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A Review of Waziri's Anti-corruption Revolution

By Halims Ododu

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is a trail blazer who has already earned her place in history as the first woman to head a major law enforcement agency in Nigeria. But the super cop whose surprise nomination for the sensitive EFCC job ruffled a few feathers appear determined to be remembered for a more enduring legacy than that offered by her gender. Within the few months that she has been at the driver's seat of the anti graft campaign, she has spoken so much of what needed to be done to give the fight against corruption and financial crimes a new focus and meaning.
From the on set, she promised that she would step on toes; then added that she would rein in on banks and cut the excesses of fat cats in the sector who are circumventing regulations with impunity and abetting money laundering. She also said she would keep a tab on the nation's army of contractors and thousands of contracts that are daily being awarded in the three tiers of government; and lately, that she would police all of the nation's 774 local councils in addition to the 36 state governments and over a dozen federal ministries that are already under the commission's watch.
This by any stretch of the imagination is a very ambitious agenda. Considering its size and resources, one wonders whether Waziri is not saddling EFCC with far more responsibilities than it can cope with in the short term. A one problem- at a- time approach seems more attractive for the simple reason that it could insulate the agency from the possible dilemma of over promising. But that would also amount to shying away from facing challenges that should not be deferred. In any case, Waziri does not strike me as a woman that would shy away from taking on challenges head on.
She comes across as a woman who is burdened by the rot she sees everywhere, and worried stiff by the threat that grand corruption poses to the collective health of our country. She obviously believes that something drastic and urgent needed to be done to rescue Nigeria from the stranglehold of corruption. As she has correctly diagnosed, corruption remains the greatest problem militating against the country's progress. And for the nation to survive and achieves is potentials corruption and economic crimes must be fought to a standstill.
To achieve this, the new EFCC boss believes that a new strategy that de-emphasizes law enforcement was key. This would seem simplistic to those who think that grand corruption has become a mighty monster that will take a laser guided missile to shoot down. But given her antecedents, there is no doubting the efficacy and precision of the new strategy which is heavy on moral suasion. What we hear is that a programme whose bits and pieces are already in the public domain was being carefully designed to enable Nigerians of all backgrounds take interest get involved in the fight against financial crimes and corruption. Waziri has aptly called it the anti corruption revolution. A revolution indeed! Because the way the war against corruption was fought in recent past tended to alienate the people- who stand to profit from the war- from enlisting in the fight. It was perceived as an establishment thing which was why all manner of motives were imputed into the attempt by the agency to bring some of those who were accused of stealing from the public till to justice.
Against this background, the new initiative represents a major opportunity to get things right by allowing the people to take ownership of the fight. The programme is still at a delicate embryonic stage but there is need to get it right.
This revolution is not Waziri's nor is it about Waziri. She may have been the driver but the only way success can be made out of it is for Nigerians to see her idea as a clarion call to join this important fight. We cannot afford to be on lookers any more, we cannot afford to helplessly bemoan our plight anymore without raising a finger. We cannot afford to keep ruminating over what might have been, by drawing comparison with other countries. Ghana, Uganda, and other countries that are today success stories in terms of dramatic developmental turn around in Africa were at one time or the other in corruption quagmire. But their leaders had the courage to say enough is enough and backed by the support of the people they succeeded.
Now, Waziri is throwing at us a major challenge to take our destiny and those of our unborn children in our hands. We must all in our little ways lend support to the fight against corruption. The starting point is to take that important decision not to feed or tolerate corruption by submitting to the wiles of the corrupt. Instead we should learn to become whistle blowers by reporting acts that compromise the integrity of the Nigerian system. In this regard, it is imperative that we begin to discard received notions that have no basis in fact and logic. Notions like the oft repeated Nigerian factor should have no place in our psyche. There is nothing innately crooked about the Nigerian and our system. Rather it is the negative attitude tolerated over the years that has assumed a life of its own in the shape of a Nigerian factor. Who says that the Nigerian system cannot work if we all decide to do what is right and submit to the laws of our country?
I will willingly sign on to be part of the anti corruption revolution and expect all citizens and critical groups like the media and the civil society to do likewise. The media in particular have an important role to play as vehicle for social mobilization. Unless the media buys into this lofty vision, it will be difficult getting the ordinary man on the street to embrace this revolution. But I have no doubt that the media will rise to the challenge as the Nigerian media has an enviable history of social activism. And in this fight against corruption, the media has done more than any other institution in exposing corruption. While one expects this tradition to continue it is also imperative that the media helps in sensitizing the people to the benefits that accrue from the revolution.
Just like the media, the civil society, faith- based organizations; traditional institutions as well as schools have crucial roles to play if the revolution is going to be worth its name.
The starting point in tackling corruption especially in the public sector is ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and making sure that people of questionable backgrounds are not allowed into sensitive political office. Citizens should be mindful of the danger of allowing themselves to be used as tools by corrupt political office seekers to undermine the electoral process. It is only when the integrity of the electoral process is guaranteed, that it can attract only persons with genuine intention to serve rather than job seekers who are out to feather their nest.
Our people should also be willing to ask questions when public officers suddenly become rich after spending a few months in power. Such persons should be challenged to justify their new status. When people live above their incomes, such persons should not be candidates for the award of chieftaincy tiles and national honours as is presently the case. Instead we should challenge them to show evidence of their wealth. We should be curious about the faithfulness of our leaders to their oath of office. Nigerians should also take interest in how allocations to the various levels of government are spent. Where a citizen is not satisfied with such expenditures, there are opportunities for redress through the courts. It is time we allow our nation to be governed by law by holding our leaders accountable.
I understand that Monitoring and Intelligence Units were created as a proactive strategy to get at the corrupt before they strike. That way, the nation is saved the pain of losing scarce resources and the indignity of paying through her nose to get some foreign countries to repatriate monies that were stashed in those countries by some of our kleptomaniacs. This is commendable.
Cynics might sneer at the initiative and remind us about how similar attempts, in the past, to mobiles the people to fight corruption and indiscipline failed. But I believe this is not going to be the case with the new initiative by Waziri. She is investing so much time and energy into the project that the least the country owes her is maximum support.