DE-CORRUPTION AND A CASE FOR CORRUPTION AMNESTY

Source: thewillnigeria.com

Corruption has become an integral part of our national experience, from the primary school student to the working adult, from public institutions to the private sector, reaching as far as the NGOs and charities. Even our religious institutions, the vested custodians of moral values are not spared, indeed the term corruption has been inextricably integrated into our daily lives.

Take a macro view of our nation, as you come into Nigeria by land or air, you are greeted at the point of entry by our ever efficient enthusiastic officials, so ingloriously adept are they in the art of extortion that you would consider yourself truly  lucky to get through without opening your wallet. This is the case with most of our public institutions.

On the micro level, corruption has become deeply ingrained in the average Nigerian. Will I be appointed Minister of Works and my family and friends would not expect to get contracts? Will I be State Governor and none of my friends and associates be appointed as special advisers, Commissioners, etc? Do you honestly think that as Minister of the FCT, my family and cronies shall not get choice allocations? Do not attempt to answer these questions. At least, not yet.  Many would say ‘It is your time, so you better make the most of it and thank God for the opportunity. After all, there is enough to go round for everyone’. This is the general mindset when it comes to corruption on the personal level: self justification.

Simply put, any misappropriation or abuse of bestowed power or position for personal gain, enrichment or any form of illicit benefit, is an act of corruption. Against this back drop, it becomes obvious that tackling corruption is a herculean task before us.

No society can thrive without a well defined value system, a set of consistent values which are usually an amalgamation of ethical, cultural and ideological values. This is the foundation and moral code that shapes the law, the people and society at large. A system which rewards a level 5 civil servant with chieftaincy titles for donating millions of naira, where a Governor launches public funded projects under his personal name, where an IG of Police buys up estates worth billions of naira, where no one asks the political aspirant spending billions of naira on campaign how he intends to recover his money, where looters with pending criminal cases are rewarded with national honors. It even gets better, we see a kilometer of road being constructed at over 1 billion naira, yet all our Engineers, Surveyors and excellent professionals look on. Seven lawmakers impeach nineteen  in a state reputed for high intellectual capacity, yet the strange silence of the intellectuals class the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), royal fathers, men and women of substance is truly astounding and remains inexplicable. We see convicts being honored by our religious leaders… Let me leave the desecration of the house of God for another day. I can go on and on, Militants riding private jets, while graduates post-NYSC are sweating it out on the job market.  What do we say about the fraud being perpetuated under the guise of State revenue collection, or of wanted drug barons in the Senate? Indeed, it is impossible to  live in Nigeria today without interfacing with corruption in some form or the other. Is it the settlement of the uniformed men, paying that extra bit to process your license, buying black market fuel, paying for handouts to make your Lecturers’ pass list? We even have fancy names for it ‘ROGER, EGUNJE’ etc

Our national value system has failed, and is in need of urgent reformation which must sweep from the lowest to the highest levels. Our children from as little as kindergarten age must start to imbibe a new moral code. The States, local governments and the Federal levels must embark on massive reorientation, our traditional and cultural institutions have to be carried along and formally incorporated into the de-corruption move.

There is no alternative, a system that rewards criminals will ultimately breed criminals, a system that rewards excellence will breed excellence, reward patriotism and you breed patriotism, there are no short cuts. The big question is, who will rebuild the system? We have each contributed in one form or the other to the collapse of our values, either actively or passively, through direct action, aiding and abetting, or just simply keeping quiet when we ought to speak, thus becoming ‘enablers’ of corruption. As this guilt is collective, so must be  the solution. There is no one more competent for the job than you.  Yes, you and I. No better people to  build Nigeria than Nigerians and by this I mean all Nigerians, be you the slyest briber, the biggest looter, or the worst criminal each one of us is best equipped to turn the tide. Rational reason tells me that if nine  out of ten criminals are reformed, then the propensity for crime has dropped 90%.  Simply put, is it not better to have less criminals, than looking for more police and law enforcement to catch thieves?

THE WAY FORWARD
We all stand complicit in  one way or the other, the battle of de-corruption is inevitable. The time is now to declare amnesty, more specifically a CORRUPTION AMNESTY – a window of opportunity for admission, restitution and reform.  We need a clean new slate as a starting point  , yes we need everyone including all the evidently and massively corrupt hands and as many as will admit their part, renounce corruption and make restitution. During the corruption amnesty, we  must as a matter of  expediency, demonstrate our resolve through the following three step programme:

1) Publicly owning up to compromises and corrupt practices (Admission)

2) Return stolen funds and or material benefits (Restitution)

3) Renounce corruption and pledge fully to the fight it (Reformation)

it is natural that some persons supposing that the whole development is a rather mild joke, might not respond as recommended by the terms of the amnesty. However following this amnesty window with a fully revamped anti corruption campaign, strengthening of the law enforcement capability and introduction of stiff penalties for offenders, will send a clear message, the sheer prospect of getting caught will wipe the smile off  the faces of all jokers.  Imagine 12 high flying, previously untouchable, corrupt public figures bagging  life sentences or the death penalty upon expiry of a ninety day amnesty window, we will only need to give a further grace period of 2 weeks and our Nation will be inundated with amnesty seekers pouring out from all corners.  please consider this a wild thought.

The era of EFCC cases remaining pending for 8 years unresolved, public officials obtaining court orders shielding them from investigation, convicted looters of billions getting off with paltry fines, a government official looting over 20 billion naira penalized by paying a 750 thousand naira fine and laughing back home to a lavish dinner, will come to an abrupt end.

The fight against corruption can only thrive upon a sound moral foundation, a well defined value system engrained into the society, a clear punitive/reward system where the thief will have no longer have a place of honor or recognition; where family name and reputation return to being better valued than your bank balances; where the non-negotiable consequences of crime will serve as deterrent and a lesson for all to see, especially the youth. We need to come to a time when we understand that the minister who steals 180 million naira has just stolen 1 naira from each of our pockets – all 180 million of us, when we realize that the contractor and officials that embezzled the road construction funds are directly liable for every accident and death occasioned by that bad road.

Only a collective and concerted effort, a national re-awakening, affording all Nigerians  the opportunity to mobilize and participate in the de-corruption process with a tangible perception of overall progress and benefits will bring us to our rightful place as a Nation and restore our stolen dignity.

Written by Babalola Kayode.
email: [email protected]

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