Corruption And National Development

Every living soul in Nigeria knows that corruption is what is killing the country.

Unmistakably, corruption ranks among the most daunting challenges confronting our national development as a nation.

Corruption is indeed one silent killer that appears to have eaten deep into every system and structure in Nigeria.

Against this backdrop, it has been the number one subject matter of much discussion.

In fact, seminars and workshops have been  held on the subject with prominent  Nigerians mounting the podium, speaking elegantly of how corruption has destroyed the fabric of the society.

That Nigeria is yet struggling to achieve the big dreams and lofty expectations articulated by the founding fathers and enthusiastically endorsed by the  citizenry is traceable to corruption  that has for decades continued to ravage our political institutions.

Indeed, corruption in Nigeria has defied all methods to curb it, and one wonders what the country can do about it.

Daily, corrupt acts are widely reported and after days of noise and lamentations, everything is swept under, the country return to its normal lives again, pending when the net corruption scandal explode.

Successive administrations try to confront the monster, but there are more questions than answers in the anti-corruption campaign.

No doubt, this futile fight against corruption in Nigeria is a most painful reality to those who genuinely love this country.

This is because, cases of corruption are treated with kid-glove  and incoming regimes are emboldened to out-steal their  predecessors, knowing fully well that after all the noise, no body would be brought to book .

However, there seem to be a change of trend in the present administration under President Goodluck Jonathan, with his renewed vow to go after governors and other corrupt officials who committed economic crimes with impunity.

Speaking through Vice President Namadi Sambo at the launch of a book Reforming The Unreformable written by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance,  Doctor Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, he noted that the present administration is taking legal measures against those who defraud  government in the petroleum subsidy scheme.

President Jonathan categorically stated that corrupt officials and fraudsters in  the country would not be spared as culprits would be made to pay back the stolen money and also ensure that they are severely punished to serve as deterrence to others.

On particular interest, is the President’s vow to go after Governors who commits economic crimes as there excesses needed to be tamed. Being key actors in the story of corruption in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that the activities of the Governors under Olusegun Obasanjo and other subsequent regimes were amazing and ear breaking if the true stories of their corruption is told.

In fact, at a time thirty-three out of thirty-six faced the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFFCC over allegation of corruption.

Nigerians are indeed waiting to see how this vow, starting from the report of the large-scale subsidy scam in which oil marketers connived with Nigerian officials to massively rip the country off would be resolved, and whether those implicated in both the subsidy fraud and the bribery scandal would be duly held to account.

Corrupt officials must be made to answer for their crimes no matter how highly placed.

President Jonathan no doubt has assured Nigerians at various fora that his administration would continue to battle corruption until it is totally expunged  out of the country, with this renewed vow rekindling the minds of Nigerians.

It is therefore high time he takes the issue of corruption seriously, as it is better to try and not succeed, than not to try at all.

That nobody  seem to take government statement on certain issues seriously, especially corruption as government is often seen as mere toothless bull dog that can only bark but cannot bite, is indeed regrettable.

Nigerians are tired of hearing pronouncements by government; hence want to see action, as action they say speaks louder than words”.

The masses are now waiting patiently to see whether the President’s vow will yield positive results this  time around or be the same story as usual.

Corrupt Governors and those who commit various economic crimes should indeed be arrested, detained, tried and convicted if found guilty.

The time to act is now.

Steve Elijah