STRENGTHENING THE ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE AND DUE PROCESS IN NIGERIA.

 

BY  BEN SHEMANG

 

Transparency International in its annual rating of corruption globally, has continued to place Nigeria as one of the most corrupt nations in the world.

Records have it that since independence in 1960, Nigeria has lost over five hundred billion dollars to corruption.

This cankerworm, corruption, has eaten so deep into the national life of Nigeria that development is either retarded or thwarted, making it impossible to achieve any meaningful development.

Consequently, successive governments have mounted aggressive campaigns against the dreaded monster called corruption to tackle the hydra headed problem decisively.

The restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999 brought more vigor to the fight against corruption. President Olusegun Obasanjo, soon after assumption of office, swung into action with the creation of anti-corruption agencies that would fight not only corruption in the system, but also all other financial crimes inimical to national development.

Institutions such as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), were created to complement existing structures such as the Code of Conduct Tribunal which was in place before the return of the country to democratic rule. Similarly, a Due Process office was put in place to ensure that contracts were awarded in accordance with laid down procedures and in a transparent manner.

 Before the creation of the Due Process office, the usual trend had been that there was over-inflation of contract sums by those responsible for the award of such contracts to the detriment of the end users.  To help remove direct contact with money, the government also introduced electronic payments to checkmate bribery and inducement of public officials.

The effort of the government under Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and now Goodluck Jonathan helped in reducing the corruption index of Nigeria on the world stage.

The recovery by the EFCC of millions of US dollars stashed in foreign banks was applauded globally and helped in boosting the country’s image and rating by Transparency International.

No doubt, the concerted efforts to reduce corruption to the barest minimum through its open door policy coupled with a favourable investment climate for local and international investors will facilitate the realization of the target of the country to be among the best twenty economies in the world by the year 2020.

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative introduced by the government to check corruption in the extractive industry, has also helped in no small way to sanitize the extractive industry which is the economic mainstay of the country.

After twelve years of democratic rule, the activities of the anti- graft agencies put in place by the government have been commendable. The EFCC for example, was able to recover the sum of six point five billion dollars in the past two and a half years.  The agency is currently prosecuting one thousand five hundred cases spread across various courts in the country.  The commission has also secured the conviction of one hundred and fifty economic and financial crime offenders.

On the international scene, the EFCC has prosecuted an American oil services company, Halliburton for bribing Nigerian officials to get contract. The Chairman of the company, Dick Cheney, a former American Vice President went for a plea bargain when it was evident that the company indeed bribed its way to get contracts. The money recovered was sent to the authorities in Nigeria. A German telecommunications giant, Siemens, was also brought to book. 

As Nigeria opens another chapter in its political history on Sunday May 29, 2011, it is expected that the incoming government will pursue the anti- corruption war with much more determination to ensure that all those found guilty are made to forfeit whatever ill-gotten wealth that is in their possession. It is only by so doing that the anti- corruption war could be said to be succeeding in Nigeria.

 

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Broadcast On Wednesday May 25, 2011