…as ALG engages SERAP on cost of corruption in Nigeria

By Chris Onuoha 

In continuation of its weekly leadership series,  Africa Leadership Group (ALG), in another session, hosted a guest speaker, Kolawole Oluwadare.

The audience participatory conversation tagged ” “Cost of Corruption”, was moderated by Pastor Ituah Ighodaloh,  Founder and President,  Africa leadership group and Senior Pastor, Trinity House, Church, and Pastor Sonny Ebebi.

Oluwadare who is a human rights lawyer and good governance advocate and a deputy director at the Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP)  brought his wealth of industry knowledge to the fore as he explored how corruption in Nigeria has stood firm to fight back despite efforts to stamp it out or be reduced to the barest minimum. 

According to him, the dishonest practice that has perpetuated itself deeply in the country’s system is an age-long practice that has been there even before the colonial lords brought the over six hundred ethnic tribes of the country together as one country.

Oluwadare explained that SERAP as a Human Rights and Advocacy organisation has done much in the sensitisation drive and legal fight against corrupt persons in the country, adding that the hydra-infectious phenomenon still has not shifted ground as a result of many societal factors.

Explaining further,  he said, “Our advocacy at SERAP is not confrontational. We have been engaging and holding public office holders accountable which, to an extent, is fair in our relationship with the society at large. Moreover, in all our strategic interventions, engagement, and court processes,  we have always been vindicated.

“I can tell you categorically that former President, Muhammadu Buhari’s human rights cases were not personal. The challenge is more on the perceptions of the people and the way they react to issues. In most cases, those that will come out to defend or counter corruption allegations on public officers either indicted or allegedly accused of corruption are the common Nigerians and not the public officers.”

Oluwadare disclosed that SERAP researched works on corruption-related financial misappropriation were not easily recorded in terms of cash, but added that huge money was involved in corrupt practices. 

“We also discovered that sociocultural norms are the apparent cause of corruption; that is, people taking sides with corrupt persons who are related to them. While doing that, we did public enlightenment drive alongside the research works which is available in the public domain,” he said.

Oluwadare noted that corruption as a flexible systemic practice, may not have an existence in number count, but said that data from transparency group and National Bureau of Statistics’s reports were used to determine the extent corruption hangs.

The methodology according to him is based on perception of the society.  He added that in Nigeria for example,  political leaders and election contestants would not canvas for elections without engaging in corrupt practices. 

“There is a human angle to the perpetuation of corruption in the country that include abuse of power for private gains. Without looking at statistics, the practice of taking people’s tax money to enrich oneself is corruption. From my perspective,  it is majorly the cause,” he said. 

According to him, there are other factors that are noticeable in the government ministries, public institutions and other sectors of the economy, saying that the human cost of corruption is substantive in nature. 

He noted that the practice in Nigeria’s democratic dispensation called ‘Security Vote’ is another major concern to accountability challenge. 

“This is money duly voted for government appropriations that are not majorly accounted for, in anywhere. For instance,  in 2014, about N241 billion was voted for the military as security vote with about N89 billion going to the army.

“The rhetoric has always been that it was voted to the public office for security functions. But these humongous amounts should have been channelled to health, education or other vital sector that affects the common man and the growth of our economy. Nigerians in recent times, have been buying basic infrastructures by themselves, for economic production, such as power, education and health,” he said.

In furtherance to that, Oluwadare explained, “Having reviewed these as consequences to continuous cost of corruption in the country, finding solutions at the national level will be an uphill task because the citizens have not been optimistic towards it.

“Corruption cannot be defeated totally. But emphasis on transparency and accountability would go a long way to reduce it. It is the President’s responsibility to set goals on achieving accountability. The President should also be accountable and transparent as a leader, for people to feel democracy.  He should start with a good example  of declaring his assets, publish and let it be in the public domain before resuming office and president. By doing so, he leads by example while enforcing public officers to give credible account of their stewardship. 

“He should also be proactive to persuade public officers for timely record on how they handle projects for transparency and accountability. On the flip side, what we see, is that when an officer is indicted for fund misappropriation, lawyers from the same government ministry or agency would come to defend the fellow,” Oluwadare added.

He stressed that another major bottleneck is getting information from government institutions, adding that whenever such request is made, feedback from them is never forthcoming. 

“The president should enforce political will to get officers under his administration to do things right. He also need to show commitment.

“For instance, the seat of government “Asqo Rock” is never accessible unlike the United Kindom’s “Downing Street” and the United States’ “White House” that is adequately accessible to the public. This secrecy shows how the presidency also shields corruption.”

“Looking at steps to prevent corruption in the country, we must have to, at least, change the mindset of Nigerians. If not, it would be a case of taking five steps foward, ten steps backward. Without mindset overhauling, it would be difficult to fight corruption, because there are obvious cases that people from an indicted person’s camp, religion, political or ethnic group will automatically come to his defence conscience-less.

“SERAP has been consistent in court with government over corruption. We also understand the place of dialogue and conversations,” he added. 

Meanwhile, in addition to the cost of corruption in the  country, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, remarked that many instances of corrupt practices and its effect on the economy and the society at large. 

With a story of a young man who became drug addict from failed attempts to better his life the right way, to another fellow who could not endure the harsh treatment by public officers in obtaining easy documentation to establish a business, and also to a diaspora Nigerian who could not cope with  unfriendly environment met in ease of doing  business in the country, he queried the place of SERAP as social activists and welfarists group on this.

Oluwadare in his response said that SERAP has effortlessly challenged most of those hitches in public office holders but laments that citizens, on the other hand, would stomp the process with insensitive interference. 

“We have continued to engage and dialogue with government while collaborating with government agencies to educate and sensitise the citizenry on corruption. In the case of the young man that became an addict, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs failed, because they are not ordinarily living up to their responsibilities. It is the same Ministry that was severely accused of not defending the Covid-19 palliative under their care.

“Corruption in the country did not start with Lord Luggard, the Military and the Police. It has been there even before the colonial leadership incursion. However, SERAP stimulates and galvanises to take action for the masses. We will continue to educate the people to know their rights. The defense of corrupt people by some citizens is something that needs to be addressed urgently. Secondly, government and its agencies preventing people from speaking out is another major concern that should addressed to stamp out corruption in the country.