From a psychological perspective, corruption is an immortal deity and a serious challenge to mankind. By all standards, corruption is wiser, older and more powerful than man. It also has a negative influence on man’s notion and character. In fact, corruption has become a cancerous pandemic. Its negative influence on man and its spread are the major causes of crises all over the world.
From the look of things, it sounds logical to say that misconduct of any kind is motivated by corruption. The first recorded case of corruption involved Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden means that man, as a descendant of Adam, is the progeny of corruption.
Similarly, the first recorded murder was driven by corruption. Also, the controversial judgment that led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was the handiwork of corruption. From all accounts, man and corruption are inseparable. As a result, this evil trinity comprising money, man and power, and called “corruption”, is the bane of good governance in the parts of the world ravaged by it. And the adverse effects of this evil trinity on the global environment are waxing stronger on a daily basis.
Therefore, against this backdrop, it is difficult to convince anyone that there could be a corruption-free person in power, or a rich person that is not corrupt. In fact, in a way, everybody is corrupt. No doubt, this most influential, and powerful monster called “corruption” rules the world.
So, in this confusing circumstance, for this evil trinity (man, power and money) to expose and tackle corruption is like giving an offender the freedom to determine and implement his comeuppance. Ironically, corruption is well-structured, famous and public-friendly. Should it contest any election worldwide, no angel can defeat it. It operates opaquely with democracy, and with the executive, legislative and the judicial arms of the government.
So, it is futile for any person or group to fight corruption with any or the collective efforts of the three organs of government. Even with military might, it is still impossible.
The fight against corruption will continue to meet with stiff resistance if the same sets of people who got to power and made so much money through corruption remain in the forefront of the crusade. Persons who get to the top of the political pyramid on the rungs of the corruption ladder cannot lay claim to patriotism or engage corruption in a mortal combat. If a person’s political success is at the mercy of corruption, naturally such a person will be reluctant to fight corruption. One does not bite the hand that feeds one. Although gratitude or gratification either in cash or kind is a good gesture, ironically, it is one of the sharp and handy tools of corruption.
So, fighting corruption is a difficult challenge, especially in a country like ours where corruption has been allowed to fully establish itself for over 55 years. As a result, regrettably, every sector of the economy, including the grassroots, is pervaded by widespread corruption. Bad enough, even the highly disciplined and committed leaders who genuinely want to fight corruption and fix the country face the serious debacle of separating the wheat from the chaff, because corruption is more combat-ready and firmly on the ground than the challengers themselves. Unwillingly, such leaders often capitulate and adjust their principles to align with the power of corruption. Otherwise, the hunter may become the hunted.
Corruption has seized the opportunity of economic poverty to induct all the economic sectors and the grassroots into the corruption club. It is tantamount to recycling and re-enforcing corruption, should we allow some well-known corrupt Nigerians, who are hiding under the shelter of democracy and the law, to bulldoze their way into public office, purporting to be a part of the anti-corruption crusade. Meaning that corruption is gradually winning the battle.
From available records, no country has succeeded in eradicating corruption, but some civilised countries have reduced it to a manageable level through discipline, public participation and leadership by example. Nigeria can follow suit; the grassroots are ready. But the butter of corruption on the bread of most of the ruling elite will not let them see leadership by example as the real starting point for change!
According to the philosophy of some of Nigeria’s ruling elite, stealing is not corruption, and false declaration of assets is also not a crime. Whichever way they see it, the voiceless Nigerians are much concerned about the sincerity of the asset declaration of all public office holders in this dispensation, because it is the precursor of the journey to real change. So, to move Nigeria forward, and hold the country together, the success of the exercise is a test case for the Buhari administration in its war against corruption project.
Although President Muhamadu Buhari must fight corruption with democratic principles, his team must genuinely reflect the precept of the change project. Anything to the contrary will send to the ordinary man the signal that corruption has won the battle against it. Already, with the pace at which corruption is struggling to retain its position and acquire more power, concerned Nigerians are becoming sceptical about the positive outcome of the crusade.
The fight against corruption certainly does not rank among the simplest of combats, but it will become easier if we objectively anchor it on sincerity of purpose. In line with this latter objective, when President Buhari was shopping for able ministers, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah, urged him to set a minimum standard of human behaviour for the ministers that would be named in his cabinet. Kukah also advised the President to send public officials found guilty of embezzlement to prison. The Bishop’s advice has no political undertone. Rather, it is meant to place the President’s fight against corruption on a clean, new and solid pedestal to enhance positive change that will reflect leadership by example.
In all sincerity, no matter the status of a political party, there must be some competent and unblemished members on the list of its first and second elevens. So, if some of its players who are notorious as red-card earners are genuinely not favoured by public opinion because of their questionable field manners, it is a part of political strategy for such a party to revert to its human reserves and replace the bad players with fresh and untarnished ones for the sake of the party’s reputation and to avert a crisis of confidence.
Corruption is the yoke of the ordinary man. Forthwith, any government that can reduce the power of corruption to a reasonable and manageable level that will enable the voiceless to reside in a new and politically habitable country is the government of the people.
Nobody is indispensable. If a soldier genuinely sustains an injury on the battle field, he gets the sympathy of his country, and receives prompt attention. But if he sustains the injury as a result of taking the law into his own hands because of selfish and personal gains on the battlefield, he is on his own. So, if a politician suffers political malady and hallucinates that stealing is not corruption, and converts the public treasury into his personal use,such a politician should be rejected outright by the people and promptly declaredunfit to continue to serve the public.In such a situation, his party must also follow suit. For the party not to embarrass itself, such tainted players should be sent to the political rehab-home rather than being fielded for fresh public offices.
Fighting corruption is fighting the powerful rulingelite who stash away our money in foreign banks to the detriment of our economic existence. So, it is the voiceless and the oppressed Nigerians(not the elite) who are in a better position to genuinely fight corruption because they are the victims of all the hardships and sorrows caused by corruption.The rulingelite has toyed with the future of the ordinary man for too long. But when push comes to shove, the people will defend their future the best way possible.
Philosophically, it is not likely that apresiding judge would jail himself. But unfortunately, corruption has been on an endless trial in its own court in Nigeria for the past fifty-five years.Bad enough, the common man has been the victim of its negative judgements. It is the same common man who must liberate himself.
PUNCH
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