President Muhammadu Buhari swept into power on the heels of the federal elections that took place in April 2015. The change slogan addressed three key elements: corruption, insecurity and economic downturn. Without doubt, corruption is the most fundamental and basic issue to be confronted by the new government. As is usual with Nigerians, every Tom, Dick and Harry has taken up the chant: Anti-Corruption! One cannot help but recall the situation in 1984 when the then military head of state came with the WAI creed: War Against Discipline! Then, as now, every other Nigerian became a WAI-advocate. But as soon as that regime left office, all the WAI soldiers went awol; every dog went right back to its vomit. Nigerians know how to pretend! A few weeks back, it was organised labour in a nationwide shutdown to declare support for government’s anti-corruption stance. Yet some of the protesters are great agents of corruption in their different offices and ministries. And the NLC had not been able to conduct elections into national offices in a credible and transparent manner. Until the battle against corruption dispenses with cosmetic displays in favour of real substance, no lasting impact will be made on this ogre that threatens national development and stability.
Addressing the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops in September 2015, the president, who was represented by Vice President Osinbajo, said: “The war against corruption is not just a moral battle for virtue and righteousness in our land. It is the fight for the soul and substance of our nation. Corruption in our country is so endemic that it constitutes a parallel system. It is the primary reason for poor policy choices, waste and bare-faced theft of public resources.”
The president was right on target! Writing in their volume on political economy of the African continent, Hope and Chikulo stated their well-known dictum that “Corruption is rare in Botswana, widespread in Ghana, and systemic in Nigeria”. This immediately raises the question of what it actually means to say that corruption is systemic in Nigeria. It is this writer’s conviction that until we can tell ourselves the blunt truth, we cannot even begin to address the malignant tumour that is threatening the social and economic fabric of our society.
This paper shall therefore address the following issues: (a) What is the local and national corruption index for Nigeria – from the point of view of a national? (b) Why is corruption so resilient in the polity? What has been done in the past to at least mitigate this Aids of Democracy, and why have all efforts failed to achieve their goal? (c) At a later stage, what must we do to truly come to grips with this malaise?
Systemic nature of corruption in Nigeria
Corruption has been defined as an act of an official or fiduciary person who unlawfully and wrongfully uses his station or character to procure some benefit for himself or for another person, contrary to duty and the rights of others. It is the giving and receiving of something of value (e.g., money, sex, gifts, etc.), whether demanded or not, to influence the receiver’s action favourably toward the giver. Where corruption is rife, those holding public office are not held to any distinction between public and private behaviour, notions of service and merit do not exist, and the ends of power are little more than self-enrichment.
The different forms of corruption, according to Ruzindana (1998), include: Bribery and extortion; fraud and embezzlement; illegal use of public assets for private gains; over- and under-invoicing; payment of salaries and other benefits to non-existent (“ghost”) workers and pensioners; payment for goods not supplied or services not rendered (“air supply”); under-payment of taxes and duties on exports and imports through false invoicing or other declarations; purchase of goods at inflated prices; misappropriation of assets; court decisions awarding monetary damages well in excess of any injury suffered; removal of documents or even whole case files; nepotism, ethnicity and tribal patronage.
Corrupt enrichment, no matter the complexion of the crime – white-collar, corporate fraud, embezzlement, whatever – distorts the values and norms of every society. It inhibits the performance of public and private sector organisations and constrains the optimal use of resources. It engenders wrong choices, and holds up crooks and deviants as models of distinction for the younger generation, degrades quality, distorts economic and social development, and generates a culture of illegality that in turn breeds market inefficiency. It increases cost of goods and services, promotes unproductive investments, and leads to a decline in quality of public and private service. Indeed, the heaviest cost of corruption is not in the bribes themselves, but rather in the underlying economic distortions they trigger (Stapenhurst & Langseth, 1997).
So what does it mean to say that corruption is systemic and endemic in a society? First, it means that corruption has become an industry in itself, complete with stakeholders, investors and risk-return profile. The fraud industry is organized, with internal coordination, shared knowledge and a vertical exchange of benefits linking principals and agents. It closes off clients’ alternatives, creates a network of operatives, freezes out critics and non-corrupt agents, and shares rewards and risks among stakeholders.
Next, the system on its own grows practitioners at every level – from school to graduation, from childhood to adulthood, from micro to macro levels. There is a sustained supply of individuals and mean fellows who ensure that the system of fraud and corruption is maintained in perpetuity. While today’s experts are strutting around as models for our youths, a new and emerging crop of practitioners are getting prepared to get into the fray and have a piece of the action. There is thus an unending and growing army of corrupt and perfidious individuals waiting in the wings to carry on this trade in perpetuity.
In systems where corruption is both systemic and endemic, people actually expect leaders to be corrupt; to be any less is regarded as too good to be true. Indeed, they are considered fools who have served in public office without accumulating ill-gotten wealth. The operation of the system actively favours the corrupt and actively discourages people with integrity and character. Thus, men who run for public office on records of excellence in character end up miserable losers in the power game.
Furthermore, the price tag for public office is quite high for men of character: sacrifice of personal integrity. The would-be official is expected to renounce his basic convictions and values in order to belong. The system makes out of citizens either liars or cheats or outright thieves.
Finally, the system never holds leaders accountable; ethnic and sectional loyalties override character and competence deficiencies. Besides, the people have a very short collective memory; a man’s sordid deeds in the past are very soon forgotten and forgiven him. (Continues next week)
Benjamin C. Osisioma
