THE mind bugling corruption oozing out of public office is reducing the prestige of such positions. Corruption has created few wealthy Nigerians while majority live in misery — paying the price of greed and avarice of those who see public positions as avenue for personal enrichment at the expense of public good and development.
The situation is getting worse as the till is getting depleted due to corrupt conducts by public officers. The Fifth Schedule Part 1 of 1999 Constitution contains a gamut of provisions serving as Code of Conducts to public officials. They are observed more in breach than compliance except on very few occasions such as the sentencing of Tafa Balogun, former Inspector-General of Police, when a case of corruption could be said to have been conclusively pursued.
We can do better to help our society, promote institutions and instill discipline in the minds of holders of public positions. The situation on ground is not cheering. Tepid attention is given the monster called corruption except in official sloganeering.
The Senate Committee on Narcotics, Drugs and Finance Crimes gave fillip to this view by restating in its recommendation to the Senate the constitutional 10-year ban on corrupt public official rather than propose new and additional measures that could abate spread of corruption gene in Nigeria’s public life.
The restatement diminishes the inspiring role a Senate albeit the National Assembly should be playing in the important crusade of reducing corruption in our polity. The current attitude could not discourage public looting which the United Nation says stands at 500 billion dollars as at 1999.
The task of elimination or reduction of corruption should involve diligent monitoring of our institutions and the making of amendment where necessary. The Code of Conduct Bureau created in Third Schedule Part 1 of 1999 Constitution is the custodian of assets declaration documents made by public officers. Its operation has been hampered by the environment in the effective discharge of its duties especially as specified in Section (3)(C) that empowers it to “retain custody of such declarations and make them available for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria on such terms and conditions as the National Assembly might prescribe”.
The reality is that declarations made by public officials to Code of Conduct Bureau even on request are not easily accessible to Nigerians. We expect the National Assembly to look critically into why this is so and make recommendations that would make lives of public officers more transparent and open for justifiable people’s scrutiny.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal has the power to impose punishment of a ban not exceeding ten years on any public official convicted of corruption as stated in section 18(2)(b).It has not really been availed of opportunity to do so. The tribunal is also to act on “ such other punishment as may be prescribed by the National Assembly.”
The Senate should attune to reality by making propositions that would bring about laws that could reduce or eliminate graft in the nation. The battle can be won through creative and realistic efforts and not repetitions of already known laws that have not been really put to test.
