Let corruption crimes be made capital punishment in Nigeria

By Abba Dukawa

The problem of corruption in Nigeria is as old as the country itself and it cut across tribes, and classes of people. Undoubtedly, corruption is one of the greatest challenges of our existence which make the country unable to be among BRICS that make the five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

In fact, as most Nigerians believe, just as much as President Muhammadu Buhari, that Nigeria must kill corruption before corruption kills Nigeria. With recent transparency International (TI) the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) rating Nigeria’s second consecutive year of a downward spiral, it is disgusted Transparency International (TI); the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), having dropped from 26 in 2019 to 25 in the 2020 assessment, and further to 24. (TI) acknowledged ’that corruption levels are at a worldwide standstill’ and that ‘31 countries have made no significant progress against corruption in the last decade.

Corruption will continue to thrive in the country when accountability is ignored, because of the damaging effects of corruption on the country’s economy, the administration was doing everything possible to curb the malaise. PMB said at the 49th annual conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). represented by the SGF.

The standstill in fighting corruption in the country has emerged due to impunity with the failure of successive government to frontally tackle the scourge of corruption in Nigeria and has continued to fuel the negative perception of Nigeria as an endemically corrupt country and this perception is what is revealed in the CPI ranking of Nigeria.

For the hindsight, President Buhari had been pontificating with his desire to fight corruption. In spite his zealous commitments, still the war remain ineffective because corruption have the backing of everyone in the country, as the society do not see anything wrong with corruption honouring transparency and accountability is no longer fashionable, and corrupt people don’t feel bad about their actions, because everybody else is doing it. Those who choose not to do it are considered cowards and becoming a laughing stock in the society. Traditional institutions also cease to stop honouring corrupt people with undeserved traditional titles.

For anti-corruption efforts to be effective and gives results, it needs a preventive reform. To achieve fair fight against corruption, there is a need for the administration to focus on building a strong anti graft agencies that cannot be manipulated by personalities. Installing a culture of accountability, in the way the agencies runs its activities, this will enable them to perform optimally. Therefore lack of transparency in critical financial and other information central to economic development, in particular revenues and budgets with strong institutions, that can block leakages.

On this part, anti graft agencies and government should treat all corrupt people equally without favouritism or discrimination without making anti graft agency a witchhunting tool to deal with the perceived political opponents. Citizens expect governments at all levels to honour honest people by having decent life after living public service with at least a befitting accommodation. Because those in civil or public offices are struggling with thinking of life after office. This will instill accountability in the minds of all where the notion of using one chance of stealing public funds will be defeated.

Since the efforts remain uphill battle, something new has to be tried and the existence laws have to be changed to protect the country along the way. Sometimes you have to try new and different and creative ways to solve problems. There is a need for the commission to collaborate with the Office of the Attorney General, and Chief Justice of the Federation and the National Assembly towards the establishment of a Special Anti-corruption Tribunal to facilitate speedy determination of hundreds of corruption cases before the nation’s normal courts. With this, the Special Anti-corruption Tribunal will fast track the prosecutions of corrupt cases.

These will end delay in treating high profile cases of corruption which dampens the morale of anti-graft agencies, facilitate speedy determination of hundreds of corruption cases before the nation’s normal courts.

The National Assembly should speed up deliberations and passage to strengthen Anti-corruption efforts in the interest of Nigerians in making corruption a capital punishment. If capital punishment has been able to bring down corruption in China, it can have the same effect in Nigeria. If we hope to see the end of corruption in Nigeria, we have to deter those who are easily swayed into corrupt practices and the best deterrence is death sentence.

Underlying the various forms of corruption a grand, political, and administrative, which include civil and public resource transfers to private entities, allocation of public resources to political allies, and misuse of public funds—are three important factors.

Nigerians have been disappointed to the greater level with the development shape of our country where every sectors is decaying due to the lack of political will of leaders and proactiveness of citizenry role. Nothing will change unless the leaders and the led have country at heart. It is disgusted the war waged by the administration against corruption. It’s fighting back and the efforts against it remains herculean task as the desired goals are not achieved.

Dukawa can be reach at abbahydukawa@gmail.com