Corruption in Nigeria. Is enough enough?
Posted by AlexT - 01/10/09 at 06:10 pmThe RCS have interviewed a Nigerian anti-corruption campaign group called Enough is Enough. They think the Commonwealth should stand up to corrupt countries in its membership. Do you agree?
RCS: Who are you and what are you here for today?
We are a non-partisan and non-political group called Enough is Enough. It?s a campaign group that came together to say Nigerians should take action, not against our government, but with our own people to say Enough is Enough.
When 4 or 5 Nigerians get together they always talk about the problems in our country. ‘But we feel it’s time to come together and say in one voice we have had enough. It’s time for us to take positive action.
RCS: What issues need addressing?
There are a number of issues, but pivotal is corruption. It’s endemic and it has become institutionalised. It is the route cause of all our problems.
We produce so much oil, we have so many resources in our country - but this is not impacting upon the lives of our people.
This is down to a lack of will to tackle this corruption.
RCS: How can this be addressed?
It’s down to a number of things, not just the government alone. The people have to show leadership. And we need the international community to help.
RCS: Which brings us on to the Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth has a role to play. We have had enough of this and we need a uniform standard amongst the member countries of the Commonwealth.
RCS: How do Nigerians view the Commonwealth?
I do not speak for all 140 million Nigerians.
I think the Commonwealth is a very relevant institution, but it needs to define its role to reflect the 21st century. Some things need to be done.
It is a union of equal nations but the countries and leadership need to share good practice between its members. It needs to be top of the agenda. This is not happening at the moment.
The Commonwealth does not address the issues that concern me in Nigeria.
If you look at it from the point of view of the developed nations, like the UK, Canada and Australia- they need to lead by example and share good practice and say there are certain things we need to take a stand on. But they are not doing this at the moment. To attend Commonwealth gatherings you should have to meet minimum standards of governance embedded within the body politic.
The Commonwealth needs to support grassroots organisations – those fighting for social justice. The Commonwealth should be pro-active- not just an inter-governmental organisation. In Nigeria enough is enough.
Category : Democracy & Good Governance, Economic Development
Tags: Corruption, Nigeria, Oil
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October 2nd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Yes, enforcing good goverence is one of the Commonwealths most important attributes.
I doubt very much however if it is pressuring a country like Nigeria to improve.
Have there been improvements in the Nigerian situation since it was suspended then readmitted in the 90s?
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
‘Enforcing’ seems a bit strong, ‘promoting’ would be much more appropriate!
October 5th, 2009 at 1:08 am
The Commonwealth should fund local voluntary organisations – community groups, partnerships etc.
Trust between government, police and community must be built with sponsored training, but Corruption cannot be tackled until the wages of officials (and everyone else) are enough to live comfortably on.
The Commonwealth must sort out corporate inegalitarianism in Nigeria and elsewhere. Companies from developed member states (Shell for example) are draining the nation’s oil for a stipend which lines the pockets of Nigerian politicians but never reaches the people. Instead, the Commonwealth should push for a corporate agreement where the fee for drilling rights goes direct to the local community. It is, after all, those in oil-rich areas of the country who suffer the poor health effects of the far-from-perfect extraction process.
October 5th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
It is not enough to suspend a corrupt member from the organisation. Sanctions should be imposed on corrupt leaders by asking members to return all funds stolen from the treasuries of member states.
Any donations should be properly monitored to ensure they achieve an intended purpose. For instance, if the donations is to assist provide electricity to a particular community, a management team approved by the donor which should manage contributions from both the donor and the beneficiary state. This way, donations should be be used to targeted develop areas considered strategic.
October 5th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
This is perhaps not the politically correct approach, but when it comes to a problem as endemic in a country as Corruption is in Nigeria I minded to say “to hell with them”. It is too big a problem for the under-funded Commonwealth to deal with.
October 5th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Sorry Finch, but that won’t fly with an organisation whose mandate is to facilitate International Development.
But economic sanctions? I can’t think of a worse idea. The problem in countries which suffer from heavy corruption is not that the leadership class embezzles money from foreign aid (though they often do) it is that local officials trouser government money and take bribes. If wages for public officials were high enough to live a comfortable lifestyle on, then corruption would not be the necessity it often is for survival in sub-saharan Africa (and beyond). We in Westernesse have the luxury of high wages. Often the Police in LEDCs need to take bribes to feed their own families.
Robbing a corrupt member state of even more capital is just going to make the situation worse, especially if the leader is already on the take. Less money in the coffers, less money for the coppers: and more incentive to resort to corruption.
Nations don’t respond any better to economic bullying than they would to actual aerial bombardment. Put away the stick.
October 7th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
RFLowings,
If the ruling class of an oil-rich country prefer to keep the wealth for themselves, what’s to say they’d continue to trade with companies which insist spreading the wealth to the general populace?
I applaud the ideal, but I’m not sure how best to solve this problem.
October 7th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
That’s a good point, and unfortunately there’s no guarantees. I suppose I’ve enough faith in the Nigerian political class to throw up at least one moralist who would go along with ‘fair trade’ and not having their people dispossessed by Westernesse.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Good day all,
I observed that the major question is always obscured by reactions to the assertion that Nigeria is corrupt.
Why do people tend towards stealing? It is a failure of provision. Nigeria should dismantle EFCC, ICPC, the governments past and present should apologise to the people, and agencies that can prevent corruption should be put in place.
then social parastatals that will cater for housing, affordable feeding, good roads, sustainable power supply, industrial villages, schools,national identity and reposed confidence in a positive image should be juiced up with focus and a tenacity to implementation of policy that favour the sustainability of the aforementioned strategies to national growth.
Not all these cutlass and caveman axe chasing computer thieves, bank thieves, political thieves and so on. Nobody should call any Nigerian a thief, he who has not provided social services significant enough to stem corrupt practices that emanate from hunger, lack and so on.
I wish to stop here for now.
Provide.sustain.support.grow.no name calling.
simple. corruption will leave.
thanks!!!!
November 26th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
host nation for cjhogm T&T si alos very coorupt- ( see TI cpi & http://www.constrction enquiry.gov .tt)
yet HRH being comaromsied to open the cooruion edifce of the vry politically coorut abd desotic patrack amnnnig regoime..
why did sec general of CHGOM not alert the HRH.. he is well aware during his vosys to T&T of the very public media reports about UDECOTT corruption and the Arts buidling / waterfronmt/ PM nasio etc.
the commsionn of enqiury id choared by brtish [porf uff
http://www.constructionenquiry.gov.tt
sems the more destic and ccruppt 3rd wortdl ldres is the nmore the first wordlk ;ledrship shore upo the ocuntry with trade( FDI) & aid
see TI reports ..
TI gcr 2004 -political corruption destraos soceties and shouod be crime aginst humanity..
T&T under leadership ofpatrack manning is now like nigerai/ zimbawe/ gambia
December 4th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Corruption in Nigeria, indeed is endemic, but the glaring truth is that, it has permeated every aspect of our national psyche. It exists in every sphere of the nation, religion, etc.
EFCC and ICPC, are instruments that should be used to end this disease, but unfortunately, the doctors (those in government, ie. the president and his cohorts) have constituencies to protect. They cannot fight corruption. No government in Nigeria, for the time being, can fight corruption.
We appreciate the concern of the Commonwealth in this struggle, but it has become an institution without clear-cut definition. It is still operating below par, and cannot make or enforce good governance. If a military government takes over the reign of governance in Nigeria, today, it will surely embrace it with open alms.
Fighting corruption in Nigeria, is a struggle that all must participate in. It needs grassroots campaign. We must want to succeed. It is obvious, that, every Nigerian complaining today, does so, only because he has not found himself at a position of trust. Many so-called human rights activists, in the past have faulted when found at the corridors of power. We must make use of the ballot system. Ensure that no thief gets into power. We must call our leaders, starting from ourselves and at the local level, to account for their stewardship. Then and only then, can we agree that the right course of action has been taken.
August 31st, 2010 at 1:39 pm
august – 31st 2010
it is with sense of deja vu ( my last entry was written in fine civic anger and poor edting ..but it has now come to pass..)I write
thank god …we have saved ourselves .in T&T ( trnidad & tobago) .
we have now elected our frst ever female PM Mrs kamla persad bisessar ( now listed amongst world’s top ten feamle leaders by Times ) whose party has put delivery of good governance at top if its agenda…
WE finally found the courage to unite to remove the corrupted patrick manning govt who hosted CHOgM 2009 despite its cloud of state related corruption
As we in trnidad & tobago celebrate our 48th independence from Britain ,I question the benefits of native rule without good governance…
AS the only oil rich island in the caribbean we have been blessed with natural and mineral resouces..
yet our global human development indices on crime and poverty and infrastructure develpoent read like all other native type oil rich failing countries ( nigeria listed here) ..
our native leadership continues to fail as global Trade and Aid ( gdp looks good) without good governance implmentation does not make a society developed.( poor human development indicators)
and that is shown quite clearly amongst chogm members – where australia and canada have succeeded since their independence, to become highly developed and first world models while the rest of us continue to struggle and fail ..WHY?
I perceive it comes down to delivery of good governance and civic vigilance …
consider this – what si the role of CHOGM in good governance delivery when the Corrupted T&T govt were allowed to host CHGOM 2009 > despite alerts and warnings… to the scretary general of CHOGM…
so what is the value of CHOGM when the most corrupted and inhumane leaderships continue to be courted by CHGOM executive??
so I feel now , as I did then, that CHOGM 2009 in T&T should not have been allowed for it shored up a corrupted govt…
and by so doing not only did it compromise the values and ethics of CHOGM but also placed HRH in a most embarassing situation- for she officialy opened the CHGOM inT&T at NAPA edicfice which was specfically built to host CHOGM 2o09 , despite its being at the centre of state related corruption enquiry.
The secretary general of CHOGM was alerted by me , to all of this, but ignored it and instead shored up the corrupted politcal regime in its efforts to force Chogm 2009 expenditure on the angry citizens of T&T
facing global economic meltdown…
for that reason alone I now call for the resignaton of secretray general of CHGOM
It si to be hoped that with the election to office of Prime minister by two female leaderships in CHOGM
first ever female PM in both trinidad & tobago in may 2010 -( outgping host CHGOM 2009)
and PM of austrailia ( aug) ( incoming host chogn 2011
that CHGOM good governance mandate will be given a more central and forceful role to play..in vigilance oversgiht ..
for power corrupts and it si only the vigilance of society that prevents its destruction of that society ..
please share this with new EMG group of CHOGM…
petrab
anti corruption / good governance actvist
Chair CEGG ( centre for ethics and good governance)