FEATURE ARTICLE


Patrick Iroegbu (Ph.D)Saturday, March 1, 2003
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Alberta, Canada


TAMING THE CULTURAL VOICES AND SYSTEMIC CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA


orruption is iniquity, a decadence of opportunity for a good society. It is a national misfortune. It is practice that jeopardizes the essence of any serious social and economic growth. It is cancerous, and indeed degrades any political stability. It is essentially a strong impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principle for a decent life and culture. The operators of corruption must be decried, flawed, charged and prosecuted with strong will and persistency. A systemic corrupt person consists in institutionalized undemocratic enemy of progress, a short-cut charlatan, a con artist and a bigot to sound merit. Such a person is one who through voicing out or by action endorses evil than good in a democratic national circumstance.

This essay discusses the culture of political prejudice and inequity handed out to the just dismissed Acting Auditor-General of Nigerian Federation, Mr. Vincent Azie. It points out the critical implication and argues against the voices shaming the underlying role he has played in fighting corruption. It is to be understood that to fight corruption was one of the central election promises made to the Nigerian condition by the PDP led Government of President Matthew Obasanjo. Among the pronounced failures, sanitizing the hopeless system of monetary settlement situation and other forms of corruption in Nigeria did not happen as we hoped for. It rather escalated and has become more systemic in order to stay in office. The craze for resource grabbing, infighting and lack of consistency of process and political will to see through the success of diminishing the systemic levels of corruption has thereby encouraged the widespread social injustices and poverty level of the Nigerian population.

As a matter of fact, the statement made by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana at the instance of the Auditor-General of the Federation's Report has continued to worry others and me. We have in many occasions tried to diminish the impact of such statement referring the audit report as something Mr. Vincent Azie should "feel ashamed." Thinking through it, many questions continue to arise as to what the Office of the Minister is actually orientating Nigerians to view their doings and contributions to the national interest and progress. There seems to be a misplaced attachment of the idea of National Orientation with that of Information. If an Information Minister can take it out to render serious counter pronouncement on any development in the nation building, such as it occurred in the case of the Auditor-General, the National Orientation Minister should be more cautious in making public pronouncements that distort rather than encourage the spirit of dedication and fairness in the management of public affairs and accounting for them accordingly.

We featured an article (now this submission taken to be its conclusion) in this website, "Of the ex-Generals, culture and Fatwacracy: Scaling the adversity" which tried to scale the adversity of Nigerian Military Ex-generals in culture and politics (January 15, 2003). The article argued for the cultural poverty of sense of development and civility in terms of democratic intelligence the Nigerian military had used to delay addressing the reality of Nigeria and its deserved right to healthy living and improvement. Rather than fulfil a single political promise, such as fighting corruption in Nigeria, the Ex-general led PDP Government of President Obasanjo has undoubtedly and flatly exacerbated and perfected it. It is here we can now see clearly what the military intelligence in Nigerian democracy is up to. Can an Ex-military General turned politician offer more than what he is trained for and capable of? The answer is a straight no.

In the same article, we used the metaphor of "fatwa", dubbed "fatwacracy" to detail the fact that any military led leadership in Nigeria should be seen as a call for destruction of political good sense and merit. The collective example of President Obasanjo exemplify so much that he does not know when to stop fooling the nation and the international community, in particular, all Nigerians in Diaspora and all Africans looking up to him to make a case of successful democratic leadership for Nigeria. He has not only failed to deliver, but also systematized new forms of corruption, divide and rule, as well as a show of extreme ignorance and arrogance to the very things that can make people think that one day Nigeria will be great.

Recently, we shared some discussions with a group of Nigerians on whether or not Nigeria should think of getting a dream leader in the next Twenty Years? The surprising thing that emerged rested on not whether Nigeria can boast of such leaders for now. Rather it rested on who will give such a leader/s the opportunity to be seen, heard, and perform in the political theatre of Nigeria? The issue was not that Nigeria has no skilled leaders. It has enough when considering that it pulls a population of over 130 million, some of who have distinguished themselves in international issues and opportunities. There are very many worthy Nigerians in all walks of life who can deliver the nation from the lapses of ex-generalism of democratism. A typical case in point now is the just fired Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Vincent Azie. This is happening when industrialized nations in the present global community are using National Immigration Agendas to drain the best workers from around the world. Nigeria is intimidating and calling her accountability focused workers names and ideologizing wrong visions and firing tested and proven dedicated workers.

Before submitting this piece to the publisher, we did not yet receive the full information about the career of Mr. Vincent Azie, but going by the standard of financial management, he is distinguished and has worked and lived above his time in his Nigerian vision for excellence. He could not have been the only one with such a concern for showing that Nigeria can only change through what and how we do things. In his calling to serve the nation through accountability of how financial resources are managed and reported, a right and sensible government in power should have understood that to tame corruption is to first understand how the governmental financial system is built up and controlled. In short who does what and how would be a nice way to start and progress. In line with the policy of doing selfless good in serving the promises of the government to the people is what the authorities should do in action to justify why it is elected to respond to the daily life challenges of the Nigerian people.

Mr. Vincent Azie is to be hailed. He will remain an ICON for Nigeria's public funding and vision for good governance through openness and fair accountability. His labour and extra-ordinary courage to say the right thing at the right time will always challenge accounting officers who should learn that corruption cannot be dismantled in Nigeria unless the fair view of public funding, disbursement and accountability is made a continuous lived by responsibility.

Following many social commentators on the issues raised by the former Acting Auditor-General, Mr. Vincent Azie, it is appropriate to say that he has moved mountains to tame the irresponsibility in government financial control in goodfaith. The issue also is this, if a nation's Auditor-General cannot point out irregularities in the public fund management, who will do that? Constitutionally, Mr. Vincent Azie just did the right thing and should in all ways possible be congratulated and given the credit that he so much deserves. He has fought for the right of the poor and deprived in Nigeria through doing what all public office holders should responsibly concern with in order to expose, cause to correct, and engage with to move Nigeria forward.

Nigeria cannot move ahead, no matter how it pretends, under irresponsible government that cannot manage her resources through proper and established principles of financial control of public funds. Each year, read to Nigerians is the National Budget. Each year on the contrary, it is rare to hear how the accounting of budget allocations has been scrutinized. Perhaps, for the first time for many Nigerians, we have heard that an Auditor-General of the Federation can publicly reveal the irresponsibility and recklessness of those executing political projects and administrative matters.

If anyone in Nigeria would perceive the constitutional duty of the Auditor General's Report as politically motivated to embarrass the PDP led Government of President Obasanjo, that is not only unfair to the Nigerian people who deserve the right to know how their resources have been spent. Such a perception is also wrong and will not be accepted. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana got his view on this issue totally wrong, especially when Nigeria is looking for dedicated and focused workers for the Nigerian cause against corruption at the base, like Mr. Vincent Azie.

According to The Guardian Editorial (Feb. 27, 2003), Prof. Jerry Gana did apparently come down heavily on Mr. Vincent Azie and his report as soon as it was made. Jerry Gana dismissed the said report and flogged it as "rash" and that "it was done to embarrass the Federal Government." He further alleged the report should have embraced a draft portfolio to be first passed to the Ministers involved.

Here is, with due concern for Prof. Jerry Gana, a Nigerian Minister for National Orientation expressing an unbelievable comment unexpected of him in a matter so important to Nigerian life and wellness. If the Mr. Minister is not occupying the office of the National Orientation, it would have been a different issue. The real disturbance here is this. To orientate Nigerian workers, particularly public officers to be fair, take responsibility and account for all their doings for the progress of the nation, our Minister should now learn that national issues for the whole people of Nigeria should require fair commentaries and assertions than he had demonstrated in a reckless political inventive path.

For the Minister to have alleged that the Auditor-General who rushed out the report to feel "ashamed" is more than being unfair to dedicated workers in Nigeria that the Minister is supposed to constantly orientate.

A serious financial probity has a clear interest in the spread of democratic accountability values. It is that much because stable and free nations do not breed and orientate ideologies of "feeling shame" in the face of dedication and commitment to the national stability and progress. Rather, free democratic states encourage the accountability and peaceful pursuit of a better society and living conditions in a tenable accountable ways. Here there is civility and credibility, whereby the ideology of feeling proud to do the just thing is looked up to and fostered.

Perhaps, what the Minister Jerry Gana had wished to happen was to have praises reigned by the Auditor-General on the hopeless social and economic situation of President Obasanjo's administration. But for a well meaning and sensitive Auditor-General of a Federation, that must not happen. For in understanding his primary responsibility some of which include, pointing out financial irregularities about income and expenditure of governments and its public institutions, we need not go further to understand that democracy is about equity in the distribution and management of resources.

An Auditor-General cannot be made to assume shame in the course of doing a good job quite beneficial to the Nigerian people. It can be interpreted here that the Minister did not only insult the spirit of dedication and selfless service to Nigerian visionary workers but also a mis-en-scene of the PDP led government protectionist strategy to position and cover the undoing of Nigerian path to progress. In order to ensure that Mr. Vincent Azie feels ashamed of himself, he has been removed from the position of such hope that many Nigerians would further repose in him and his likes to show the light.

Let us understand that politics in Nigeria is not fair. It is so brutal. And it is so negatively orientative. As such, the right persons are denied opportunities to use their skills to heal the crisis destabilizing the Nigerian development. The most ridiculous thing about firing Mr. Vincent Azie, who comes from Igboland, is the notion attached to his ethnicity. That is exactly what the Minister is letting us to understand. That is why he is asked to feel ashamed for reporting the general accounting situation of the nation led by the PDP government of President Obasanjo. Here, Prof. Jerry Gana, you got it wrong, too. This is so in the sense of true orientation to public accountability and constitutional responsibilities of Nigerian ethnic nationalities. The Minister appears to suggest that by first sending a draft of the audit findings of the Independent Auditor-General's Office, it would have helped to reduce the indictment of the government offices, institutions and ministries involved through censorship and further corruption and crisis of the financial resources.

President Matthew Obasanjo has after politically messing up Mr. Vincent Azie, subsequently installed Mr. Joseph Ajiboye, his kinsman to replace him. This act of calling on the same man twice rejected by the National Assembly for the office of the Auditor-General is sending out chilly signals of what is ahead in the move to cover up more of the PDP corrupt systemic practices against the wellness of Nigeria. That much would have been better known if Mr. Vincent Azie would remain to serve out his retirement and help reveal the evils of 2002 political life in the PDP government of Nigeria.

There is nothing totally surprising about President Obasanjo and his PDP government to start cocking up the layers of financial irresponsibility in Nigeria. But at least, Mr. Vincent Azie has helped Nigerian people know who actually their financial corrupt enemies of progress are. It is not the system. But it is the operators of the system of accountability, which he should not be ashamed to defend and tell all who are involved to change their crude and irresponsible ways in order to make change occur in Nigerian political affair social and economic developments.

In the advanced democratic countries, such as the North American US and Canada, and the West European Germany, France and Belgium, the Auditor-General's Report is a strong instrument for discovery, adjustment and improvement. It is not viewed as negative political issue rather than a constitutional duty and responsibility to reveal the financial health of the nation-state. Things that are wrong are pointed out. Solutions as to how to correct discovered problems in the accounting systems are relayed to the responsible Committee of the National Assembly. The Auditor-general's views are taken seriously and attempts are made to rectify and reconcile inconsistencies.

Just last year, the Canadian Auditor-General revealed serious developments about how contracts were awarded to the Liberal Party Sponsored Companies and executed. He was worried to the best of his view that the accountability was running out of line of control and drew the House of Common's attention to it. It caused the Finance Minister, Mr. Paul Martins his Ministerial job, which he had held for over seven years. The Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chretien wanted more transparent and straight forward balance of how public funds are channelled and accounted. The development led to all associations and agencies in the country being pressed to show how funds made to them were spent and documented. The matter is that the Audit Report is to help any Government in Office to understand what is happening around its affairs and to show it really through proper accountability. We followed up this story in Canada that shook the Liberal Party Government in power. There was never a moment any Minister here suggested to the Auditor General to first send the audit report as a draft to the various Ministers to respond as Prof. Jerry Gana wanted it for the Nigerian Auditor General, Mr. Vincent Azie. This is painful and calls for real reflection and repositioning. It is also disheartening that our glorified Finance Minister, Chiroma is now taking sides, and has gone a long way to accusing the dismissed Auditor-General of incompetence. The truth is simply known. Mr. Azie's traits, such as his courage, ingenuity and vision for uprightness are being feared and needed to be browbeaten.

That is why also there is serious worry for why this gentleman Accountant and Auditor, Mr. Vincent Azie failed to be seen as a messiah and encouraged by the PDP led government. The point is that in Nigeria everyone wants to become famous politician, but at the same time hate to be called upon to account for one's political doings. For democracy to plant meaning and progress in Nigeria, the view of those entrusted with the responsibility to check balance political behaviours, especially financial morality and credibility should be a starting point. If we understood the imperatives of the reality of Mr. Vincent Azie as to what he did for bettering the Nigerian conditions, this is it.

Secondly, how can we understand the sense underlying the Anti-corruption Bill, so-called Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Act of 2000, now undergoing changes at the legislature? Any officer rendering his due responsibility in terms of accountability and probity is one helping to fight corruption. In fairness, Mr. Vincent Azie has helped through his office to tame corruption and poverty and should be interpreted and understood as such. When someone refuses to align with malignant or evil financial forces, namely the hate merchants of development, he should be made to feel proud and a sense of honour. But the National Orientation Minister has failed to conceive of the issue at stake in this way.

If we were to prescribe to Prof. Jerry Gana on this issue, including all the forces sharing in the misrepresentation of the genius of the former Acting Auditor-General of the Federation, let Mr. Vincent Azie be returned to his office immediately and encouraged to work harder as he has been doing to restore the dignity of public life and accountability in Nigeria. I do not think anyone can buy his type with money from abroad or from anywhere in the present Nigerian setting of the corrupt PDP-Obasanjo led government.

That apart, let us view the case of the dismissed Auditor-General from another point of situation upon how Nigeria is seen before the international community. In a way the sensibility is obvious. As nothing would have stopped any conscious and sensitive Auditor-General to do something urgent to improve the degrading Nigerian poverty level and leadership financial recklessness through accountability and control in line established for that purpose.

Following the 2002 global poverty rating placed on countries and as has been observed by Dr. Emmanuel Ojameruaye "Governance and poverty reduction in Nigeria" (Nigeriaworld, Dec. 1, 2002). The United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) report is showing, especially as it affects human development, that Nigeria is ranked at 148th out of 173 it considered. Nigeria is graded in a place so low in human development category, such that a review of statistics also showed that in the past it never did well either. For example, between 1990 and 2000, Nigeria was displaced down the scale by four countries that implemented successful economic and public sector reforms. The incidence, depth and severity of poverty since 1985 have been intractable, and so tend to hit the rising scale. Considering the poverty of education and subsequent benefit that should link with poverty reduction, policies not aimed at income distribution through decent connected education gains will act against any such plans rather than promote the goals.

The interesting point I wish to bring out here is that there should be strong relationship between poverty and leadership, including the strong will to achieve accountability. While this should be true for any responsible government and governance, the various World Bank Reports on this issue are critical for successful development. Responsible governance, it should further be stressed, improves the well-being of the poor and it is important for poverty reduction through accountability. However, no matter from which angle it is looked at, good governance brings about, and is measured on, well studied foresight, openness, and enlightened policy making and accountability.

The governance process should correctly manifest a flexible bureaucracy consisting in professional ethos, transparent accountability of the executive arm about its affairs and actions. The system of financial control is never established for the Democratic Party Government of the Willing. Far from that. It is for all of which must with the civil society in a participatory relationship function for all public affairs. The most of all, the system should flourish with attention to detail in behaviour under the rule of law. Good governance cannot therefore occur where political officers immerse in strategies of looting and pillaging of the treasury.

Generating opportunities through fair accountability will simply help the poor to rise through development and promoting of non-oil income generating areas of the economy. This is one important area that requires significant attention and only fair accountability can sustain this drive. Moreover, the wishes of Nigerian citizens which must be heard are part of the processes for genuine policies to attend their poverty needs as well. Rendering accounts will help such wishes to come out and so lively play out a democratic part in the Nigerian condition.

Furthermore, Levi Obijiofor (The Guardian, Dec. 20, 2002) observed that the release of report by "Two International Organizations" had indicted Nigerian governments, past and present on the rising level of poverty in the country. It outlined how successive governments had used poverty complex to defend interventions and ceased power, yet did little to achieve accountability and change. Cases made against poverty and the need to account for all doings were brazenly elusive to tracking the poverty and accountability viruses and hook worms down. Such failures were recorded also because, when those leaders entered into the offices to workout strategies to deliver promises they soon did for themselves a set of different agenda. Inability to render account, including poverty appears to be equated as a pathway by the leaders to scam the entire nation.

That said, Obasanjo's story of militarized democratic leadership has not shown anything the better despite the bold political promise around poverty alleviation. Two things concerning fighting corruption and poverty consist in the PDP's bold promises to the Nigerian voter. It is up until now unfortunate that Nigeria has been indicted as one of the most corrupt nations on this planet. As a consequence, poverty line has increased up to 70% with a total population of 70 million living under poverty line, more than ever. This is heart shaking. There is also a growing fear that Nigeria is heading to bankruptcy sooner or later. Dr. D.A. Iheanacho's contribution on this issue "Nigeria on the brink of bankruptcy?"(Dec. 16, 2002), has helped highlight the various anxieties.

In the Past three years, 1999 to 2002, UNDP noted that an average of 7% rise in poverty and insensitivity to it for each year has been recorded despite all the noises of poverty reduction program of the PDP led Government. Like the other programs that have failed to match with the Nigerian reality, Nigerian leadership should challenge itself urgently and critically to come to terms with its reality.

Today, the inflation rate is excessively hypercritical, taking already a chunk of intractable 175.5%. As the present administration has nothing to show to prove as a good fight against poverty line, and inability to be accountable, desperately questioned is the so-called dividend of democracy for which the poor masses are made serious. The frightening fact is of all that we have pointed out, they have faced more degeneration during Obasanjo's turned democratic leadership that is so much expected to make the difference between the military era and now.

Tested on these, poverty and reckless public financial accountability, the fact that Nigerian politicians have long been serving themselves becomes clearer, especially on the brutal political termination of her Acting Auditor-General, Mr. Vincent Azie. Rather than serving the people through assisting to solve the hostile socio-economic problems of the voters, the tool of using distorting and irresponsible financial accounting ways and poverty lines continue to menace the life and culture of the Nigerian voters.

The issue also pins down to this. Nigeria is a corporate political business for all Nigerians. We all have a stake in the National financial health. It must not be treated as a private matter. Nigerians should respond to this sabotage to her dedicated workers exemplified in the courageous personality of Mr. Vincent Azie. By choice, we cannot now feel unconcerned and look the other way round. By circumstance, we mean to express how we feel about the damning dismissal of Mr. Azie, which in the first place, should not have happened. Let the regular subscribers to the progressive minds and actors, continue to be part to the courageous, and unprejudiced cause to bettering Nigeria.

As a whole, Nigeria is continually frustrating in many ways. This time again, the Federal Government is wrong to terminate the more needed skill and vision of Mr. Vincent Azie. It will be right to recall his services in goodfaith to serve the nation credibly as he has so far depicted and informed the international community that courageous workers like himself will serve their nation without fear or favour. Let justice and the fortune of having Mr. Vincent Azie and all his likes tame the cultural voices and systemic corruption and thereby wisely and more productively bless Nigeria.