Lack of Incentives for Good Conduct in Nigeria Breeds Corruption, Says Chidoka
Sunday Okobi
Former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Osita Chidoka, has lamented that the rate of corruption is high in Nigeria because good behaviour and meritorious public service are hardly appreciated.
He further noted that the scourge of graft in the society is increasing as a result of the undeserving honour corrupt people get in public place, including churches, mosques among others.
The ex-FRSC boss made these comments yesterday at the induction ceremony of the Professional Excellence Foundation of Nigeria (PEFON) where he was inducted as one of the Distinguished Fellows of the organisation in Lagos.
While lamenting the effect of corruption in the country, Chidoka said: “Corruption in Nigeria, as far as I am concerned, is a national malaise, because there is really no incentive for good behaviour. If you said you wanted to be a House of Representatives member today, people on the street expect you to bring money before they will even support you. Gone are the days when people come together and say ‘this man is a good candidate, let’s support him’. I know that if Barack Obama were to be a Nigerian, even the audacity of his hope would not have led him to think of being a Nigerian President, because the vast amount of personal resources he would need to deploy is such that nobody that has access to such resources would want to put his hands on.
“So I believe that the media, the civil society and the public have to stop incentivising bad behaviour. For so long as we keep rewarding those who have the resources and say they are the ones who would get honours in the churches, mosques, and who will get political office, the country will continue to encourage corruption.”
The Anambra State governorship hopeful added that importantly, political office everywhere in the world is a middle class endeavour; it’s not something done because one is rich. “And I believe that Nigerians must return to that time where public servants and politicians are middle class people who are supported by both the professional and business class, and even the citizens.
“One of my contributions I want to make to Nigerian politics is to restore back the fact that politics is a middle class game, and stop singing praises for corrupt people.”
On the significance of the award, the former Minister of Aviation hinted that he came for the award (honour) because “I believe that Nigeria needs to produce a new cadre of people who are recognised and rewarded for their contributions either in their professions, in business or in public service. And this recognition has nothing to do with monetary value or how much you have acquired or how much wealth you have, but has to do with the contributions you make to the society.”