Sometime last year in an edition of this magazine, I
wrote a piece on “Waste as a twin sister (or brother) of Corruption.” The two
main cancers that are eating up Nigeria as a country. There, I stressed that
the effect of waste could be terrible on any individual, people, and nation.
The end, if unabated could be tragic. I enumerated some areas of waste in the
nation that need to be eliminated and of particular note is the enormous cost
of running government in our country. It is too colossal to be sustained and it
is turning out to be a huge waste. When there are more efficient ways of doing
things and one refuses to adjust, then one is bound later regret. Our Presidential
System of Government is just too costly for what it can achieve for this
country. It appears Nigeria has the highest number of Political Appointees in
the entire world.
When you
look at the Presidency, you will see the retinue of Political Office holders;
the Ministers, the Special Advisers, Special Assistants, Personal Assistants to
their Wives and their Assistants etc., all hanging on the government. The same
is also true at the State and Local Government Levels. The Federal and State
Legislatures also practice the same thing. In fact, the Presidential Committee set
up by the President on Local government review, proposed a parliamentary system
of government for the Local Government Administration in Nigeria. When good
research is done, we shall discover that Nigeria is spending nothing less than
50% of its resources on governance alone.
When I began to look into the reasons for this, I
discovered that many of our Politicians and Elite prefer the Presidential
System of Government because it allows for the opportunity to distribute patronage
to as many people as possible, so as to also benefit from the nation’s ‘juice’
when whereas, they are doing practically nothing. This is not only a waste, but
corruption. I want to emphasize that, whatever I write in this column,
I am writing not only as a man of God but also from a Christian perspective. We
don’t need to deceive ourselves, we must change to a better system of
government that suits Nigeria and Parliamentary System may be better for us.
Corruption is very deep and has a very wide scope of application. It is as old as the human institution itself and can be found
among all groups of people in society. It could be found among Christians,
even in the Church, in political groups etc. It could be found among the rich
as well as the poor. It could be found in the public and private sectors also.
We have just finished the celebration of Easter, the death of our Lord Jesus
Christ on the cross of Calvary and His resurrection from death for the
salvation of mankind. (Anybody who believes that Jesus died for him/her and
receives Him into his/her life will be saved). At the first Easter morning,
when Jesus resurrected, it baffled the Jewish Religious Leaders and they
connived with the Roman authority to concoct a story that Jesus was stolen away
by His “timid” and “powerless” disciples, while the soldiers on guard were
sleeping on duty! They released money to bribe the soldiers and instructed them
to spread the story around the entire Jerusalem and beyond. This was a clear
case of corruption in the religious and political circles (Matt 28:1-15).
We see a lot
of corruption going on today in Nigeria, particularly in the government, public
and private sectors and even in religious circles.
What
is Corruption?
From the Biblical and the dictionary definitions,
corruption is a perversion, dishonesty, immorality, wickedness and decay.
Corruption involves all those vices that pervert justice and truth; circumvent
and manipulate the systems to one’s advantage or favor; and perhaps to others
(due to certain personal interests) using one’s position, privileges, authority
and power to the disadvantages of others.
Corruption
could be in several fronts. It could be moral corruption when there is the
perversion of the use of sex. This may include, prostitution, homosexuality,
adultery, fornication, and keeping of concubines etc.
It could
be economic
corruption when you manipulate the economy to your advantage to the detriment
of others. This may include over-invoicing, inflation of contracts, bribery to
induce undue favor; hoarding to create artificial scarcity and place higher
price, profiteering, smuggling etc.
It could be
financial
and monetary corruption, when a person illegally or craftily diverts
public or other people’s money for personal use. This may include evasion of
duties, dues and taxes, fraud, defrauding, stealing, swindling, use of unjust
balance, lack of accountability, forgery etc.
It could be
system
corruption, when you manipulate the system to your advantage. It could
be the manipulating of the tendering system to get contract for yourself or
friend; wrong report or assessment of situation for personal gain. Generally,
when you beat a laid down system or rule for doing things for favor, you are
guilty of system corruption.
It could
also be Educational Corruption, such as plagiarism, exam malpractice,
cheating and piracy.
It could be Political
Corruption, such as all that is it involved in the manipulation of
election, its result and the distribution of patronage.
It could be
Religious
Corruption, such as preaching and establishing churches and religious
house for money and business. Perverting scriptures and gospel messages for
financial gains.
What
are causes of Corruption?
1.
Corrupt Human Nature
Since sin came into the world, human nature has been
corrupted (Gen 3). Therefore, any natural man is prone to corruption except he
has his nature changed. In fact, one of the sins for which God destroyed the
first world was corruption (Gen 6:11&12). Even then, men continued to be
even more corrupt thereafter. That is why God sent His only son Jesus to the
world to die for the world. He died and rose again so that He can regenerate or
change our nature of sin. Those who believe in him are the only ones who can be
free totally from corruption (2 Cor 5:17, Gal 2:20). So for Nigeria to be free
from corruption, there is need for a change of heart which only God can bring
about. We need therefore a true divine solution to corruption in Nigeria.
2. Poverty
Poverty can cause corruption when things are too
difficult for people and they find it very difficult to make ends meet, then
they resort to corruption. This is one of the major causes of corruption in
Nigeria today. There is general poverty in the land. Businesses are not
booming, the wages people earn are too small, compared with needs. Many more
able-bodied and experienced people are taken out of the employment markets. The
cost of commodities is high (inflation). The government is claiming that they
are carrying out reforms in the best interest of the nation, even dangling good
figures to Nigerians. But all these seem not to be in conformity with the
reality on ground. This reform may have a very good and bright future but
definitely not now. For example, I cannot still come to terms with why Nigeria
an oil-producing nation, with oil boom in the international market cannot enjoy
at home, the dividend of that boom. This is the first time this is happening in
Nigeria.
3. Greed and Covetousness
Another cause of corruption in Nigeria is greed.
Nigerians are too greedy, and cannot be satisfied. This is also another part of
human nature whereby people are always looking for how to accumulate wealth for
personal and selfish reasons. The more they accumulate, the less they are
satisfied. It has become a curse, some of these accumulations are for ego and,
most of the resources end up being wasted. We must change and know that we
brought nothing into this world and we shall take nothing out. In fact, we can
die now and all these things we have accumulated to the detriment of others
will be useless (I Tim. 6:6-7).
4. Societal Values
Another thing that is promoting corruption in
Nigeria is societal values. Nigerians tend to hail and honour rich people
without knowing the source of their wealth. Even when they know that the source
of their wealth is corrupt, they encourage it as long as they benefit and the
secret of the man involved is covered! Sometimes, they even abuse you if you
don’t get involved in the corruption. Nigerians must begin to honour men of
great values. The Government, Traditional Institutions and Religious
Leaders should take the lead in this regard. Many people who have taken titles
in our nation, villages and religious houses belong to this category. We must
stop this and we must begin to identify them and strip them of these ill-gotten
honors.
5. Many Corrupt People are Escaping with their Loot.
The Bible says “Because God’s sentences
are not executed upon the evil of men speedily, the children of men have set
their hearts to do evil (Ecc. 8:11). Many corrupt Public and Private Officers in
Nigeria have escaped with their corruption and loots. Many are still escaping,
some are even assuming greater responsibility and prominence. This definitely
is encouraging many more in Public and Private services to be corrupt. Many are
even aspiring to be at the top so that they can have more opportunity to grab!
It is unfortunate to know that many of our Public Officers and Politicians fall
into this category. All hands must be on deck to reverse this trend. Even if
they escape man’s judgment, however, they cannot escape God’s judgment.
Corruption is so bad that it destroys the economy of
the nation, dehumanizes her people and makes them poor; like we are witnessing
in Nigeria today. It can destroy many systems such that the nation can slide
into dissatisfaction, social-discontent, disorder, confusion, and anarchy. It
breeds injustice and strife and promotes other (evil) vices in society.
Besides, it can bring God’s anger and judgment upon a nation because it is a
negation of the law and order of God. Furthermore, those who want to do
legitimate business and follow the right way will be shut out. They will not be
able to survive. Hence, the investment will be adversely affected.
Conclusion
It is in light of the above that the issue of
corruption needs to be addressed squarely by all Nigerians. This war is too big
for the government alone to fight, but it must spearhead it. It is also the reason
that the recent war declared by the President against corruption is worthy of
note. However, the majority of Nigerians believe that it is selective and not
total. The government must prove to the people that this notion is not true.
The war against corruption in Nigeria today requires a more drastic approach.
It must be fought from the top. The president should start by restituting the
past, followed by a true public declaration of his assets. This will then be
followed down the ladder. Then, corruption in Nigeria will be reduced to an
insignificant level, if not totally eradicated.
First published in Vol. 4 No. 2 June 2005
Pastor
Wole Ogunmola Passed on to glory in 2019, but his works are still evergreen.
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