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The Woes Of Corruption In Nigerian Diplomatic Governance by OgatelCYMS(m): 8:33pm On May 11, 2020
THE WOES OF CORRUPTION IN Nigerian DIPLOMATIC GOVERNANCE



By Dr. Tom Ohikere

It is an incontrovertible fact that corruption has been the bane of Nigeria’s development. Thus,

without mincing words the phenomenon has ravaged the country and destroyed most of what is held as cherished national values.

Unfortunately, the political class saddled with the responsibility of directing the affairs of the country have been the major culprit in perpetrating this act. Regrettably, the 16 years of PDP administration in the country has been the institutionalisation of corruption in all agencies of the public service, which, like a deadly virus, has subsequently spread to the private sector of the Nigerian communities.

Pathetically, the logic of the Nigerian political leadership class has been that of self-service as some of the leaders are mired in the pursuit of selfish and personal goals at the expense of broader national interest, emphasis has been on personal aggrandisement and self-glorification making corruption an euphemism for explaining political leadership in Nigeria in relation to the management of national wealth.

However, there is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land, climate, water, air, or anything else including the Nigerian institutions. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to their responsibility, to the challenge of personal example, which is the hallmark of true leadership.

Consequently, the state of Nigeria’s pitiable socio-economic development has been a direct consequence of the actions and inactions of the leadership class that has managed the affairs and wealth of the country since independence.

Over the years, we have seen the development of a vast system of institutionalised political corruption most times emanating from the very top and pervading all governmental institutions with perverse influence on the entire society.

Chief among the corrupt regime was the Goodluck Jonathan led administration from 2010 to 2015. In late 2013, Nigeria's then Central Bank governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi informed President Goodluck Jonathan that the state oil company, NNPC, had failed to remit US$20 billion in oil revenues owed to the state. Jonathan, however, dismissed the claim and instead and replaced Sanusi for his mismanagement of the central bank's budget.

A Senate committee also found Sanusi’s account to be lacking in substance. After the conclusion of the NNPC's account audit, it was announced in January 2015 that NNPC's non-remitted revenue is actually US$1.48 billion, which it needs to be refund to the government. Upon the release of both the PwC and Deloitte report by the government at the eve of its exit, it was however determined that truly close to $20 billion was indeed missing or misappropriated or spent without appropriation.

In addition to these, the government of Goodluck Jonathan had several running scandals including the BMW purchase by his Aviation Minister, to the tune of N255 million naira and security contracts to militants in the Niger Delta, massive corruption and kickbacks in the Ministry of Petroleum, the Malabu Oil International scandal, and several scandals involving the Petroleum Ministry.

In the dying days of Goodluck Jonathan's administration, the Central Bank scandal of cash tripping of mutilated notes also broke out, where it was revealed that in a four-day period, 8 billion naira was stolen directly by low-level workers in the CBN. This revelation excluded a crime that is suspected to have gone on for years and went undetected until revealed by a whistle-blower. The Central Bank claims the heist undermined its monetary policy. In 2014, UNODC began an initiative to help combat corruption in Nigeria.

New allegations of corruption have begun to emerge since the departure of President Jonathan on May 29, 2015, including: $2.2 billion illegally withdrawn from Excess Crude Oil Accounts, of which $1 billion supposedly approved by President Jonathan to fund his reelection campaign without the knowledge of the National Economic Council made up of state governors and the president and vice president.

NEITI discovered $11.6 billion was missing from Nigeria LNG Company dividend payments. 60 million barrels of oil valued at $13.7 billion was stolen under the watch of the national oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, from 2009 to 2012.

NEITI indicates losses due to crude swaps due to subsidy and domestic crude allocation from 2005 to 2012 indicated that $11.63 billion had been paid to the NNPC but that “there is no evidence of the money being remitted to the federation account”.

Diversion of 60% of $1 billion foreign loans obtained from the Chinese by the Ministry of Finance, Massive scam in weapons and defense procurements, and misuse of 3 trillion naira defense budget since 2011 under the guise of fighting Boko Haram.

Diversion of $2.2 million vaccination medicine fund, by Ministry of Health, Diversion of Ebola fight fund up to 1.9 bn naira, NIMASA fraud under investigation by EFCC, inclusive of accusation of funding PDP and buying a small piece of land for 13 billion naira.

Ministry of Finance led by Okonjo Iweala hurried payment of $2.2 million to health ministry contractor in disputed invoices, NDDC scams and multifarious scams including 2.7 billion naira worth of contracts that do not conform to the Public Procurement Act and the Police Service Commission Scam investigated by ICPC that revealed misappropriation of over 150 million nairas related to election-related training. ICPC made refund recommendations, but many analysts indicated prosecution was more appropriate.

Commenting on President Muhammadu Buhari APC led administration which insisted on rooting out Corruption squarely from the Nigerian nation occasioned by bad leaders.

There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land, climate, water, air, or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to their responsibility, to the challenge of personal example, which is the hallmark of true leadership (Achebe, 1984: 1).

President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in the 2015 elections on the back of two key messages: improving the security environment and reviving the fight against corruption. On the latter, at least, he can point to some progress. His administration has worked more closely with the US, the UK, and various Middle Eastern countries to seize and repatriate assets from public officials that are suspected to have been purchased with illicit funds. Nigeria’s leading anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has also become more active. It has launched a series of investigations into former high-ranking public officials from previous administrations, in particular former cabinet officials, state governors and senior civil servants.

But all these efforts modelled to tackle corruption in the country is still proven abortive because of some certain individuals and directors of agencies who are bent at nothing to defame the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari most currently is the case of the PTF on Covid-19 and the NCDC this agencies need to be investigated by the anti graft agencies to regain the confidence of Nigerians on the present administration.

Because of the mounting panic and uncertainties over the ravages of COVID-19 worldwide, Nigerians are wracked by the double whammy of disabling fear over the scourge of the virus and bewildering COVID-19-inspired fraud by the administration.

Nigerians on social media justifiably say their country’s most pressing burden now is how to deal with the heartrending transmogrification of COVID-19 to COVIK 4-1-9 there.

While other nations are working day and night to reverse the effects of COVID-19 some Nigerians except for Lagos State for now, see the virus as an opportunity to perpetrate chicanery. The only silver lining in the dark clouds is that if the tragedy of the leaders’ fraud unravels, they would have nowhere to run to, EFCC and other anti grafts should be at the watch to bring sanity to the President Muhammadu Buhari's administration

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