Since my existence as a Nigerian and counting especially from 2013 when I started to actively be interested in governance. I have read a lot of opinions, for and against the respective governments since the time by ordinary and highly placed countrymen.
I have also watched government officials, past and present speak in interviews. All writing and speaking about what they think or believe would move the Country forward and efforts they made or, are making toward the same goal respectively, and generally about what would be the lasting solutions to the ever mesmerizing stealing of government resources and corrupt practices that has characterized our government officiation, not to mention the cooperate world. In all of it and beyond the textual and vocal opines, I have witnessed firsthand, what could be the most effective solution in this actions against corrupt practices and theft of government resources in particular.
What, therefore, I'm next to narrate here is what I learnt between the immediate past and present administrations at the center. Which thing shows that we're actually making progress though; in little measures.
I have also watched government officials, past and present speak in interviews. All writing and speaking about what they think or believe would move the Country forward and efforts they made or, are making toward the same goal respectively, and generally about what would be the lasting solutions to the ever mesmerizing stealing of government resources and corrupt practices that has characterized our government officiation, not to mention the cooperate world. In all of it and beyond the textual and vocal opines, I have witnessed firsthand, what could be the most effective solution in this actions against corrupt practices and theft of government resources in particular.
What, therefore, I'm next to narrate here is what I learnt between the immediate past and present administrations at the center. Which thing shows that we're actually making progress though; in little measures.
During the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He made lots of comments with illustrations that were used by the public for humour and parody insults to his person. One of the things that was prominent in his responses during interviews pertaining his efforts towards the elimination or minimisation of graft in governant offices was: '"the need and efforts towards building strong and independent government institutions that'll deliver good and desired results irrespective of who's in power as against looking up to 'strong men' to deliver results all the times".
At the time, it posited to many as a dogma he was only using as cover-up for his 'perceived weakness and inability' to control and checkmate his subordinates who were on 'stealing spray', as the National leader.
But, conversely, on my own part, I began, instead, to mull over it and to ask myself what 'strong and independent' government institutions could really mean. Like: strong infrastructures or something entirely different. To be honest, I didn't get it at that time until recently, starting with the 2015 general elections and subsequent events as i'll explain later, here in.
But, conversely, on my own part, I began, instead, to mull over it and to ask myself what 'strong and independent' government institutions could really mean. Like: strong infrastructures or something entirely different. To be honest, I didn't get it at that time until recently, starting with the 2015 general elections and subsequent events as i'll explain later, here in.
One of the many times he said such things was in his interview with EuroNews's Isabelle Kumar, in 2014, were he said, when asked about his efforts towards curbing official corruption and theft, that: "...it's not just waiting with a stick for somebody to steal money and then you hit the head, but; our emphasis is to 'strenghten the institutions' so that we'll make sure that you don't even have the opportunity to steal". Another was at one of his Media Charts. On that occasion, when asked by Premium Times's Ibanga Isine to shed some light on his well popular "stealing is different from corruption" remark. He first clarified, by the way, that he merely quoted a former CJN of Nigeria, Mustapha, who, according to him, made the ascertion originally and is now being quoted out of context, before trickling down, with the rest of his response, to the same 'strenghtening of institutions', saying, and I quote, that: "..even if you convict one million people, it does not stop these stealing or corrupt practices. You must make sure that people don't steal; don't put the money where people will steal." He then went on with his equally well known and mostly 'laughed' at 'goat and yam illustration' that: "if you leave a goat and a yam or plantain together, the goat will eat. But if you want to make sure that the goat does not eat the yam; you must seperate both."
So during the general elections of 2015, I, as well as many Nigerians witnessed what an 'independent' government institution could mean in the quest for progress and stability when INEC, devoid of official interference at the center, conducted elections whose results almost completely echoed the peoples' voices sending the message back to the people that: we actually are the masters who employ and fire. A message that has now boosted the moral of many who hitherto didn't care about governance to begin to participate in the #OfficeOfTheCitizen. At this point I understood why it's important to leave supposed independent government institutions really independent of any official interference in the dispatch of its statutory and legitimate assignments.
Fast forward to the new regime of President Muhammadu Buhari; a direct product of INEC's independency. I began to also understand what it means to have strong institutions especially in todays world of new technologies as the former president illustrated and said was where their emphasis layed. The Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the Bank Verification Number (BVN) etc; which has plucked a lot of leckages, saved and brought into the coffers of the federal government lots of funds that was hitherto being stolen through one way or the other by government officials has now taught me what it means to have strong and strenghtened institutions as was said by the former president and I can also now see that their emphasis on strengthening these institutions which caused them to bring in the above technologies was on the right part. And I believe this is the way forward for Nigeria.
As small and unpopular as these technologies may appear, they have brought, are still bringing and would continue to bring huge changes on ground, in favor of successive governments and in extension; the people, when the gains are well managed and directed.
As small and unpopular as these technologies may appear, they have brought, are still bringing and would continue to bring huge changes on ground, in favor of successive governments and in extension; the people, when the gains are well managed and directed.
Not negating the legal prosecution of offenders, meanwhile. I believe that these and many others of the like are the small details that if sustained and built upon, across all sectors of our economy and National life in general, consistently over time, would get us to where we wish to be. No magic wand. No rocket science. Just discipline and consistency.
We must keep strenghtening our institutions with the newest technologies until it is no longer possible or almost impossible for people to steal government resources when they are called into offices. Then and only then, 'strong' man or no 'strong' man; government institutions would run, smooth and successfully, without unnecessary set backs and hardships caused by graft.
Our finance minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, in corroboration, in her article about the economy on March 9, 2016, titled: "Financial Discipline... Making Every Naira Count", opined, and I quote, that: "while we are regaled with and shocked by details of amounts stolen, diverted or wasted, we must face the cold reality that such acts are facilitated by weaknesses in our systems. Even if we successfully prosecute and jail every looter, ghost worker and other economic saboteur, there is every risk that those caught will only be replaced by persons who are just as bad, or worse - unless we radically strengthen our systems and institutions.