Nigeria Remains One of the Most Corrupt Nations In The World- Transparency International

The recently released corruption perception index by global corruption watchdog shows that Nigeria remains one of the most corrupt countries of the world even when our leaders keep denying that Nigeria is corrupt.

Chukwudi OHIRI

Just as the year is about to wind down, Transparency International has released the 2013 Corruption Perception Index CPI, and according to its own preamble to the results, “Corruption continues to have a devastating impact on societies and individuals around the world, with more than two-thirds of countries surveyed scoring less than 50 out of 100 in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)”.

According to the report, most governments around the world had passed new laws promising as expression of their commitments to stamp out corruption but alas, “people are not seeing the results of these promises” as reflected in the index. According to Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International, “The Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 demonstrates that all countries still face the threat of corruption at all levels of government, from the issuing of local permits to the enforcement of laws and regulations.”

Transparency International explained that “the index, the leading global indicator of public sector corruption, scores countries on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean)” adding that “the results of the 2013 index serve as a warning that more must be done to enable people to live their lives free from the damaging effects of corruption”. More than two thirds of the 177 countries sampled in the 2013 index scored below 50.

This year, despite Nigerian government’s rhetoric about fighting corruption and its self-defense that ‘corruption is not the major problem of the country’, Nigeria was ranked 144^th out of 177 scoring a paltry 25 over 100 where score 0 represents a negative perception and 100 represents a positive corruption perception.

Interestingly, while most countries of the world are busy enacting laws that will invariably decrease corruption, Nigeria is busy tinkering with laws that will rather enhance it. A good example is the recent bill in the floor of the House of Representatives seeking to allow public officers operate foreign bank accounts—a well established avenue for money laundering and siphoning of public funds as experience has taught us over the years.

Rather than improve on its rankings, Nigeria has continued to slip down the ladder. In 2008 for example, Nigeria was ranked 121 at the peak of the anti corruption war spearheaded by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. That was the best rating Nigeria could ever get in the CPI.

A comparative analysis of Ghana, Rwanda and Nigeria in the corruption index showed that whereas Rwanda made steady progress year after year between 2008 and the current rating, Ghana maintained relative stability while Nigeria has steadily declined from 121^st position in the same 2008 to 144^th in the current year.

As already established, Rwanda moved from 102^nd position in 2008 to a laudable 49^th position in the current year, 2013 while Ghana fluctuated between 67^th position in 2008 and currently on the 63^rd position. The difference between these two countries is simply, matching words with action.

International analysts observed that quietly, there has been a revolution going on in Rwanda in the fight against corruption. The zero tolerance to corruption in Rwanda has made President Paul Kagame’s country a shining star and a reference point for many countries still enmeshed in the dungeon of corruption as the country is said to have phenomenally stamped down on corruption to the level where Rwandans can now go about their daily lives without the fear of being shortchanged by corrupt officials.

In recognition of this outstanding landmark, the African Union’s Advisory Board on Corruption and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) chose Rwanda as the venue for Africa’s Anti-Corruption Week this December. “The choice of Rwanda was deliberate,” according to Prof Said Adejumobi, head of UNECA’s Governance and Public Administration Division (GPAD). “Rwanda was chosen for its outstanding track record in the fight against corruption, not only in Africa, but globally. The lesson of Rwanda in its zero tolerance against corruption is that leadership and political will matters; independent and credible institutions are important; and citizens’ mobilisation and support is central in fighting corruption. Corruption is a powerful and insidious animal. You either fight or tame it, or it would fight you back.”

According to reports, the office of the ombudsman created in 2004 and headed by the former Chief Justice of the country, Justice Cyanzayire Aloysie played a key role in the positive leap witnessed in Rwanda through mere conscientisation of the people and public officials on corruption and its impact on both political and socio-economic life of a people. According to Justice Aloysie, “The anti-corruption campaign also focuses on the youth because they are the leaders of tomorrow”. “Thus, we train them to develop integrity in what they do. As a result, we organise anti-corruption awareness campaigns in high schools and tertiary institutions, and we are also working with the Ministry of Education to include in the school curriculum a course on integrity which incorporates Rwandan values.”

For President Kagame, his government reportedly took the fight against corruption so seriously that it has encouraged all the districts in the country to be actively involved in the struggle against corruption. An annual competition and awards have been instituted for the districts at which, based on the marks they attain for their work on anti-corruption and good governance, they are given national recognition by way of trophies and certificates. Anti corruption fight is now part and parcel of the national life of Rwandans.

Just recently in Nigeria, Mr. Abragahou Aminu, a Lagos based French teacher was allegedly beaten up mercilessly by some policemen for recording ‘unethical public show of shame’ involving two police officers in uniform and a commercial bus driver. High Chief Sandra Duru, Executive Director, Pre-Adult Affairs Organisation took it upon herself to seek justice for the battered teacher by registering her protest in some media houses and Sahara Reporters in a petition titled: ‘The Disgraceful Conduct Of Lagos PPRO Ngozi Braide – An Open Letter to IGP MD Abubakar.’  In the petition, Duru alleged: “He (Aminu) was initially detained at the Ketu Police station. When we contacted Ngozi Braide, Lagos PPRO to intervene, she insulted us, saying that she had been looking for a scape goat amongst Nigerians that do record the illegal (corrupt) activities of the Nigerian Police. Ngozi banged the call and the next we heard was that Aminu has been transferred from Ketu police station to the Lagos PPRO, then to Ikeja police Area “F” command. All these happened simply because Aminu used his mobile phone to record an incident between a commercial driver and a-team of police officers”. The matter is still pending in the court as at press time but suffice it to say that both government and the ordinary citizens of Nigeria are still paying leap service to the anti corruption campaign. In Rwanda, our reference point, ordinary citizens were overtly empowered and protected by the law to take part in the struggle to fight and expose corruption wherever it is found. This has been paying off.

While Nigeria is still battling with the implementation of assets declaration by public officials, Justice Aloysie revealed that “it is mandatory for all high-level officials, from the president down to judges and director-generals in ministries, to declare their assets before, during, and after, leaving office. “Also all civil servants in charge of the management of public funds have to declare their assets,” “We investigate the origins of their assets to make sure that what they have declared on paper matches their wealth in reality.” Beyond that, “Rwanda’s Leadership Code of Conduct prescribes that every 30 June, the relevant officials hand in their assets declaration forms to the Office of the Ombudsman. If they fail to meet the deadline, sanctions are taken against them in the form of a warning, suspension, 25% cut in salary, dismissal, public denouncement, and finally prosecution”. Finally, Justice Aloysie revealed, that “In conducting investigations, we can go to the neighbours of the officials concerned, we can consult other citizens who know the officials, we can go to the banks where the officials have accounts to check on the status of those accounts, and we also work with the Lands Office where every piece of land sold or bought in this country is registered. Regarding the ownership of cars, we can get information from the Tax Office where the details of cars are also lodged. So you can’t hide.” Because of this zero-tolerance, corruption has been reduced considerably in Rwanda. “This is evidenced by the indices published by Transparency International, the World Bank’s Government Indicator, the East African Bribery Index, and others. All of these indices show a sharp decline of corruption in Rwanda,” a proud Justice Aloysie said.

Today, Rwanda is enjoying the respect and patronage of foreign investors and as the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon remarked during the last International Anti-Corruption Day, 9 December 2012: “Corruption destroys opportunities and creates rampant inequalities. It undermines human rights and good governance, stifles economic growth, and distorts markets. The cost of corruption is measured not just in the billions of dollars of squandered or stolen government resources, but most poignantly in the absence of the hospitals, schools, clean water, roads and bridges that could have been built with that money and would have certainly changed the fortunes of families and communities. As the international community strives to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and forge an agenda for economic and social progress in the years beyond, addressing the problem of corruption becomes all the more urgent.”

Put more succinctly, unless corruption is booted out in the national life Nigerians, any rhetoric about national transformation will remain utopian and whatever gains made by the present administration will soon fizzle out like early morning dew. The truth is that the problem with Nigeria is not about the right laws or policies on the fight against corruption, but in implementation of the existing laws with courage and political will.