‘Why govt should fight corruption from bottom’

From Jimoh Ahmed, Ikare Akoko
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Bottom to top approach in the fight against corruption has been canvassed if the Federal Government is serious in winning the battle.

A legal practitioner, Mallam Gani Ashiru gave this advice in an interview with The Hope at a programme organized  for legal interns in Ikare Akoko.

Ashiru who is also the Obaja of Ijaja, Arigidi Akoko said  the inability of government to fight corruption holistically has been responsible for the low record of success achieved.

He  advised the government to   fight corruption from the lowly places if the current war against the menace ravaging the country must succeed.

According to him, the fight should start from the lowly places. This is where they practise the act and graduate to monsters carting away billions of naira”.

He therefore advised government to  beam its search light on all facets of the economy, because corruption in the low strata is more pronounced than in the high places.

Emphasising that corruption has eaten  deep into the fabrics of the nation, Ashiru noted that “ everybody in the country is corrupt, from the religious circle to other areas.

“Pastors and Imams are not left out. The market women, the Police and the civil servants to mention a few, are all guilty of the offence”

“Take a look at this, two people are looking for job and you did not pick the best candidate and settled for the least qualified because of other conditions outside the laid down rules, that is corruption”.

” The policeman who takes N20 or N50 without checking particulars of vehicles is corrupt. Being in the office earning what you did not work for is another form of corruption. Proceeds from illegal business is corruption. So you could see that corruption is Nigeria personified “.

“Lateness to work is part of corruption, for you to take kick back is part of it. Looking for extra gain apart from what is generally meant for you is corruption”.

The legal practitioner was of the view that it takes discipline on the part of those in government and the governed to tackle corruption.

However, he described the Military rule of Muhammadu Buhari and late Tunde Idiagbon as the only period when corruption was brought to a low level because of the force employed   to fight the menace.

Meanwhile, Ashiru took a swipe at people in  government,   accusing them of  encouraging corruption through their  carefree and non-challant attitude to government business.