ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Monday, April 19, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
INTERVIEW: Nigeria can suspend its ECOWAS membership over ruling on Dasuki – Professor Oyebode

Corruption may ‘kill’ Nigeria soon – Oyebode

byPress Release
September 28, 2017
5 min read

A professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, University of Lagos, Akin Oyebode, has warned that “If drastic measures are not put in place urgently to contain it, corruption might ultimately result in the mortality of Nigeria as a nation-state.”

Mr. Oyebode spoke on Thursday at a roundtable organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy, NED, and held at the CITIHEIGHT Hotel, Sheraton Opebi Link Road, Ikeja Lagos.

Delivering a paper on ‘Strategies for Mobilising Mass Action to Demand Anti-Corruption Reforms and an End to Impunity for Grand Corruption in Nigeria,’ he insisted that “mass action by the citizens is urgently needed to put pressure on authorities to end impunity for grand corruption in the country.”

According to him, “The people must be enlisted in the war against corruption. Nigerians should start anti-corruption clubs in schools, radio jingles should be put in place to fight corruption, carry placards, go outside, organise sit-ins like SERAP is doing presently, Nigerians should be mobilised against corruption and now take their destiny in their hands. The fight should not be left alone to organizations like SERAP and when the state want to attack organisations like SERAP, the masses should fight for them.”

Mr. Oyebode also said that, “The recent attempt by the National Assembly with the NGO bill to control, monitor and eventually sequester CSOs all because of the excuse that some CSOs are corrupt should not be allowed. Cutting off the head is not the cure for headache, the bill is an overkill. If they cage organisations like SERAP, who will fight for the masses. The government do not want anybody to act as impediment to their thievery activities.”

“Corruption is now thriving more than ever before, despite the ongoing fight against it. However, international law has really helped with a plethora of laws against corruption, it now behoves on citizens to take advantage of this laws to fight against corruption,” Mr. Oyebode also said.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who was represented by his Senior Assistant, Abiodun Aikomo, said, “The disconnect between our prosperity and where we are is corruption. We have to be patriotic, only Nigerians can do something about corruption. To file paper in court, you have to shake body. Corruption as unfortunately attained legitimacy in Nigeria, we are all encouraging corruption that is killing us. Imagine a million citizens fighting against corruption, we have a government committed to the fight. Let us all fight it and shun greed.”

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, in his contribution said that, “We must stop our lawyers from terrorising our courts and judges. We must get our judges to take charge of their courts.”

According to Mr. Falana, “Religious leaders should stop confusing our people. Our churches and traditional rulers should stop praying for thieves. This is how low we have sunk. What are we as individuals doing to stop these politicians, let’s start with Lagos, let’s start asking our legislators how much they are being paid for doing what? Let our church stop conferring honours on criminals. Also our universities should be encouraged to join in the fight.”

RelatedNews

PDP demands Pantami’s sack over past statements on Al-Qaeda, Taliban

12 confirmed dead in Benue tanker explosion

NDLEA intercepts 834.5kg illicit drugs en-route U.S. in Lagos

How telecom mast is causing distress to Badagry family

All participants at the event committed themselves to promoting an end to impunity for grand corruption in the country by among others ensuring the effective prosecution and jailing of high-ranking corrupt officials and securing recovering of stolen public assets.

Mr. Oyebode’s paper reads in part: “It is not enough to have fanciful anti-corruption laws. More important is the need to get the generality of the popular masses wedded to the crusade in order to make it a success. The reticence and lethargy of our people generally would need to be confronted. Without the cooperation and collaboration of generality of the people, the anti-corruption bodies might end up little more than paper tigers.”

“The legality or validity of the anti-corruption war is not in doubt. However, the practical implementation of the relevant laws is fraught with considerable difficulty, not least, the extent to which the generality of the populace is at one with the government. Jurisprudentially speaking, validity is a question of imputation while efficacy is more a matter of fact or causation.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

Accordingly, it is imperative to consider the role of the people in relation to the struggle to contain corrupt practices.”

“It is on record that Nigeria has a set of anti-corruption laws reflecting the will and intention of the government to battle the virus to the hilt. However, the efficacy of anti-corruption legislation coupled with judicial pronouncements and conviction and sentencing of corrupt elements would require the complement of mass action and commitment arising from general awareness and resolve to collaborate with on-going efforts. Inevitably, government action in this regard must be undertaken for the anti-corruption struggle to bear fruit.”

“It is hardly an exaggeration that corruption has levelled, perhaps, the most virulent attack on Nigeria’s bodypolitik. Despite all the hue and cry over the debilitating consequences of corruption on the country’s socio-political fabric, it is sad but true that the virus has continued to fester in leaps and bounds. The sad situation today is that despite its pernicious nature, corruption seems to have found a comfortable nest in the lives and consciousness of many of our people, thereby giving the false and erroneous impression that Nigerians have generally accepted it as a fact of life.”

“To the extent that Nigerians take the saying that there is no free lunch literally, the culture of the customary gift or dash, jara, egunje, etc. has been internalised among the population so much so that there is little surprise if and when a Nigerian evinces corrupt practice in the form of bribe-taking, over-invoicing and kindred under-the-table dealings. There are even popular sayings approving of all manner of unjust enrichment at the point of duty.”

“In a country where a president could once declare that stealing was not corruption, the most important Commandment would seem to be the Eleventh: Thou shall not be caught or found out!”

“In Nigeria, there is a plethora of laws against corruption and related manifestations of the “ugly and unacceptable faces of capitalism.” Aside from the Criminal and Penal Codes, the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 laid the ground rule for combating the odious crime.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“The establishment of the ICPC, EFCC and Code of Conduct Tribunal as well as promulgation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act and designation of special courts to handle cases of corruption in addition to the establishment of a scheme for whistle-blowers and witnesses protection are clearly pointers to the resolve of the Nigerian government to aggressively confront the ogre of corruption.”

“Perception is an important factor in the efficacy of law generally. Therefore, a lot of work still needs to be done concerning the extent of popular understanding of requisite anti-corruption legislation and appreciation of the commitment of the government to its anti-corruption programme and policy. This necessitates broad mass enlightenment on the various laws with a view to eliciting the understanding, support and collaboration of the masses of the people.”

“The people must be made aware of the nexus between corruption by the political leadership and their niggardly circumstances. Once they realise that misappropriation of the nation’s resources by leaders at various levels leads to their impoverishment, their approval and support for all measures adopted to contain graft and unjust enrichment within the polity become pretty well assured.”

“The people must be enlisted in the war against corruption by encouraging them to engage in mass action through their participation in mass rallies, street demonstrations, public debates and writes-up in the mass media against corrupt practices. More anti-corruption clubs need to be organized in the schools and higher educational institutions to collaborate in waging the anti-corruption struggle.”

“However, it would seem that no better encouragement and sensitisation against corruption exist more than the palpable resolve of the government to take decisive action against those who have been proved to violate the laws and social ethos against the odious and unwholesome practice of corruption. By effecting prompt and adequate sanction against acts of malfeasance, the anti-corruption crusade would win new and more committed converts among the population.”

“Religious bodies, churches and mosques should not be left out of the anti-corruption crusade. The leaders of religious organizations should be encouraged to be at the vanguard of the campaign against corrupt practices, more so as they exercise tremendous influence and impact among their various congregations.”

“It is my considered opinion that the effort to contain corrupt practices should no longer be seen as just that of the government. Of equal if not, in fact, more important role is that of society which need to be on the same page if the anti-corruption war is to succeed. Admittedly, no country has been able to wipe out corruption in its entirety but there examples of countries where the vermin has been curtailed to its barest minimum.”

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (6)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

JUST IN: Fayose ignores PDP, formally declares presidential ambition

Next Post

Residents express mixed feelings over EFCC’s new office in Akwa Ibom

Press Release

Press Release

More News

Egypt on map

11 passengers killed in Egypt’s train derailment – Ministry

April 19, 2021
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. [PHOTO CREDIT: @Kwankwaso.org]

Kwankwaso, Babangida Aliyu not suspended – PDP

April 18, 2021
NCAA Director-General, Musa Nuhu [PHOTO CREDIT: @NigerianCAA]

NCAA tasks airline operators on safety procedures

April 18, 2021
Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), OFR [PHOTO CREDIT: @ndlea_nigeria]

NDLEA intercepts 834.5kg illicit drugs en-route U.S. in Lagos

April 18, 2021
Arik Airline

Arik Air resumes direct flights from Lagos to Kano

April 18, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari [PHOTO: Presidency]

Buhari condoles with Adamawa community over insurgents attack

April 18, 2021
Next Post
EFCC operative used to illustrate the story

Residents express mixed feelings over EFCC’s new office in Akwa Ibom

Police confirm kidnap of four foreigners off Nigeria’s coast

Pirates strike again, hijack passenger boat in Bayelsa

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Access Bank Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,654,140 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
    • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.