I TIVO BBC news everyday, and they periodically mention some worldwide corruption issue in the "news ticker" tape at the bottom of the screen. Today it was Nigeria.
Back in 2005, the UK's Tony Blair issued a futuristic plan for Africa, and the massive report mentioned corruption issues over 100 times (I did a word count search on the original report). Nigeria is the source for the infamous Nigerian email and mail scams where a Nigerian sends a letter saying he has $5-million or more and needs to move it via an outsider's account to London. He promises a percentage if the reader provides an account and some seed money. Poof - the seed money is gone and the sucker is poorer.
But Nigeria is also known for just plain corruption where officials siphon off much of the foreign aid they are given.
Below are some articles on Nigerian corruption - notice they have finally set up an anti-corruption commission like Iraq's CPI, but have run into various barriers.
Of course, the issue is, why does the UN, US, UK etc provide foreign aid to such a country when they don't control corruption. In the similar case of Iraq, the government still won't prosecute many of the pending corruption cases, and they still have a law that prosecution of an employee from a Ministry (like the Oil or Defense Ministry) cannot proceed without permission from the Minister in charge of that Ministry. Both situations (and others) prevent strong enforcement of anti-corruption laws, so why does the US continue to give foreign Aid?
The first article describes Nigerian corruption and suggests the anti-corruption chief is only prosecuting enemies of the current President. That is one thing that we haven't seen (to my knowledge) in Iraq. The current Iraqi anti-corruption chief is known for his integrity and objectiveness. If anything, all sides seem to complain about his enforcement.
And, in the second article published today, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz states the same issue about why give foreign aid to a corrupt country, but then gives credit to the same new Nigerian anti-corruption chief mentioned in article 1 for enhancing enforcement of anti-corruption regulations. See the third article from 2005 which wails at the problems they had in 2005.
vj
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published 9/13/2006
The politics of Nigerian corruption
By Alex Last
BBC News, Lagos |
Nigeria is ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Daily, low-level corruption is visible on the street; policeman extorting money from motorists to supplement their meagre wages.
But it is in the world of politics and government, where corruption has been most damaging.
For decades the government has accrued huge oil revenues, yet the country suffers from a lack of basic infrastructure, and tens of millions live in poverty.
At the same time, some politicians and their business associates have amassed personal fortunes.
Although accusations of graft have long been a feature of Nigerian politics, as elections approach early next year, the politics of corruption have taken on a new powerful role.
EFCC
For the past four years, the fight against corruption in Nigeria has been embodied in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and its Chairman Nuhu Ribadu - a 46-year-old senior police officer.
The agency has had some successes, and Mr Ribadu has been praised both at home and abroad.
The EFCC says in the past two years it has recovered more than $5bn and has successfully prosecuted 82 people.
It has taken on internet crime and fraudsters. It has gone after a former chief of police, a government minister and an impeached state governor.
But despite highly publicised raids and investigations, when it comes to prosecutions, it is usually the lower level officials, businessmen and fraudsters who end up being convicted.
In part that is because some political offices, such as state governors and the president, carry immunity from prosecution.
But as election campaigns get under way, President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that he will use all legal means to stop "criminals and crooks" from taking the reigns of power in Nigeria.
In a recent interview, Mr Ribadu pledged to stop corrupt politicians running for office.
"Things are improving marginally now. But if you bring somebody who is a thief, they will feast on this money and take Nigeria to what it was before."
Raid
But the anti-corruption agency is persistently accused of only going after opponents of President Obasanjo, a charge Mr Ribadu denies.
As elections approach, new EFCC investigations and the accusations of political bias, are coming thick and fast.
Perhaps in response, the agency recently raided the offices of the new Nigerian corporation, Transcorp, which has close links to the president.
But one raid is unlikely to satisfy the critics.
Targets
Privately, supporters of Mr Ribadu say he is going after those he is allowed to, while building up dossiers on others who, for now, are "protected".
The latest and most serious contender to be scrutinised is Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who fell out publicly with the president when he opposed the campaign to allow Mr Obasanjo to run for a third term in office.
The vice-president is one of the leading candidates for the top job in next year's elections, but in a recent report by the EFCC, he is accused of fraud involving more than $100m in public funds.
An accusation he flatly denies.
He says he is the victim of a political conspiracy.
Panel
President Obasanjo used the report to form an Administrative Panel of Inquiry, consisting of a number of government ministers to indict the vice-president.
Crucially, under the constitution anyone indicted by an Administrative Panel is barred from running for high office.
If this tactic is pursued, the legitimacy of the president's panel looks set to be the subject of a fierce legal battle.
Some of the vice-president's supporters have said they will present evidence of corruption by the president, if he persists with the campaign against Mr Abubakar.
More generally, a lot will depend on the government-appointed electoral commission, which has the responsibility of screening candidates and deciding if they are technically allowed to stand.
If they decide to bar any of the big candidates from the race, either at the state or national level, there is the risk it would provoke violence.
This would be particularly dangerous in a country, which after decades of military rule, is struggling to keep ethnic and religious divisions in check.
Clean-up
Talking to people on the street in Lagos, many are supportive, and wryly amused by the idea that the top politicians would disqualify themselves by accusing each other of corruption.
People are desperate to see Nigerian politics cleaned up and very few politicians are considered to be clean.
Ultimately that is the real dilemma.
In a country where corruption is seen as endemic, an anti-corruption campaign used selectively as a political weapon is likely to provoke a bitter fight amongst the political elite.
And that in turn, could impact on Nigeria's pre-election stability.
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Published on AllAfrica news 10/20/2005
World Bank Says Corruption Threatens Poverty Battle, Commends EFCC
Vanguard (Lagos)
NEWS
October 20, 2006
Posted to the web October 20, 2006
World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz, said, on Tuesday, that corruption was threatening to undermine global efforts to fight the scourge of poverty, especially in poor African countries. But he also stressed that serious efforts were also being made by African countries to enhance transparency and accountability.
He made the comments at the 115th annual meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva.
"As legislators, you may be asked by your constituents why they should give money to Africa if it lines the pockets of corrupt leaders and fails to benefit the poor," he said.
"You may be asked why they should continue supporting Africa after some 300 billion dollar development aid went to the continent in the last 20 years with little results to show for it." But, on a more positive note, the World Bank chief noted that 33 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa had either signed or ratified the UN convention against corruption.
Some are "leading the way to a better governed Africa with stronger assurances than ever that development dollars will be used to improve the lives of the poorest".
Wolfowitz, a former senior official in the U.S. administration of President George Bush, pointed out that African leadership is increasingly aware of its responsibility and is pushing for reforms in their own countries.
He singled out Nigeria's Nuhu Ribabu, Executive Chairman of the EFCC, saying: "Ribadu is leading the bold efforts of the Nigerian government to confront corruption. "The work of his agency has already led to the recovery of some $5b dollars in stolen assets from corrupt officials and individuals. And two of his staff have been murdered, probably because of the work they were doing."
He told delegates that Ribadu said recently: "We know what corruption has cost us. It has denied us the value of our resources, both human and natural. It breeds injustice. It causes killings, the diseases that ravage us almost everywhere. This is not what we want, and this is not what we are going to allow to continue."
Wolfowitz added that there were many compelling reasons to support courageous leaders like Ribadu, the fore-most being that: "ultimately change cannot be imposed from outside.
"There must be local ownership; change has to be driven by the leaders and citizens of Africa who want to take control of their destiny and build a better future for their children." The World Bank official also commended the efforts of Education Minister, Obi Ezekwesili, to improve accountability.
"For those of you who argue that millions of development dollars have been squandered by corrupt leaders, I am here to tell you that that is changing, and it is changing dramatically for the better," he said.
"And for those of you who say that improving governance is a luxury that poor countries cannot afford, I am here to tell you that they cannot afford not to improve governance."
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Published 4/14/2005
Nigeria leader in corruption dare
Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged anyone with details of corruption against him or his family to publish them. He issued the challenge as part of his crackdown on corruption, which saw the former education minister and six other lawmakers charged with fraud this week.
Mr Obasanjo said that foreign experts had been hired to unearth allegations against him but they had found nothing.
Nigeria is seen as one of the world's most corrupt countries.
'Scott-free'
Mr Obasanjo argues that Nigeria will never benefit from debt relief until it shakes off its reputation for corruption.
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I am told that members of the National Assembly said that if they passed the bill the way it was, they would all be behind bars
President Obasanjo |
But his recent crackdown, which has also seen the former police chief charged, has led to allegations being made against Mr Obasanjo and his family.
MP Bashir Idris Na Dabo was not impressed with Mr Obasanjo's challenge and demanded an audit into the petroleum ministry, headed by Mr Obasanjo for the past six years.
"We are going to take him up on this - we are not going to allow him to go scott-free," he said.
Mr Obasanjo said that his relatives could not expect to receive preferential treatment if they were found to be corrupt.
"My family knows where I stand on this issue. They all have a code of conduct. If they don't follow it, they will be treated like everyone else."
'Lobbying'
Mr Obasanjo again said that corruption was widespread among Nigeria's MPs, recalling the trouble he had getting a bill approved to set up an anti-corruption agency.
"I am told that members of the National Assembly said that if they passed the bill the way it was, they would all be behind bars."
On Tuesday, former Education Minister Fabian Osuji, denied charges that that he had paid bribes to lawmakers totalling 55m naira ($416,000, £220,000) to get an inflated budget passed.
Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, and five other legislature members also denied the charges.
Despite pleading not guilty, Mr Osuji has told a senate committee that he arranged for education ministry funds to be paid to lawmakers in charge of reviewing his budget but said it was "lobbying" and not wrong.
Housing Minister Alice Mobolaji Osomo was also sacked this month after more than 200 properties were allocated to top officials rather than going on public sale.
Is this the beginning of the end of corruption in Nigeria? Or is it just the tip of the iceberg? Is corruption a major problem in your country?
Use the form to send us your comments.
A selection will be broadcast on the BBC's Focus on Africa programme on Saturday, 16 April, starting at 1705 GMT.
If President Obasanjo would go the whole hog of subjecting himself and his entire family to public scrutiny, then it is just a matter of time for corruption to take a flight out of Nigeria and a dawn of a new era which those of us in our late thirties and early forties never thought we can withness.
Olu Daramola, Nigeria Who does he think he is fooling? Is Election Rigging not corruption?
Emeka Vince Walker, Johannesburg, South Africa
The current campaign against corruption in Nigeria is a welcome development and the president deserves praise for daring the monster called corruption. The campaign is the good beginning to cleaning the augean stable that has rattled our psyche as a people. Whatever any one may say, the campaign is good and will lead to further revelations of how certain people have corruptly enriched themselves to the detriment of the citizenry and the nation. Kudos to the President for his courage.
Wole Akinyeye, Ibadan, Nigeria How I pray the recent events in bringing to book the corrupt culture in Nigeria society will go all the way through to the last man standing in Nigeria. Corruption is very endemic in Nigeria's society; you have to bribe your way to breath in the air. Obasanjo should not disappoint this time. It's high time we took this monster (corruption) by the horns, for the sake of future generations.
Remi Koleowo, Gillingham. UK
Obasanjo is just persecuting scapegoats - People who fall out of favour with him. In nigeria, everybody, including the most naive man on the street knows the major corrupt officers, what they do and where they live.
nonso chukwunonye, golders green, london
Nigeria has not really started fighting corruption because in my view, it still a little drop of water in the Ocean. The West could help fight corruption if they don't want more influx of Nigerians escaping poverty.
Maxwell, Zurich/Switzerland
If the President is sincere,he should start in his office.For us to believe him let him declare his asset publically.
Baba Alkali, Maiduguri and Nigeria
Corruption has become a way of life for many Nigerians, and most people cannot see the boundary lines anymore. People expect to be tipped to do their jobs, and in some cases will not even do their jobs unless they get these tips. It runs from the top right down to the very bottom. Good on Obasanjo for being brave enough to confront this.
Jacqui, Lagos Nigeria
Definitely it is not going to be the end of corruption in Nigeria but it is a very good begining. At least let that fear be in them. Almost all the rich men in the country today were former leaders or government functionaries, and their apparatus are very much on ground. The only option is to encourage and support Mr Obasanjo in his war against corruption. He should know that the battle will not be easy. He should also employ more women to sensetive positions, because the Nigerian men have failed us.
chuka okafor, lagos, nigeria
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