Corruption: The war rages

From inception, the present administration has made it crystal clear that, corruption will be fought with all available means at its disposal. Therefore, it is not surprising that the anti graft war is raging and making series of sensational headlines in the country today. In as much as the fight is a step in the right direction, there is the need to tread cautiously in its execution to avoid unnecessary controversies which are capable of tainting its good and laudable objectives. This is pertinent because the menace has grown into such a huge institution that cannot be waved aside or handled carelessly. We will only be deceiving ourselves to downplay the fact that it has eaten deep into every facet of the society.

From the lowest retail business on the streets and open markets through to the biggest conglomerates and; from the local government councils through to the highest level of governance; there is hardly any sector of the polity without the presence of corruption. The situation is so bad that the sacred places of worship and other religious establishments are not spared from its scorch. As a result, you can only know yourself when it comes to the question of who is corrupt and who is not. Looking closely, one would be quick to observe that corruption is the bedrock of most of the problems bedeviling the nation. To say that it has become a phenomenal part of the people’s living culture is to say the least. Be that as it may, you will agree with me that, fighting such a monster will be extremely problematic, complicating and dangerous. It is therefore, necessary to exercise restraints in confronting the menace in order not to be consumed by the raging fire.

The government has made some startling and fearful revelations in the recent past as to how the country’s treasury was looted during the last administration. With the wind of change still blowing across the nooks and crannies of the society, more mind-boggling ones are sure to be in the offing. In as much as the fight is a welcome development, the modus operandi is brewing dissatisfactions among the populace. Many see it as high-handedness and undesirable and have even concluded that the fight is aimed at hunting and dealing with perceived political enemies as well as silencing the oppositions.

Some are of the view that it is a ploy to diverting the attention of people from the inefficiencies of our leaders in finding lasting solutions to the suffering of the masses while, some others have also thrown their weights in support of the government. The different opinions notwithstanding, the fact remains that the fight is raging intensely; the people are talking and; the world is watching. The latest of the controversies emanating from the war is the invasion and arrest of some judges for alleged corrupt practices.

Expectedly, it has caused series of heated debates in the media and every available contact points in the country as to the appropriateness or otherwise of the style adopted by the security agencies in carrying out the operations. This review will not take a definite position on this particular incident or the numerous others in order not to be seen as prejudicing any person or group of persons as a result of the cases in court. Also, it will not join issues with the set of people who are fond of prosecuting, convicting and sentencing accused persons on the pages of newspaper even before they are arraigned in court. However, it will be unequivocal in drawing the attentions of all and sundry to the fact that we are under a democratic setting where an accused is presumed innocent until proven and pronounced guilty by a competent law court.

Therefore, the fundamental human rights of the people must be respected and should not be unjustifiably trampled upon. Due process must be followed to the later in the execution of this war because it is a price that must be paid to uphold the principles of fair hearing as enshrined in the constitution. We should not be seen as doing anything that will put a question mark on the intentions of government in waging the war otherwise; the whole essence will be defeated. Consequently, it will require the application of intelligence, tact and highest level of professionalism on the part of the relevant agencies of government in their approaches to combating the menace.

From the aforementioned, it is obvious that the problem is not really in the fight but, in the modus operandi of carrying out the fight. It is a very sensitive issue and the way and manner we handle it will determine the end results. Therefore, due to the enormity of the menace, it will not be out of place to posit that the exercise will be in futility if the issue is handled haphazardly, because the monster will fight back to ridicule the government.

This is in view of the fact that the perpetrators will not take a bow without a fight and because they are present in every facets of the polity; they are capable of turning the table against the government and make the country ungovernable. Today, everything seems not to be working out well in the country not because the government of change does not have the blue print to move the country forward but, because the monster is fighting back. The agents of corruption have infiltrated every establishment in the country that you really do not know who is who and, who to trust. It is not impossible that you might be strategising and planning with one or some of them in the name of fighting corruption.

So, if one embarks on the war without putting all necessary precautionary measures in place; the person might end up as the prey. In as much as it is a matter of necessity to fight corruption, the war requires a lot of ground work. Though, the menace is wicked, dishonest, illegal and undesirable; employing wrong approaches/tactics to fighting it will only put the country and the people in a much more complicating, unpleasant and frustrating position. Thus, the focal point should be to put machineries in place to block the numerous avenues that are used in carrying out such nefarious activities; putting concrete and effective measures in place to adequately protect whistle blowers and other patriotic and honest people and; also, ensuring to continuously educate the people on the need to do away with the menace. The campaign of ‘Change begins with me’ is strategic at this point in time and should be optimally utilised.

As a way of complimenting the efforts of the relevant agencies in fighting corruption, the government should also establish an ‘anti corruption brigade’ that would be empowered to sniff around the activities of both private and public businesses to expose those tainted in corrupt practices. In this way, the government will be providing work for millions of the unemployed while also fighting and systematically eliminating the monster from our society. Information is very key and you cannot be everywhere at the same time to get it.

It is the information you get from the people in whichever forms that will make the job easier and much more effective. Thus, the war should be very open and not sectionalised, trivialised, politicised, and selective if we really want to make headway. The war should not be handled hastily and haphazardly; it must be a continuous exercise that will require the support of all well meaning/patriotic citizens and the co-operation of other friendly nations.
• Oise-Oghaede, public policyanalyst/commentator, lives in Lagos.