to pay a minimum of two years rent in advance when you don’t earn your salary in advance. You have to furnish the apartment no matter how modest. You must pay for electricity, and buying a generator is not a luxury but a necessity. You have to pay school fees, buy a car, and furnish your apartment, stock up on food for the house, among so many other things. Is it not one of those supernatural wonders that some salary-earners in Nigeria are not only able to pay all those amazing bills but even have enough to buy choice properties all over the world?
•To be continued
October 30, 2009
Tags: anambra, corruption, Nigeria, PDP Posted in: Dele Momodu
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