Solidarity Message delivered at the Nigerian Labour Congress, Civil Society Rally on the intensification of the war against corruption, National Assembly, Abuja, 8th May 2008
Dr Jibrin Ibrahim
Director
Centre for Democracy and Development
‘’Corruption has become a hydra-headed monster ravaging not only the public sector but also spreading its poisonous tentacles to the private sector. Every form of corruption, be it public or private, retards the growth of our economy’’.
Justice Emmanue Ayoola,
Chairman, ICPC
Daily Champion, March 27, 2008
Introduction
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) is a civil society organisation that is committed to good governance, human rights promotion and development in the West Africa sub-region. The Centre is here to participate in the rally organized by the Nigerian Labour Congress and civil society because we believe the time has come to turn the tide on mounting corruption by public office holders.
For eight years, President Obasanjo pretended to be steadfast in the struggle against corruption. Today, thanks to the patriotic investigations and revelations by the National Assembly, we discover that General Obasanjo presided over one of the most corrupt regimes in Nigeria ’s history. If the monumental corruption of the Obasanjo regime is not sanctioned severely and immediately, the current regime will have no fear in continuing with such practices. Indeed, since the inauguration of the government of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on 29 May 2007, the administration has consistently proclaimed the respect for the rule of law and due process as its anchor point. However, actions of the government have left more to be desired as its body language seems to portray the very opposite of what it proclaims. Specifically, we note that the tempo of the prosecution of corrupt public officers from the previous regime has slowed down over the past one year.
General Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) fooled us into believing that corruption was the major clog in the wheel of Nigeria ’s development and that his “saintly” government had an anti-dote that would cure the social menace. His government accordingly put in place different anti-corruption initiatives. Critical among these are the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (NEITI), the Public Procurement Act, and the Fiscal Responsibility Act. He rounded up his anti-corruption initiatives with the establishment of the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR).
The irony of the above initiatives is unravelled by the recent investigation by the House of Representative in the power sector. The investigations have revealed that the Obasanjo’s government wasted public resources to the tune of 16 billion United States Dollars in the power sector with nothing to show for it. Paramount among the revealing information that has emerged is that former President Obasanjo waived due process for most of the contract awards and gave away vast amounts of Nigeria ’s hard earned resources to his friends, family and political allies. In the same manner, he directed the erstwhile Minister of the Federal Capital Territory , Mallam Nasir El Rufai, to withdraw land allocations in Abuja from rightful allottees and re-allocate same once again to himself, his family and his political allies. Investigations in the oil sector has not even started but if present trends continue, the fact that he tenaciously held on the petroleum portfolio for eight years and personally took all major decisions means that it cannot but be a major centre for massive theft by Obasanjo and co. Clearly, General Obasanjo’s anti-corruption war from 1999-2007 was a deception. He returned to power in 1999 as a poor man whose business had gone bankrupt and he left office as one of the richest Nigerians. Civil society must become more vigilant in monitoring political leaders to checkmate corruption.
As far back as May 2000, the Obasanjo Government organised a major international conference on corruption and organised crime. The Conference recommended as follows:
Government should re-screen its current political and public office holders/appointees to rid itself of persons perceived as discredited or to be of questionable character, in order to enhance the credibility of its anti-corruption crusade.
That did not happen and the retention of numerous personalities reputed to be highly corrupt clearly eroded the credibility of the executive’s resolve to fight against corruption. In January 2003, the report of the Auditor-General of the Federation to the National Assembly alleging widespread financial irregularities, over-invoicing, scam and colossal waste of public resources revealed in the 2001 Federation Accounts was presented. Rather than see the report as an opportunity to put into effect the often-asserted determination of the Executive to combat corruption and deal with corrupt officials, it was interpreted as an affront on the Government. The then Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Chiroma dismissed the report as "mere audit queries" that should not have been taken to the National Assembly before responses from the officials concerned and corrections were made. The former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana angrily declared that the report was “a ploy calculated to embarrass Government” (Daily Trust, February 6th 2003). These indicators should have alerted civil society and indeed all patriotic Nigerians to the fact that Obasanjo and his gang were involved in business as usual as far as corruption was concerned.
The attitude of the Executive was to block the National Assembly from playing its oversight function before reports have been doctored or suppressed. By giving the impression that the main concern of the Executive was to cover-up allegations of corruption, the current decline of state competence and erosion of democracy developed. It is therefore not surprising that the performance of a lot of normal state functions, which collapsed under the military, have still not been revived due to excessive corruption. Many basic facilities such as water and electricity supply, health and education services are not working efficiently, mainly because of the excessive corruption of state officials who regularly steal much of the financial allocations to their ministries and parastatals. The PDP machine that appointed the ministers of the Obasanjo era is the same one that appointed the current office holders. If the previous looters get away with their loot, the present political office holders will feel comforted in the belief that they can continue to steal with impunity. We must reverse the tide.
The Centre for Democracy and Development:
1. Urges the Federal Government to immediately take steps aimed at accelerating the fight against corruption in Nigeria by undertaking actions that give executive effect to existing anti-graft laws that will strengthen judicial and legislative institutional mechanisms. The prosecution of General Olusegun and the gang of thieves that created crimes against the people by stealing their resources should receive priority attention;
2. Calls on the National Assembly to continue with vigour and determination its investigations into the massive acts of corruption by the Obasanjo regime through public hearings and to undertake a holistic and comprehensive review of the enabling laws of the various anti-graft agencies as regards appointment, deployment etc, with a view to strengthening them and removing ambiguities that impede their efficacy;
3. Calls on the Federal government to immediately sack the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice Mr. Michael Aondoakaa as he has consistently shown his determined bid to frustrate the activities of the EFCC and have thus lost the confidence of Nigerians to act in that capacity;
4. Calls on the Federal government to convince Nigerians and the international community about its commitment to the fight against corruption and the promotion of the respect for the rule of law and due process;
5. Calls on President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to clearly articulate in an unambiguous manner, his vision and plan to sustain the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria . In so doing, he must publicly dissociate himself from his predecessor by denouncing his culture of corruption and assuring Nigerians that he will not rule and ruin Nigeria the way Obasanjo did;
6. Calls on the National Assembly to immediately begin the process of domesticating the United Nations Convention against Corruption in fulfilment of her international obligations;
7. Regrets the cavalier manner in which the House of Representatives threw out the Freedom of Information Bill and calls on them, as well as the Senate, to show commitment to this important edifice in the struggle against corruption.
Conclusion
Finally, comrades and friends, corruption is a battle that we must fight with the last drop of our blood if we are to overcome poverty in Nigeria . It is on this note that we in the CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY & DEVELOPMENT call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to immediately take action and prosecute all culprits on the corruption revelations that have come out from the National Assembly and various investigating panels.
|
