By Donu Kogbara
TRANSPARENCY International (TI) is a civil society organisation that spearheads the fight against the dubious practices that jeopardise the welfare of the poor all over the world and prevent so many countries from fulfilling their potential.

TI is famed for compiling an annual global Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which is based on extensive surveys (the respondents are entrepreneurs and analysts who know each environment well) and measures public opinion about corruption within various domestic public sectors (ie, on a governmental level).

TI’s definition of corruption is “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain”. And when its latest CPI was released in Germany earlier on this week, it was revealed that Nigeria came 134th out of the 178 countries that were assessed.

Last year, we came 130th. In 2008, we came 121st. This year, we scored a paltry 2.4 points out of a possible l0 points (a score of zero denotes stratospheric  levels of corruption, while a score of l0 would confer “highly clean” status).

To put these figures into context: Ghana, which appears at number 62 on the TI list, got 4.1 out of l0 points, while no less than seven other nations in the West African sub-region (Burkina Faso, Liberia, Gambia, Senegal, Benin Republic, Mali and Niger) have achieved superior placements.

Meanwhile, Botswana (with 5.8 points) came first in the whole of Africa while we made it to number 28 (out of the 47 African countries that were surveyed).

In other words, Nigeria, in addition to plunging deeper and deeper into the mire that is corruption with each passing year, is also one of the more dishonest countries, not just on the African continent but on the face of the earth.

And, by the way, since we were outranked by neighbours (Beninois, for example) who have similar customs but are poorer than we are, there can’t be much truth in the oft-stated claim that corruption is linked to culture and low wages.

The only consolation I can derive from this embarrassing CPI report is the fact that we did considerably better than over 40 countries, including Somalia (which came last in Africa and the entire world and earned itself a particularly pitiful 1.1 points…as against the 9.3 points that were allocated to the three countries – Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore – that jointly shared the top slot).

Too many Nigerians – whether they be ordinary citizens or VIPs – have a nonchalant attitude towards corruption, despite being avid churchgoers and mosque regulars. Theft is widespread and is not just tolerated but admired, because ours is a society in which success is more important than integrity.

The thing that amazes me most is that so many public servants don’t even bother to hide the fact that their real incomes exceed their salaries. Judges who don’t earn much on paper openly send numerous children to expensive foreign schools.

Female ministers suddenly acquire enough diamonds to open jewellery shops. Guys who could barely afford to rent one flat before they became Governors leave office as proud owners of massive property portfolios.

Nine times out of ten, these shameless flaunters of ill-gotten gains are hailed not jailed. And I urge anyone who doubts my view that we should quit putting up with their antics to please check out the TI website. For those of you who cannot easily access the internet, I am reproducing the following excerpt:

“The cost of corruption is four-fold: political, economic, social, and environmental. On the political front, corruption constitutes a major obstacle to democracy and the rule of law. In a democratic system, offices and institutions lose their legitimacy when they are misused for private advantage. Though this is harmful in the established democracies, it is even more so in newly emerging ones. Accountable political leadership cannot develop in a corrupt climate.

“Economically, corruption leads to the depletion of national wealth. It is often responsible for the funnelling of scarce public resources to uneconomic high-profile projects, such as dams, power plants, pipelines and refineries, at the expense of less spectacular but fundamental infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals and roads, or the supply of power and water to rural areas.

Furthermore, it hinders the development of fair market structures and distorts competition, thereby deterring investment.

“The effect of corruption on the social fabric of society is the most damaging of all. It undermines peoples’ trust in the political system, in its institutions and its leadership. Frustration and general apathy among a disillusioned public result in a weak civil society. That in turn clears the way for despots as well as democratically elected yet unscrupulous leaders to turn national assets into personal wealth.

“Demanding and paying bribes become the norm. Those unwilling to comply often emigrate, leaving the country drained of its most able and most honest citizens.

“Environmental degradation is yet another consequence of corrupt systems. The lack of, or non-enforcement of, environmental regulations and legislation has historically allowed the North [the Western World] to export its polluting industry to the South [developing nations].

At the same time, careless exploitation of natural resources, from timber and minerals to elephants, by both domestic and international agents has led to ravaged natural environments.

“Environmentally devastating projects are given preference in funding, because they are easy targets for siphoning off public money into private pockets”.

Last week, I said I’d respond to a reader’s criticisms of Dame Patience Jonathan today. But I got sidetracked by the CPI story, so those of you who are interested in First Lady issues should please bear with me till next week.