Appraisal of Nigeria’s ranking within the international corruption notion index, within the final three a long time, present insights into the abysmal rot throughout the general public sector. Sadly, the notion of Nigeria’s public establishments as corrupt would proceed to linger contemplating the predilection for bribery and different unethical practices. The prevalence of corruption within the public sector frustrates the purpose of “Ease of Doing Enterprise” which the federal government has taken a number of steps to reinforce since 2020. Unethical practices of bribery impose illegitimate prices on residents and companies and make the method of securing providers irritating.
Unrestrained corruption within the public sector poses threats to the realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Growth. It’s worrisome that the integrity of essential sectors, together with the judiciary, regrettably, is changing into more and more weakened on account of corruption as damaging perceptions amongst residents and international stakeholders proceed to erode public confidence and belief in establishments charged with statutory mandates to discharge strategic and important duties with out inducement or compromise.
A current report on “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Developments” by the United Nations Workplace on Medicine and Crimes (UNODC) in partnership with the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics (NBS) signifies that an estimated N721 billion have been paid in money bribes to public officers in 2023 alone. The report which indicated a better prevalence of bribery within the public sector in comparison with the non-public sector listed the customs, armed forces and the judiciary as public establishments the place bribery is rampant with magistrates and judges in addition to officers within the customs, immigration and the armed forces as essential culprits.
The Chairman of the Unbiased Corrupt Practices and Different Associated Offences Fee, Adamu Aliyu disclosed, in September 2024, {that a} whopping ₦13 billion allegedly diverted from public coffers was recovered. Other than open demand for bribery, which is widespread within the public sector, monetary fraud attributable to cybercrimes additionally poses a frightening problem that will spiral into big income losses. The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Licensed Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CICFIN) lately expressed concern over the worsening monetary technology-related fraud leading to N207.6 billion losses in 2022.
Regardless of the big human and pure assets which abound within the nation, corruption has sadly remained intractable owing largely to the tradition of impunity. Additionally central to the menace of corruption is the failure of political management to display unflagging dedication to a nationalistic agenda anchored on transparency and accountability somewhat than the handy and flippant method to preventing corruption.
Indubitably, there’s a compelling want for the nation’s management to display willingness and braveness to deal with the prevalent problem of bribery and unethical practices within the public sector. It’s nevertheless pertinent to emphasis that curbing the peril of bribery in addition to confronting corruption, on a wider scale, entails greater than passing consideration to the bigger image of societal ills which the prevailing pattern of politics largely symptomised. It must be worrisome that the important components of value-based; service-oriented politics that ought to maintain nationalistic agenda are now not accorded precedence. Corruption within the public sector partly underscores the widespread corruption perpetrated with impunity by the political elite who usually take pleasure in constitutional immunity or are shielded from prosecution.
It ought to equally be alarming that the report by NBS in collaboration with UNODC particularly alluded to substantial financial and political penalties of bribery throughout the general public sector which translate into swaying issues of public curiosity together with court docket choices. The residents throughout platforms of the society ought to subsequently see the problem as critical sufficient to warrant collective consideration. The Nationwide Orientation Company (NOA) is anticipated to appraise the event with a renewed dedication to sensitisation that may serve to mobilise a cross-section of the society for lively engagement as stakeholders round points that border on corruption within the society. The residents as stakeholders have the accountability to demand accountability whereas recognising the duty to stay by the usual of probity, integrity and transparency. Extra importantly, Establishments mandated by regulation to guard values and integrity in governance and public areas have to be seen to be discharging their statutory roles with out worry or favour.
Subsequently, anti-corruption establishments; significantly the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) and the Unbiased Corrupt Practices Fee (ICPC) shouldn’t be unduly distracted or annoyed by means of legislative or govt tinkering significantly when such motives are basically not altruistic.
The standing of companies charged with the accountability of preventing corruption mustn’t be subjected to interference that manacles or weakens their operations. We can not overemphasise the truth that govt interference and deliberate obstruction to authentic actions of anti-corruption companies stay an enormous obstacle to the battle in opposition to corruption in Nigeria. There isn’t a doubt that dedication to the pursuit of the overriding goal of driving the polity of pervasive corruption and abuse of energy will successfully translate into addressing public sector corruption and make the campaign in opposition to bribery extra sturdy for tangible outcomes.
