“Wherever there is power, greed, and money, there is Corruption” – Ken Poirot
From all indications, democracy as being practised in Nigeria today is in the care of an undertaker who already has arrived with his coffin. The indicator light is showing because every rule that should strengthen the tenets of democracy in Nigeria has taken flight due to persistent and flagrant abuse. It does not require the deeper knowledge of a clairvoyant to know this fact that where and how Nigeria is headed with its democracy is to a dyke. Nobody will be surprised when it hits the rock and explodes because everyone is watching as the danger alarm is blowing and all the red lights have been activated signaling the harm ahead.
The reason the appropriate reaction is not coming despite the obvious picture is that not even the blazing horn of a train awakes a dog destined to die.
My interrogation this week, therefore, is to try and correctly point out who or what to blame when it happens. I want to let it out early enough about what to blame so that we do not make the wrong diagnosis and end up treating the wrong sickness and prolonging the ailment. Oftentimes, in this country, we leave the disease that caused the infirmity and treat the symptoms.
If this democracy collapses and we go after human beings without addressing the infection that brought the sickness, our woes will keep multiplying.
If Nigeria’s democracy crumbles as every coding light is showing, let nobody blame President Bola Ahmad Tinubu or Nyesom Wike, who is intoxicated by the power of grab and run. Let nobody even look at the Police and Judiciary whose actions and inactions have been utterly embarrassing. Not even the morally damaged, soulless INEC chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmoud, whose failure brought us to this high-risk destination, or even the loquacious Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who is dancing the samba on the grave of the dead, or the mouthy Adams Oshiohmole, who does not mind a salivating party in a graveside.
If democracy dies in this country, we should not blame state governors who turned themselves into mini-gods to determine the life and death of other politicians. Not even politicians who sold their conscience to the highest bidder, and made themselves slaves to money should be held accountable.
The thing to blame if democracy is scrunching up is the singular variables that unite all these characters. The blame should go to the common denominator, the demons that drive them, and the principality that has held Nigeria’s political system down.
The very thing that can keep human rights activists quiet when it arrives. That makes media houses abandon their primary roles of holding leaders accountable. That makes lawyers great liars and forces them to look away from various malfeasance, including human rights abuses. It is the thing that makes society rotten and smelly as it takes away the deodorant of good governance. In it, human lives are devalued in the process of trying to quench its appetite. It is what blows the ego of leaders to act with impunity as it removes Godly thoughts in their minds.
It kills opposition in a political system as those in power are not different from those outside as the number waiting to steal from the public equals the number already stealing if not more. The so-called rightists who are complaining do so because of where they are now, as they easily join the bandwagon the moment they crossover to the other side.
This cankerworm, Nigeria’s biggest problem is successfully and significantly creating a gulf between the country and God. This inspiring force, a cacodemon, the mother of all vices killing Nigeria society, is called CORRUPTION; it’s a compound word for all crimes; it’s in it that every other venality flows- theft, impunity, arrogance, pride, robbery, misappropriation, embezzlement, and looting, etc.
Any country where it’s at the centre stage hardly achieves anything meaningful.
It’s the reason why the nation’s military has not defeated a ragtag terrorist group called Boko Haram for 15 years because military operatives are engrossed in it. Corruption is the rich fertilizer that is helping to grow banditry and other forms of violent crimes because those who should check it are entangled in it. Even the anti-corruption operatives are among the rich in society, with the source of income traceable to the proceeds of illicit wealth they got from criminals they were hired to fight. It’s also corruption that makes a correctional center a bribe-collecting centre where convicts bribe their way to serve in apartments instead of prison.
In Nigeria today, corruption is indeed a pervasive and destructive issue that affects many fabrics of our nationhood. Its definition is broad; it is severally seen as the abuse of power or position for personal gain, often involving bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, or other forms of unethical behavior.
Its effect is far-reaching as it even discourages foreign investment, hinders economic growth, and increases poverty. Corruption undermines trust in institutions, perpetuates inequality, and denies basic services to marginalized communities. It erodes democratic values, fuels public discontent, and can lead to social unrest.
It’s also an enablement for all sorts of crimes. Corruption comes in various shapes and sizes, high level and large scale, low level, and everyday occurrence, involves both political and business operatives, and it encircles the judiciary and security systems.
Corruption is thriving in our country and society because there is no political will, and it has permeated the system in such a way that cultural norms are tolerating it. It is compounded by the complexity of the financial system that gives room for fraud.
Corruption is indeed a cankerworm that undermines the fabric of societies.
To tackle this caterpillar of a problem requires sustained efforts from governments, civil society, and individuals, and unfortunately, they are all entangled in it. The truth remains that the current political system in the country under the camouflage of democracy cannot tackle corruption in Nigeria as it has grossly weakened democracy as a system of government that derives from the people and delivers good governance to the same people.
Combating corruption, which is essential going forward as a democratic nation, must involve strengthening institutions and the rule of law, increasing transparency and accountability, enforcing anti-corruption policies and laws, and promoting civic engagement and education.
To battle corruption precipitously in this country, the system must intentionally create and support critical factors of anti-corruption, like whistleblowers and investigative journalists, and encourage and implement international cooperation and sanctions concerning corruption. Where electoral offenders are in government houses instead of prisons, corruption is bound to endure.
Corruption cannot be active and allow democracy to work effectively, hence the fulsome display of several warning signs of a failing democracy, which are too much power in one person or group, which applies to President Tinubu and his all-powerful ruling APC.
Perhaps the most visible sign of a collapsing democracy is rigged or stolen elections which is already a culture in our electoral system. Democracy begins to extinguish when opposition is restricted, harassed, and crisis-ridden. When media operatives are restricted, and the three arms of government are denied their checks and balances roles by the executive that flagrantly corrupts them. Evidently, in Nigeria today, one arm of government has effectively compromised the others, making the legislature and the judiciary disingenuously in cahoots with the executive arm to undermine democracy.
Even socially, all indicator signs are there of a failing democracy. In every part of the country you go, there are growing deep divisions along ethnic, religious, and geopolitical lines; there is apparent restiveness, violence, or civil disorder. And there are substantial economic and social disparities resulting from poor governance delivery. There is also widespread corruption and nepotism in the system driven by crony capitalism.
Perspicaciously, Nigeria’s democracy has nothing to flaunt after existing for an unbroken quarter of a century with a stagnant economy marred by high inflation and unprecedented unemployment of active members of the society. Inequality of opportunities and annoying lack of access to education, healthcare, and social mobility by a significant segment of the population.
When democracy collapsed In Nigeria in the past, the situation was not this ugly. Our situation today is not in any way different from notable failed democracies globally. Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro; Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; Hungary under Viktor Orbán; Poland under Law and Justice Party and North Korea under the Kim regime and lately in our neighbourhood Burkina Faso, Mali, and the Niger Republic.
The message for us here is that we should look very steeply into ourselves and ensure that the real cause of our problem is tackled to avoid the deep effect of corruption which Sana Shaikh likens to mosquitoes, “Corruption is like a mosquito, it sucks the blood of the common man” In Nigeria it has sucked the blood of our democracy enough to attract an undertaker who has arrived with a coffin.
God help us.
