By Bayo Fasunwon
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The nation woke up to the cheering news that the EFCC has achieved the convictions of some corrupt individuals this year. Also cheering is the news that the extradition process of the former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Madueke is gaining momentum. These added to the operations of the anti-graft agency under the present regime shows a government leaving no stone unturned in bringing corrupt nationals to book. Be that as it may, one must not lose sight of the fact that some have seen the hand of politics in the trials of indicted public officials. Political affiliations seemed to have determined which of corrupt officials are brought to book. Apart from Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, no State Governor had ever attempted to probe their predecessors. It is a we-we affair. There seems to be a code of Omerta that forbids such acts. Possibly, there is a creed that says if you get there, eat your own too. These issues are however not the point of discourse today.
Christmas was celebrated, some few days ago. I was pondering on the person that was being celebrated and his philosophies. Interestingly, while teaching his disciples, Jesus asked them to plead with God not to lead them into temptations that could lead to the corruption of their souls. Nigerians need to pray to the government at all levels these prayers this year. When this prayer is answered, it will usher in a paradigm shift in the fight against corruption. I make bold to say that in 2018, and previous years, the government had led Nigerians into temptations of corruption. Government had by its actions and inactions had invited the thief to steal and prevailed on the eagle to arrest them.
While the focus of the EFCC had been on the big corrupt cases, there had been little foxes of corruption in various parastatals, which had destroyed the vine of national growth. These little foxes were promoted by the government. Government workers all over the nation were confidently owed several months of salaries, and were expected to work. Even in the face of Paris Club refund, certain State Governments did not see the need to defray their debts to the workers. These hungry workers were expected to keep Government funds and properties, and refrain from using such for private uses. What a paradox. Added to this is the gory sight of retirees crying, sickly and dying (in the glare of present workers) due to nonpayment of their pensions and gratuities. This sight would no way encourage a corruption free service of civil servants. The pension act seemed to prescribe a panacea to this pitiable sight, but several governments do not even pay their counterpart fund to various PENCOM, nor do they remit the deducted fund from workers salaries. Therefore, corruption thrives as workers decide to apply wisdom (treachery) in their service to their fatherland. This year, Government should desist from leading workers to temptations by giving workers and retirees their dues on time.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike for some weeks. One of the cardinal reasons for being on strike was the demand for increase in Government subventions to the education sector of the nation’s economy. The education sector comprises of the primary, secondary, technical, post secondary institutions and institutes in the country. These government institutions in Nigeria could only boast of dilapidated structures, inadequate staff, outdated equipment, expired research tools, and antiquities. Staff and students are released into the economy, ill equipped to function in the quest for the nation’s development quest. The same government, which refused to do the needful in the education sector, is quick to shout on the rooftops that products from these museums (falsely called schools) are unemployable. Government often argue within the point of view of Neoliberal and World Bank thinkers that education should not be seen as a right but a privilege, and hence ought to be situated in the private sector. These have led to the emergence of mushroom schools and unfortunately, universities. These private sector educational institutions (Local and international) however have become temptations to corruption to parents. Parents seeking uninterrupted education for their children have been faced with high tuition and other related fees, which must be paid. Pushed to the wall by governments negligence, these concerned parents are tempted towards corruption. Contrary to the belief that most private institutions are patronized, the reality is that these institutions are patronised by the corrupt. In addition to these, excess funds, which ought to have been used to revamp the nation’s educational sector, are embezzled by privileged politicians. South Korea boasts of standard educational sector and the results are seen in their national development. A nation bereft of educational support is bereaved of qualitative service and development.
The past three years have witnessed increment in the cost of living of Nigerians, such that rather than ends meeting, ends have become parallel. The electricity tariff had increased, fuel pump price had increased, data costs and call billings have increased, cost of utilities have increased, school fees have increased, consumer goods have increased, even the exchange rate of the nation’s currency to other currencies have increased. The resultant outcome is that cost of living has increased. Ludicrous and hilarious is the fact that stop point settlements have also increased. Despite these increments, the salaries of the manufacturers of the nation’s wealth remained the same, thus reducing the purchasing power of workers. There was jubilation amidst the Police officers towards the end of 2018, with the announcement of a new salary structure. Many saw this as a step in the right direction, hoping that it would nip stop points collection in the bud; and enhance nation’s security. However, this remains a hope. The irony of this increment for the police force and the neglect of the N30, 000 minimum wages of the general workers, is that the Nigerian government seems to feed law enforcers, while tempting the workers with starvation. If a hungry man is an angry man, and anger takes different dimensions of retaliation, it is high time government prevented the anger of its wealth producers by ratifying and implementing the agreed wage increase without much ado.
The nature of the nation’s ant-graft agencies in Nigeria is punitive rather than preventive. In our villages, certain objects are placed on goods that are tempting to prevent corruption. Once you see these objects on that which tempts you, the desire for corruption diminishes. The anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria must be predicated on deterrence rather than prosecutions. Hence, the Nigerian government must prevent rather than prosecute corruption. Kudos must be given to the present government for the implementation of the BVN and TSA policies in this direction. However, government must make extra effort in reducing the cost of living of Nigerians, embark on infrastructural development, increase funding in the educational sector, reduce interest rates for small-scale enterprises, and implement policies that would not lead the populace to the temptation of corruption in 2019.