By Innocent Anaba

Dr. Longinus Okereke is a lawyer. He just defended his Doctoral thesis at the Babcock University, Ogun State.

In this interview, he shares his views on the challenges of pursuing post-graduate courses in Nigeria and the reason corruption has persisted in the country, despite efforts to check it.

Excerpts:

How do you think we can reduce the incidents of corruption in the country to the barest minimum?

We must start by strengthening the institutions. Nigeria suffers from weak institutions which is traceable to the way the leaders are appointed. When institutions are not independent, it makes their leaders subservient to their appointer. Secondly, the endemic nature of corruption in Nigeria is also traceable to the way and manner electoral processes are conducted. The huge costs of contesting elections right from the point of buying nomination forms, to lobbying and party primaries, all the way to actual election requires arms and legs to achieve. And of course, the primary focus of any winner will be to recoup election expenses.

Therefore, to be able to reduce the incidents of corruption to the barest minimum, we must first of all enforce our laws on election spending which has cap. The political parties must be made not to sell nomination forms beyond a certain limit for all categories. Again, to guarantee transparency and avoid any form of bias in the process, INEC Chairman should be jointly nominated by registered political parties; while the state chapter of the parties should nominate its INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners. Further to this, registered political parties should act as ombudsman to INEC.

Which aspects of corruption and corrupt practices would you advise our anti-corruption agencies to focus on for more efficient results?

Quite frankly, I would say institutional corruption. The institutions are the conduit pipe through which corruption is perpetuated. One of the reasons corruption has remained endemic is because the institutions have been compromised. Remember that the institutions are nothing without the human elements driving their activities. So, it is the humans that make the institutions deviate. To this end, if we can successfully tackle the institutions by curtailing the activities of their drivers, then we will be on the right track to addressing the issue of corruption.

On a final note, what would you say to our readers on this issue of corruption?

The fact is that the issue of corruption evokes sentiments and emotions. Religious and ethnic considerations further complicate objective interpretation. It is not only politicized but also it is now owned by certain groups, which makes the pursuit of justice quite challenging.

How?

Political recruitment processes I earlier talked about, and weak institutions should be married with legal inhibitions to understand why corruption continues to defy solution. All these are a function of elite capture, a situation where elites organise electoral processes and appropriate

institutions of government to maintain power does not inspire confidence in the entire system. Notwithstanding, while these challenges have been with us, the efforts of President Bola Tinubu remain promising.

Looking back at the challenges of accomplishing a Ph.D programme, how do you feel now that you have successfully defended your Doctoral thesis?

I will tell you clearly that one of the greatest enemies of man in life is fear itself.

Another one is procrastination. These two enemies of man combine forces that make it possible for them to enjoy a perfect relationship which end result is the destruction of a vision.

Having overcome these twin enemies and looking back at the challenges, I can beat my chest to say that all the efforts and sacrifices were worth it and, indeed quite exciting. It is in all ramifications, an achievement I would have regretted for the rest of my life if I failed to conquer the two twin enemies I mentioned earlier.

What was your greatest challenge in the process and how did you overcome that?

Frankly, there were several challenges over a five-year period that are definitely difficult for me to arrange in a pecking order. However, suffice it to mention that combining family commitments, work commitments and academic pursuit can be quite challenging.

What do you mean by this?

Meeting official commitments during the day and studying at night completely alters the body chemistry and works against natural order of things especially when it comes to resting the body by sleeping at night. Secondly, having to travel all the way from Lagos to Babcock University in Ogun State to meet up with classes that were to commence at 8am required leaving the  house as early as 5.30am and that was not a one-off experience, it was indeed a regular experience throughout the five-year period of the programme.  Again, the incursion of Covid-19 in 2020 which completely altered our lifestyle,  especially physical interactions and relationships with people, was a highpoint in my academic journey. In any case, life is all about adjustments.

As I stated earlier, having conquered my fears about starting the program and overcame procrastination, I then saw it as a challenge. I had to adjust my lifestyle based on the circumstances of the day. With determination, focus and a clear goal in mind, I was able to surmount the challenges.