Citizens, civil society leaders and other stakeholders have raised
“serious concerns about the escalating series of kidnappings, killings
and insecurity across the country, which are clearly fuelled by years of
grand corruption and impunity of perpetrators,” and stated that, “only
ambitious and robust anti-corruption fight can end the insecurity in the
country.”
This was stated today at a townhall meeting held at the Barcelona Hotel
in Abuja and organized by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project (SERAP) in collaboration with UKaid.
Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, in his paper titled Practical
Strategies to Mobilise Citizens to Participate in the Fight against
Corruption, said: “Corruption is the greatest obstacle to security,
development and equality in the Nigerian society. Corruption affects all
aspects of human endeavour and permeates all strata of the Nigerian
society, starting from the government down to the average citizen. This
threatens the existence of the country as one entity by weakening
institutions, rendering obsolete the rule of law, undermining good
governance and impoverishing the citizenry through a diminishing
economy.”
According to Akinseye-George: “The most visible impact of corruption in
the Nigerian society today can be viewed through the lens of the myriad
of security challenges the country has to face, which extends from the
activities of bandits on almost all major road networks to insurgency in
the North. Despite millions allocated to the defence sector, the average
Nigerian can hardly travel inter-state without fear for one’s safety.”
He said: “One wonders what the various governors do with the security
votes allocated to them every month. The fact that security votes are
generally not accounted for should be no excuse to divert such funds for
purposes unrelated to security.”
Hassan Hafiz Mohammed, who represented the Chairman of the Independent
Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, said:
Official oath of secrecy cannot and should never be used as a pretext by
public officials not to disclose information on corruption matters
within their ministries, departments and agencies.”
According to Mr Saminu Amadin, representative of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC): “The fight against corruption cannot
be left for government alone as the citizens have a critical role to
play in preventing and combating corruption in Nigeria. We should deploy
all means to fight corruption.”
Mrs R Hassan Ahmed, who represented the National Judicial Council (NJC)
on her part stated that: “The Administration of Criminal Justice Act
should be fully implemented by all the states, as it will help to fight
corruption including in the judiciary and help to address the chronic
delay in judicial processes.”
Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP deputy director, said before the group
discussions: “Good governance, respect for human rights and total
commitment to obey court orders are critically important to the
stability and growth of Nigeria, and to preventing and combating the
security challenges in many parts of the country. Federal and state
governments should focus their attention on the human rights dimension
of insecurity in the country, as an honest government is a basic right
of all citizens.”
According to him, “Citizens bring a missing component to the
anti-corruption struggle. They bring extra-institutional pressure to
push for change when power holders are corrupt and are unaccountable,
and when institutional channels are blocked or ineffective. Nigerians
should therefore exert their collective power to get involved in the
fight against corruption including cases of corruption that directly
affect them.”
Oluwadare also said: “While corruption brings out the worst in people,
fighting corruption can bring out the best. Citizens don’t fight
corruption in the abstract. They do so to overcome poor and
unaccountable governance, poverty, displacement, organized crime and
other forms of oppression and injustice.”
“SERAP encourages people to speak up against corruption at all levels of
government—federal, state and local government as well as against
corruption involving the private sector, and the impunity that has
allowed corruption to flourish. Grand and petty corruption directly
affect all of us as citizens, especially the socially and economically
vulnerable among us. Nigerians can contact us at info@serap-nigeria.org
if they wish to become a member of the Citizens United against
Corruption”, Oluwadare said.
The event was attended by Engr. T.O. Dina, the Federal Ministry of
Power; Mr Emmanuel Ochum, Ministry of Health; Mr Akpa Benjamin, Federal
Ministry of Education; Mr Musa Matoma, Federal Ministry of Health; Mr
Hanma Mohammed, Ministry of Interior; Shamm T. Kolo Director,
Surveillance and Enforcement at the Federal Competitive and Consumer
Protection Commission; and Mr Ogundumu, Ministry of Education.
Others at the event included the representatives of the National Human
Rights Commission, civil society and the media.
Participants at the town hall meeting agreed to join ‘Citizens United
against Corruption, to which everyone can become members and contribute
to the fight against corruption in the country.
Akinseye-George’s paper read in part: “The citizens who are the greatest
victims must mobilize efficiently to ensure transparency and
accountability in government. This will necessitate making many
difficult decisions which includes changing attitude and lifestyle
patterns. The question however is, are Nigerians ready to make these
changes and to respect the sanctity of the rule of law even when it is
inconvenient?”
“Are we ready to face the sanctions for our wrongdoing when arrested by
the police rather than offering a bribe? Are we ready to say ‘no’ when
asked to pay a magistrate in order to win a case? Are the youths ready
to work hard in order to secure good marks rather than taking the easy
but corrupt route out by patronizing miracle exams centers? Are the
citizens ready to pay the correct tariffs for electricity consumed
rather than engaging unauthorized electricity officials or pay bribes to
compromise electricity bills?”
“Are we ready as Nigerians to report doctors and nurses of public
hospitals who spend most of the time pursing private practice to the
detriment of poor patients who patronize public hospitals? When the
citizens become conscious of the fact that power resides with the people
and where purposes are aligned then significant progress will be made in
the fight against corruption.”