Ibrahim
Magu EFCC chairman
|
An
anti-corruption body, known as the Public Protector, had ruled in 2014 that the
president spent $15 million on his rural home in Nkandla in the KwaZulu-Natal province.
In
a unanimous judgment on behalf of the Constitutional
Court's 11 judges, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said the “the president failed
to uphold, defend and respect the constitution.”
The
president. Not a former president. Not a presidential candidate. The incumbent
president. Found guilty by the court.
President Zuma, whose term in government has been marred by
allegations of corruption and cronyism, has apologized and promised to
honour the court verdict. However, the opposition, smelling blood, said they
would push for his impeachment.
The first thing that came to my
mind is if this could happen in Nigeria. The answer is a resounding NO. Not
even with all the noise we make about fighting corruption.
In Nigeria the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – the body created to fight the kind of
thing Zuma was found guilty of – is just an extension of the presidency. So the
agency, in its wildest dreams, can never attempt to investigate the sitting president
of any financial crime.
In fact, the EFCC is simply a tool
of whoever is in power. When he was president, Chief Obasanjo once threatened
to send the agency after someone. That shows the crime fighting organization
was just acting a script against those who failed to fall in line.
Financial crimes supposedly soared
under Jonathan, because he was perceived as weak and tolerant. And now we say
President Buhari’s “body language” has made the EFCC sit up.
Herein lies the problem. Why can’t the
EFCC fight corruption doggedly, no matter who is president? Why does it have to
watch out for “body language”?
What happens when Buhari leaves? If
his successor is not as committed as he is we will go back to the status quo,
that’s what.
Such an institution needs to be
strengthened and made independent so it can go after anyone suspected of
stealing, misusing or misapplying public funds – including an incumbent president.
The same thing the public protector did
to Zuma in South Africa.
The war against graft will never be
won when the government keeps shifting goalposts and using agencies like the
EFCC to target perceived or real enemies. This is the reason many public
officers show unalloyed support for an incumbent government. Immediately that
government leaves, they turn their tentacles on the next one. They shamelessly sing
the same songs of praise and worship to the next government. All they need to
do is change the name of the person they praise. The song remains the same.
But we, the people, also have a
huge chunk of the blame. In Nigeria it is seen as normal for public office
holders to convert public funds for private use. Nigerians actually expect them
to do that.
Even local government chairmen live
like emperors. A few months after getting into office, they erect fabulous
mansions that can put Bill Gates to shame. The EFCC never sees anything wrong
with this – until they step on oga’s toes.
Woe betide any minister, governor
or president who doesn’t “help” his family and friends while in office. Everyone
will deride him. His people will never forgive him if his village is not turned
into a mecca of sorts. That means he just wasted his time in office.
On festive days like Christmas and
Sallah, he is expected to throw extravagant parties to mammoth crowds. And he
is expected to donate huge sums of money at any function he attends – weddings,
funerals, birthdays and even child naming ceremonies. If he doesn’t, he is seen
as stingy. He is called araldite or super glue.
Justice Mogoeng said South Africa’s public officials ignored
the constitution at their peril. He warned that the rule of law was the “sharp
and mighty sword that stands ready to chop the ugly head of impunity from its
stiffened neck.”
That is the kind of message Nigeria’s public officials need
to hear. But what is happening to Zuma may never happen in Nigeria. That
is why corruption will always thrive here.
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