CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: A NATIONAL EMERGENCY

What is Corruption? 

This is a million dollar question which is difficult to define in a single sentence; in that it is tetrahedral and multifaceted in nature. The dictionaries see it as dishonesty for personal gains or illegal behaviour especially by people in authority. However, I define corruption as any form of malpractices across all facets of life and governmental cadres. It has become a major issue in Nigeria, as it has deeply eaten into the entire fabrics of the society. It is no longer news that corruption in the highest degrees has crept into important sections of our socio-political and socioeconomic setups. Corrupt so called leaders, have meandered their ways to the top positions in our institutions and carried out their mischief to the detriment of the populace and the Nigerian society at large.

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In arresting corruption in its totality, it is fundamental to note that there is no small or big corruption. Corruption is simply corruption! Corrupt practices ranges from stealing of any item or currency, no matter how small (e.g. taking meats from the soup pot by children without due permission, especially when they deny it); cheating in examination halls; using truncated cups to make sales thereby causing shortfalls of what is being bought; forgery of certificates and telling of all forms of lies to get employments or promotions; impersonations for selfish reasons both at individual and corporate levels alike; misrepresentations and deceits for the purpose of making cheap gains or any other reasons; to money laundering. It is not a stereotyped thing; corruption also includes using substandard materials whereas money was collected for a state of the art material. What about surcharging customers by bankers? It is corruption! What about lecturers who by design fail certain students and disproportionately or undeservedly passed others for very selfish reasons. That is corruption playing out. When you connect and use electricity without paying, it is corruption. When you employ an unqualified person because he or she is a family member, it is corruption. The list is endless.

What is the Way Forward?

To effectively fight corruption, all hands must be on deck. All the arms of government, all the sectors both public and private, all institutions both corporate and private must play an inevitable role. Only a collective approach will be strong enough to act as antidote to this menace. For me, corruption in Nigeria is a national emergency; unless it is considered from this perspective, the battle against it will remain un-fought or counterproductive. We must all rise to the challenge of eradicating every element or trace of corruption in our system, starting from those at the hem of affairs, to those in the lower rung of life. It time for us to begin the process of charting a brand new path to one united strong and corruption free country called “The New Nigeria.” Yes, it is possible, but it begins with you and me.

Therefore, the way out of the lake of corruption which necessarily leads to the New Nigeria is DECISION. We must decide what we want for ourselves. We must realize the depth of havoc corruption has caused and is still causing to us as a nation and then decide to curb it at all cost. We must decide to put behind our differences, concentrate on our strengths, capitalize on the advantages of our cultural diversities and collectively launch a deadly war of no retreat against corruption: in the churches, mosques and religious houses, at home, at various governmental levels, at small and big business outfits, in the schools, markets, offices and everywhere called human habitation. 

I recommend three basic strategies as action steps:

a.      We already have enough laws, we must now seek to affirm and implement the laws. All law breakers or those caught up by corruption laws should be left in the rebuking and corrective arms of the law.

b.      Parents and religious leaders must begin unflinching and forceful campaigns against corruption through every possible means or available options. This is vital in the reorientation of the breeds of Nigerians, who in turn will run with the vision of enforcing “zero-tolerance” for corruption elsewhere.

c.       As a matter of policy, we must now resolutely come to terms with ONLY allowing square pegs in square holes, irrespective of who is involved. This, to a monumental extend will help us build a better structure for the emergence of credible, tested and trust leaders, who in turn will help uphold our core values, norms and beliefs for a greater and better Nigeria.

In conclusion, corruption in Nigeria is a national emergency because all structures are collapsing as a consequence. The economy is sinking, the judiciary is decaying, the executive is sleeping, the legislature is lame or crippled, the industries are folding up, the educational sector is fumbling, politics has become a very fatal adventure and the religious principles have long been compromised, all of these are traceable to corruption. We either have to kill corruption or corruption will kill us. This is the only country we can call our own, Nigeria. It is our duty to build it up and establish an image which we desire that other foreign nations should see whenever Nigeria is mentioned. If we don’t do it, nobody will do it. If we don’t start it, nobody will start it. So, ending corruption in Nigeria begins with you and me.