Whistle-blowing and the fight against corruption
Corruption is defined as a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often for personal benefits. It includes bribery, embezzlement and other unwholesome practices. In other words, corruption is when a political officeholder or government official uses his or her office for personal gains. According to Stephen D. Morris, a professor of politics, corruption is the illegitimate use of public power for private interest.
Talking about the prospects of whistleblowing in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, there is the need to look at how the so-called elite divert public money for private use. It doesn’t bother them that the country is in economic recession and there’s lack of basic amenities like pipe borne water, roads, stable electricity, schools, good health care centres etc.
At this juncture, it is important to note that one of the constraints of a successful fight against corruption in Nigeria is the absence of a special court to try suspected offenders. It has been observed that in our conventional courts, the pace of trial is very slow. That is why there are very few convictions, if any.
If there was a special court as we have always advocated, the ratio of convictions in high profile cases would have been high and we would have felt the multiplier effect on the country’s economy and other sectors.
The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, is determined to fight corruption to a standstill, but obviously, there are forces against him. So far, the whistleblowing policy he introduced has led to the recovery of various amounts of money stashed in different places across the country. In view of his performance so far, one truly wonders why the Senate refused to confirm his appointment. It has been said in some quarters that the action of the Senate is a hindrance to the fight against corruption. Good as the whistle-blowing policy is, if the EFCC does not enjoy the support it requires from relevant institutions, it would be quite difficult to achieve the needed results.
Unfortunately, as a result of the astronomical level of unwholesome practices, Nigeria’s image has been tarnished as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. A lot of Nigerians are astonished that within a short period of time, huge amounts of money have been recovered, courtesy of the whistleblowing policy of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.
According to a statement by the Human Rights Watch released in August 2010, human right abuses by the Nigeria Police Force had transformed the security agency to predators rather than protectors. Unlawful and arbitrary arrests and detention of citizens, as well as extrajudicial killings, embezzlement and abuse of office by policemen, have severely undermined access to justice for ordinary Nigerians.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had disclosed that following the activities of whistleblowers, $151million and N8 billion looted funds were recovered.
Regrettably, almost everybody in Nigeria - civil servants, security agents, financial and educational institutions, government agencies, businessmen etc - engage in one form of corruption or another.
I recall the corruption cases involving a former Inspector-General of Police Tafa Balogon, former governor of Bayelsa State, the late Diepreye Alamiyeseigha. Also, the trial of the Chief Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retired), former Minister of Petroleum Diezani Alison Maduake, former Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduwa, former Chief of Defense Staff, Mr. Alex Sabundu Badeh, and the current corruption allegation against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir David Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke, is still very fresh in our memory.
During the campaigns, President Muhammadu Buhari, who was the candidate of the APC, had vowed to fight corruption to a standstill. And that’s what he is doing through the EFCC; hence the whistle-blowing policy. Obviously, since this administration came on board, the fight against corruption has received a great boost and support.
However, the truth is that it is difficult to successfully fight corruption in Nigeria. This is because politicians of high profile and the so-called elite and their cronies are involved.
Interestingly, from what we have seen so far, the whistle-blowing policy has the prospect of successfully fighting corruption and reviving Nigeria’s economy. Well-meaning Nigerians should, therefore, support the policy in its entirety. We need to work together to save our dear country from destruction.