Preamble
The title of today’s article is not a coinage of this columnist. It is rather the title of a book jointly written by 14 likeminded world class Nigerian lawyers of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) cadre and Professors of Law.
This is therefore an unconventional review. The book which contains 468 pages and 11 chapters is a compendium of well-researched articles authoritatively written by the contributing gurus.
It is about the monster called corruption, its genesis, its causes, its varieties, its devastating effect on the society and the possible solutions to it.
Preface
In the preface to the book written by its Editor, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, of Al-Ghalib Chambers, it is stated that corruption which is as old as formation of the society by man has been promoted to state craft and described as the single most debilitating cankerworm eating deeply into the fabric of the nation and destroying it almost endemically.
Mallam Ali quoted former President Olusegun Obasanjo as saying at the inauguration of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission in 2001 that:
“With corruption, there can be no sustainable development, nor political stability. By breeding and feeding on inefficiency, corruption invariably strangles the system of social organisation. In fact, corruption is literally the antithesis of development and progress.”
And quoting the Transparency International, he also writes in the same preface as follows:
“Corruption corrodes the fabric of society. It undermines people’s trust in political and economic systems, institutions and leaders. It can cost people their freedom health, money-and sometimes, their lives.”
Mallam Ali then reveals a disturbing instance of corruption perception index released in 2015 by the same Transparency International in which Nigeria was rated number 136 of 167 countries with a score of 25 per cent and concluded that the publication of such frightening reports contributed to the thought leading to the writing this book.
Foreword
The foreword to the book is written by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, GCON, who states inter alia as follows:
“This book (Anatomy of corruption), no doubt provides the appropriate reference to the conceptualisation of corruption, casting a glance to the past of this menace, identifying the present state of affairs of the cankerworm and projecting the death of the cancer should be doing in order to finally nail the coffin of corruption in Nigeria, and give it the desired burial”.
He writes further thus: “In our fight against corruption in all its ramifications, all hands must be on deck and we must collectively save our country from the jaws of the corrupt. All sectors of the society must be fully and totally committed to the anti-corruption crusade.
“The Nigerian judiciary will continue to be in the forefront of the fight against corruption by ensuring that the cases brought to the courts are determined with dispatch; to this end, there is in place a fast-track mechanism to ensure that cases of corruption are determined with little or no delay.
“There are challenges of infrastructure, resources and manpower but we are resolved, as an arm of government, to play our part and write our names in gold when the history of this struggle in Nigeria is chronicled.”
Recommendation
Observing that the contents of the book touch almost all Nigerian professions, including academia, artisanship and business concerns, Justice Mohammed says: “I recommend this book to all Nigerians (home and abroad), especially jurists, legal practitioners, academics, media practitioners, students, politicians, business people and indeed, all lovers of our dear country, Nigeria.
We must all stand to be counted in this battle to rid our nation of this destructive menace called corruption”. Genesis
Comment
No one can say, with precision, when corruption began on earth or where it emanated from. But we came to learn that as far back as the time of Egyptian civilisation, the Egyptians used special preservatives to spare their dead from complete corruption and that corruption of the upper class in the Roman Empire led to the collapse of that Empire.
We also learned from history that the famous Greek philosopher, Socrates, was put to death because the ancient Athenians believed that he was spreading corruption among their youths.
When the late vociferous lawyer and human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi, made a queer but thought-provoking statement in a public lecture at Ansar-ud-Deen College, Isolo, in 1974, he hardly envisaged today’s situation of Nigeria.
He said: “It is criminal to be law abiding in a lawless society”. By what currently obtains in the country, sheer impunity seems to have put that statement in the front burner with unintended authority. Thus, it can be concluded that corruption is the tap root of a poisonous tree with no depth measure.
Foreign Perception
Appraising the foreign perception of Nigeria in relation to corruption, one of the contributors to this book, Adebayo O. Adelodun, (SAN), succinctly captured the comment of a Singaporean journalist who covered the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Nigeria in December 2003 as follows:
“Blessed by nature but undone by man, Nigeria has been described as the Cinderella who never made it to the ball. Corruption is endemic in this West African nation. Corruption stifles economic growth. A country’ position on the corruption table is closely correlated to its poverty rating. Hence Nigeria is among the poorest countries in the world. It is the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil, yet, most of its petrol is imported…Those in official positions squeeze the people. Even when the government decides to help out, the poor don’t benefit. The money set aside doesn’t get to the people as it is hijacked along the way.”
Prescribing his own solution to the cancerous social virus called corruption, Adelodun writes:
“In fact, it is high time for Nigeria to adopt the Chinese and Saudi Arabia models for punishment of official corruption. The penalty is death sentence. This may appear drastic but we all agree that the situation in Nigeria requires drastic suggestions and measures.
“The Nigerian legislature is expected to borrow a leaf from those countries. We must reform our laws on corruption and input provisions to protect and reward whistle blowers and informants. We must insist on minimum standard on moral behaviour in public offices.”
He also has advice for Nigerian citizens as follows:
“The citizenry should be encouraged to see corruption as a stigma on their reputation. Focus should change to the fact that corruption makes us poorer as a people. The little resources (available) can go round if not for corrupt practice of greed and selfishness.
“The citizens must be ready to play the role of whistle blowers and informants for the agencies that are saddled with the responsibility of combating corruption”.
Head knock for Nigerian Judiciary
In his own contribution to the book, Adebayo Olanipekun, S. A. N., gave a painful knock to the judiciary on the head for being an aiding factor in making corruption a monster that it is in Nigeria.
He states that: “Our criminal justice system is skewed in a way that it does not deter corruption but rather has the opposite effect of encouraging it.
Situations where a poor boy who stole a hen is sentenced to two years imprisonment and a high-ranking public officer who embezzled N23 billion is given an option of paying N250, 000 fine cannot be said to deter corruption”.
He quoted a onetime Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapha, where the latter, at the SERAP’s 9th Roundtable conference in 2012 gave a keynote address as follows:
“…When the rule of law is weak, corruption will remain a nagging problem. Corruption in the Justice sector is a keystone to corruption throughout the society. Without an honest criminal justice system, the wealthy, especially the corrupt, can escape the consequences of their crimes.
Impunity reduces the perceived cost of corruption. The risk that corrupt activities will result in imprisonment and accompanying public humiliation is minimal. The gains of corruption are therefore not discounted and there is thus, little reason beyond personal integrity not to engage in corrupt acts”.
Talking about the importance of the Judiciary in the fight against corruption, he quoted Nigeria’s first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mrs. Folake Solanke, as saying: “Nigeria is sick and needs urgent treatment. The judicial system is the only method by which erring members of the society can be made accountable and be made to pay the penalty of any wrong doing. Yes, there is corruption in the land and only the court can purge the society. But alas! What about the judiciary itself”.
Role of the media
And commenting on the role of the media in fighting corruption in the society, Adenipekun says: “Nigerian Media are manned by Nigerian citizens. As watchdogs of the society, Journalists are expected to bridge the gap between the government and the society”. He quoted a London Times editorial of 1851 which articulated the role of the Media as follows:
“…The Press (being a professional whistle blower) lives by disclosures…for us with whom publicity and truth are the air and light of existence, there can be no greater disgrace than to recoil from the frank and accurate disclosure of facts as they are. We are bound to tell the truth as we find it, without fear of consequences-to lend no convenient shelter to act of injustice and oppression, but to consign them at once to the judgment of the world”.
Other contributors to the book are as follows:
Adebayo Adenipekun (SAN); Professor Bolaji Owasanoye of Nigerian Institute of Legal Studies; Hon. Justice I. T. Muhammad (Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria); K. K. Eleja & Co Chambers; Professor Mojeed Olujimi Alabi of the University of Ilorin; Prof Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), of Nasarawa State University, Nasarawa State; Prof Wahab Egbewole of the University of Ilorin; Awa U. Kalu (SAN) of the University of Lagos/Abia State University, Uturu; Justice S. D. Kawu, Chief Judge of Kwara State and Dr. Hammed A. Hannafi.
Though quotations from their writings cannot be accommodated here, all of them are nevertheless veritably quotable in their respective fields as they will be found in their respective contributions to the book.
Public Presentation
The book: ‘Anatomy of Corruption’ will be publicly presented at Ladi Kwali Hall of Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.
The Chief Guest at the occasion will be the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON
The Chairman of the occasion will be the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed, GCON.
The Guest Speaker will be Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate while Chief Presenter will be the Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, Otunba Tunde Ayeni.
The book will be reviewed by Prof Ademola Popoola of the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, and the Chief Host the President of Nigerian Bar Association, Augustine Alege, SAN.
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