501 56
Warming up for the 50th independence anniversary, Nigerians have been urged to embrace government’s effort in her anti-graft war as the only way to get the country out of the present corruption mess.
AS Nigeria prepares to celebrate its, the citizenry has been charged to turn a new leaf by shunning corrupt practices and embracing righteousness to lift the country out of its current quagmire.
The called was made by the immediate past chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd), during a paper presentation entitled: “Effect of corruption on Nigeria: The Islamic remedy”, which he delivered at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State (North-central Nigeria).
The paper which was presented at a lecture organized by Sociology and Anthropology Moslem Students’ Society of UNILORIN, also regretted that in spite of all legislations and efforts to fight corruption in the country, “not so much has been achieved”.
Akanbi traced the problem of corruption in the country to several years back but regretted that the development has impacted negatively on the socio-political development of the nation.
Admitting that the nation has enough legal framework and instruments on ground to fight corruption, he stressed that what was lacking was a strong political will “vital for the success of anti-graft programme”.
He added: “In spite of the several efforts made by the governments over the years to put in place effective legal framework through the establishment of the ICPC, EFCC, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the institutionalisation of best practices and due process in the award of procurement contract, we are still not out of the woods.
“Grand corruption is still part of us. So also petty or street corruption- the type that stares us in the face daily as we travel on the public highways from one location to the other”.
The former ICPC chief posited that “the sad irony of it all is that in the mad rush to acquire wealth or money by hook or crook, we lost our sense of value, direction and reason. We placed premium not on what is good, decent and edifying, not on what makes a people great or a nation economically strong, viable and stable, but on those ephemeral or fleeting acquisitive culture founded on greed, avarice, corruption and selfishness”.
However, he expressed delight that the hitherto “untouchable big men” were recently being made to face the wrath of the law and treated as common criminals that they really are.
Akanbi, who noted that it took Hong Kong about 17 years to get rid of its image as a corrupt country, said: “Given the political will, the commitment and the determination to be part of the struggle to do away with corruption, to jettison corrupt practices and to restore to the fatherland the pristine glories of the past, Nigeria can also rise to the level of the Asian Tigers of Singapore, Malaysia and Japan who have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that if America or Britain can do it, they too can make it”.
The guest lecturer, who stressed that Islam abhors evil, argued that graft was evil and that “every Muslim has a duty to fight corruption to a halt”.
His words: “The religion of Islam does not condone evil deeds and so all Muslims must be seen to be in the vanguard of the struggle to wipe out corruption and all evil deeds in our society”.
For an effective change from high level corruption to low level corruption in the society, Akanbi recommended that the political authority in the fight against corruption “must have and demonstrate a strong political will and provide adequate funds to push through all anti-corruption programmes, which will help create a clean and transparent society”.
Warming up for the 50th independence anniversary, Nigerians have been urged to embrace government’s effort in her anti-graft war as the only way to get the country out of the present corruption mess.
AS Nigeria prepares to celebrate its, the citizenry has been charged to turn a new leaf by shunning corrupt practices and embracing righteousness to lift the country out of its current quagmire.
The called was made by the immediate past chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd), during a paper presentation entitled: “Effect of corruption on Nigeria: The Islamic remedy”, which he delivered at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State (North-central Nigeria).
The paper which was presented at a lecture organized by Sociology and Anthropology Moslem Students’ Society of UNILORIN, also regretted that in spite of all legislations and efforts to fight corruption in the country, “not so much has been achieved”.
Akanbi traced the problem of corruption in the country to several years back but regretted that the development has impacted negatively on the socio-political development of the nation.
Admitting that the nation has enough legal framework and instruments on ground to fight corruption, he stressed that what was lacking was a strong political will “vital for the success of anti-graft programme”.
He added: “In spite of the several efforts made by the governments over the years to put in place effective legal framework through the establishment of the ICPC, EFCC, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the institutionalisation of best practices and due process in the award of procurement contract, we are still not out of the woods.
“Grand corruption is still part of us. So also petty or street corruption- the type that stares us in the face daily as we travel on the public highways from one location to the other”.
The former ICPC chief posited that “the sad irony of it all is that in the mad rush to acquire wealth or money by hook or crook, we lost our sense of value, direction and reason. We placed premium not on what is good, decent and edifying, not on what makes a people great or a nation economically strong, viable and stable, but on those ephemeral or fleeting acquisitive culture founded on greed, avarice, corruption and selfishness”.
However, he expressed delight that the hitherto “untouchable big men” were recently being made to face the wrath of the law and treated as common criminals that they really are.
Akanbi, who noted that it took Hong Kong about 17 years to get rid of its image as a corrupt country, said: “Given the political will, the commitment and the determination to be part of the struggle to do away with corruption, to jettison corrupt practices and to restore to the fatherland the pristine glories of the past, Nigeria can also rise to the level of the Asian Tigers of Singapore, Malaysia and Japan who have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that if America or Britain can do it, they too can make it”.
The guest lecturer, who stressed that Islam abhors evil, argued that graft was evil and that “every Muslim has a duty to fight corruption to a halt”.
His words: “The religion of Islam does not condone evil deeds and so all Muslims must be seen to be in the vanguard of the struggle to wipe out corruption and all evil deeds in our society”.
For an effective change from high level corruption to low level corruption in the society, Akanbi recommended that the political authority in the fight against corruption “must have and demonstrate a strong political will and provide adequate funds to push through all anti-corruption programmes, which will help create a clean and transparent society”.
