Abuja (Sundiata Post) — Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, challenged all arms of government to put an end to the blame game in the fight against corruption, noting that the most important thing is for the menace to be tackled.
This is even as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen blamed shoddy investigations by anti-graft agencies for delayed justice on corruption cases at the courts.
In the same vein, the United Kingdom under the Department for International Development (DfID) has announced a £20 million to support Nigeria’s Anti-Corruption efforts.
It said the £20 million Programme will kick off later in 2017 – to support Nigeria’s Anti-Corruption efforts.
Osinbajo in his remarks at the opening of a two-day national dialogue on corruption organised by the Presidential Advisory Committee (PACAC), in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, said since everyone is on the same page as regard the menace of corruption, it was time to embrace the best practices.
“The truth of the matter is that there is nothing peculiar about corruption, corruption thrive where it is allowed to thrive.
“Corruption as we all seem to agree, is an existential threat to Nigeria both as a nation and as an viable economic entity.
“Clearly, there is no doubt whatsoever whether every arm of government can excuse itself, every part or arm of the society can excuse itself. But the truth of the matter is that we all know that corruption in Nigeria is systemic. It doesn’t matter whether it is the Executive arm of government, the judiciary or the legislature, every arm of government is involved in this systemic and life threatening social anomaly called corruption.
“There’s no question at all. And it affects all segments of the society. It affects the religious, it affects agencies and civil society groups. There’s no one in our nation that can say they are not, in one way or the other, not necessarily being complicit but at least under some influence or the other of some of the implications of corruption.
“So, I think we should leave the finger pointing, because the finger pointing is unhelpful. What is important is that we recognise that there is a major problem here.
“What I’d like us to do if that is possible in the course of this dialogue, is to look at models that have worked elsewhere and to see whether these models are somewhat applicable here .To look at best practices. The truth of the matter is that there is nothing peculiar about the Nigerian citizen, or the Nigerian type. Corruption thrives where it is allowed to thrive and there are many societies that have found themselves in worse circumstances than Nigeria and have somehow managed to solve their problems.”
Osinbajo suggested some best practices that if adopted, Nigeria will win the war against corruption.
The best practices are: “Ensure the integrity of the entire justice system, improve the general remuneration of judicial officers, investigation and prosecution of judges accused of any infraction should be done through the NJC to avoid political influence and ensure collaboration between the executive, legislature and the judiciary to put in place models that will work.
According to the Acting President, “The issue really is not about whether the legislature is corrupt or the judiciary or the Executive. The truth of the matter is that our nation cannot survive the times of corruption and the problems associated with it. It’s impossible, we can’t.
“We must recognise that it is a problem that we must resolve. And if we don’t resolve it, it will hurt us very badly indeed as a nation just as is hurting us today”.
Onnoghen in his good will message said, ‘I assure Nigerians that the Nigerian judiciary remains very much committed and in complete support of the effort at caging corruption in Nigeria.
He lamented how the Nigerian judiciary is being demonised because it is unfairly perceived as epitome of corruption whereas all other tiers and arms of government are equally complicit.
He said while he did not intend to make excuses for bad eggs, there are still many gentlemen as judicial official who should be given the benefit of doubt by reporting allegations against them to appropriate quarters for investigation and possible sanction instead of clamping down on them in brazenly illegal and unfair manner.
“I stand for the Committee and other agencies in the fight against the scourge. I will like us to realize that corruption thrives (or any other form of injustice) thrives in a culture of impunity. Wherever you have a culture of impunity, you will have corruption. Because people believe I must have this. It must be this or nothing. It must be me and me alone. So, they throw away the constitutional provisions that have been drafted to guide our daily activities, inter-governmental, inter-personal; they throw away the principles of Rule of Law.
“The judiciary holds this principles in care because that is the only way by which you can ensure an orderly society and ensure the good and maintenance of democracy and justice for us. So, if you are to fight corruption then you fight the culture of impunity which is an attitudinal phenomenon, without adhering strictly to the constitutional provision of the rule of law. If we allow the rule of law to reign, then you will agree with me there will be a dramatic reduction in corruption and injustice. That’s speaking for myself, that’s how I see it.”
The CJN took exceptions to painting the judiciary with the same brush describing it as unfair and killing the institution.
“Ask yourself; corruption, the judiciary always stands accused. In fact, it appears to be an institution that epitomises corruption. That’s not fair. That’s not correct. By the nature of that institution, the judiciary, it is crafted and designed in such a way that a judicial officer can only be seen not heard. Not that he has nothing to say even in defence of himself. So, when you are dealing with judicial corruption when one exists, you have to do it in accordance with the rule of law and then channel whatever you have through the appropriate channels so that you don’t destroy that institution because destroying it will not make any good. It will do it more harm than good.
“The institution is so painted as if we are not doing enough. Yes we can do more. But for now, you have EFCC and ICPC for instance, building all data of cases that have been successfully prosecuted in the court of law. So, if the judiciary is not doing well, you find out the report card from them. That the judiciary is working in respect of cases.
“So, whatever problems that exist in the cause of prosecuting their cases, let them bring them up, identify them and let us see how best we can improve on the system and not make it appear as if the judiciary is not doing anything. If lawyers, because it takes three people to prosecute a case like I said yesterday (Wednesday). You have the investigator who has to investigate. You have prosecutor who has to prosecute based on the result or evidence gathered from the investigation. Then you have the judge who has to weigh and balance the scale between the accused person and the government, the power-that-be to arrive at a decision. When you have a shoddily investigated case, poorly executed one and you expect the judge who is under oath, judicial oath to do justice to all manner of persons without fear of favour or to respect you in balancing the scale, to convict willy nilly, this can never be done. I can assure you of that. No judicial officer will get himself involved in that. Do you know why?” he queried.