August 21, 2016
The body language of President Buhari is critical to how the war on corruption is fought and not the constitution. Owing to Buhari's posture on corruption, the EFCC and ICPC have been transformed from lame dogs into institutions pursuing with vigour most rent-seeking activities within the country. As a result, Nigeria recorded significant achievements since the inception of this regime. Despite the impressive gains there is a gradual change taking place. This change is largely the outcome of actions and inactions of government. Indeed, not all actions of government portray the image of one fighting a relentless war on corruption. The body language and utterance of government functionaries convey the impression of Buhari's war on corruption having a predetermined outcome.
Three major cases are acid test of how the war is prosecuted: the Saraki's property declaration saga, Saraki/Ekweremadu forgery allegation and Dogara/Jibrin 'budget padding' gridlock. The way and manner these cases have been handled means the anti-corruption war only exist in the warped delusion of those singing siren songs of 'change'. Equally, it is an affirmation that the era of impunity has not really gone rather mutated to a more devastating form. President Buhari's permissiveness of looting is obvious in the NASS 'budget padding' imbroglio which gives credence to the assertion of selective treatment for different categories of corrupt Nigerians.
Internal irregularities emanating from the contradictory positions of government translate to applying different rules for different politicians. Such inconsistencies can be interpreted as using different binoculars to look into the murky waters of our corrupt political class. And where there is a skewed ethical lens, it is an opportunity for some to gain in the despoliation of resources. This, unarguably, is a clear case of policy failure. Policy failure arises when incentives encouraging harmful practices are inadvertently or advertently permitted to the extent that some sacred cows are shielded from the long arms of the law. Controversies surrounding most of these issues have left irreparable imprint on the consciousness of Nigerians. Where inconsistencies exist in redressing corruption, some vital questions are asked: is it a case of corruption (tail) wagging this administration (dog)? or the administration wagging corruption? or the administration is running with the hare and hunting with the hounds?
Answering these questions depend on side of the contending forces one finds himself. But one thing is certain: government cannot sell the cow and expect to drink the milk. You cannot in one breath run with corrupt politicians and under the same breath hunt with anti-corruption crusaders. Unquestionably, a door must be either shut or open. Sadly, our ruling class have the liberty of opening and shutting their doors at the same time. By speaking from two sides of the mouth their doors are shut and opened at the same time. It is only in Nigeria that we see politicians running in day time with the hare and in the night are transformed to hunters who hunt with the hounds. Because of the level of greed in society we are witnessing a situation where the hound is over to the hare for the position of the top dog of those plundering our resources. The top dogs of capital are competing amongst themselves for the ethical soul of corruption. The President's initial indifference did not help rather has escalated the crisis. At best, he should have maintained dignified silence in doing so allow the courts to do the job for him. As an unbiased umpire you cannot allow acts of impropriety in the national assembly overturn gains achieved in other sectors. The stern reproach pouring down on Buhari today is largely a fallout of his mark of approval stamped on 'budget padding'. Given this, the fight against corruption is weighed down by internal irregularities within the ruling party.
Change is imminent but not all change can bring about the much desired transformation of society. Least of all, a hydra-headed change. Nigeria is undergoing a gradual change within our 'change' mantra as there is a major shift in our ethical outlook. And when there is a convoluted twist in our system the court is the most effective instrument in winding up most political gridlocks. Indeed, the courts and lawyers are very skilful in reading the body language of politicians. Armed with this understanding, they are doing their normal business of grinding these cases to their inevitable end.
Faced with severe uncertainties, Nigeria is going back to an era bedevilled with the inability to sustain reforms or enforce social discipline; where the legal system and its paraphernalia are moribund or at worst ineffective; where formal rules are applied copiously and in a lax manner rather than vigorously and consistently. We are going back to the era where private advantage can be gained and private bargains struck concerning the enforcement or non enforcement of the rules. Since the courts have been weakened by pressures from the ruling class, political representation is our only mechanism for ensuring accountability. Pressures from the populace is an informal avenue for stamping out all impediments to democratic accountability. But hamstrung by elites preference, the vital bridge between corruption and democratic accountability may never be crossed.
While the victory flag of forces undermining Nigeria's war on corruption cannot be raised neither should those of surrender be tendered by the populace. For now, the struggle to find a way out of our current quagmire would be waged in a variety of forms. The new war on corruption will be far more stringent because the civil societies have become more involved; the independent media have grown more diverse; communication technologies get more cheaper and wide spread; and the citizens using the social media have taken an ever more jaundiced view of any attempt at political deception and manipulation.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });