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How To Tackle Corruption From The Roots – Gov. Fashola At ICPC Forum

Dec 10, 2008 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Wednesday advocated the formulation of a National Strategic Plan of Action to chart a course to deal with the root cause of corruption in the country.

Speaking as Special Guest at the First Governors’ Forum organized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) at the auditorium of its headquarters in Abuja , Governor Fashola noted that for too long, there had been a pre-occupation with the manifestation of the symptoms of corruption and enforcement to the exclusion of the root causes of corruption.

Governor Fashola who was received on arrival at the Headquarters of the ICPC by its Chairman, Honourable Justice Emmanuel Ayoola CON (Rtd) and other senior members of the Commission, noted that the cankerworm of corruption would remain incurable if the approach to tackle it was wrong.

The Governor argued that the connection between corruption and economic conditions is inextricable just as the relationship between corruption and national poverty of core social values is unassailable.

“Certain questions beg for answers: Have we, as a nation, pursued the fundamental economic objectives as prescribed by the constitution for the people of Nigeria ? Have we promoted national prosperity to create a dynamic and self reliant economy? Have we put the national economy out to secure maximum welfare and adequate shelter?” Governor Fashola asked.

The Governor, who had earlier done an incisive historic excursion into the origins of the phenomenon of corruption from the Greek and Roman Empires to England and the post-colonial era when Africa came under the eyes of the storm, noted that though corruption was a global phenomenon attracting several international treaties and conventions, the negative perception of Nigeria as a very corrupt country had been tragically fuelled somewhat by the local and international media.

Also noting the undue focus on public office and public officials to the neglect of the private sector in the fight against corruption, Governor Fashola said that the “serialization” of reports of corruption in Nigeria and the neglect of the noble and successful exploits of Nigerians the world over has helped in further perpetuating the negative perception of the country as very corrupt.

According to the Governor, the negative international image, the unacceptable effects of corruption on the body polity and a feeling that extant laws were inadequate, led to the establishment of the ICPC which sought to depart from the traditional approach of punishing corruption to include powers to investigate and re-orientate.

Starting from the political, Governor Fashola described the subversion of institutions like the judiciary, a virile and responsible press and a vigilant civil society as the worst form of corruption. He cited the refusal to re-instate former Governor Ladoja after the court directed so, the various illegal impeachment sagas, the travails of former Governor Chris Ngige and the use of State funds to prosecute the failed Third Term Agenda as examples of political corruption that inflicted grievous harm on the national psyche.

The Governor said one of the crucial areas that must be identified, as way forward in the formation of a national strategic plan of action, was the cause of need-induced corruption and strategies to deal with them.

“It is beyond dispute that one of the challenges confronting us as a people is the need to create wealth and opportunity, reduce poverty and bring hope for millions of Nigerians who, by international standards, are living below the poverty bench mark ,” Governor Fashola said.

He identified viable and efficient poverty alleviation programmes, social welfare schemes to remove the fear of the future, access to formal, vocational and technical education as well as provision of employment for the teeming masses of the people, as some of the strategies to combat need-induced corruption. “There must be a policy of free and qualitative education across party lines as a very first step,” he said.

The Governor recommended the operation of merit-based and transparent system in both private and public life pointingr5 out that such a system produced the U.S President-elect Barack Obama. He also advocated the re-discovery and teaching of our core values as well as the re-invigoration of “character” development institutions like the Boys Scout as some of the ways by which the root causes of corruption can be tackled.

Speaking on the efforts of the Lagos State Administration to tackle corruption, Governor Fashola said the massive investment in infrastructure was targeted at renewal of those infrastructure and creating job opportunities for the people.

He said rules of procedure in the state public service had been designed to reduce time and cost of doing business in Lagos while the phone numbers and other contact details of all principal functionaries of government including the Governor have been put in the public space.

“In recognition of the fact that sundry requests and pressure would come from members of the public on public officers, a certain amount is proposed as part of the budget to the State House of Assembly for Health causes and other forms of assistance to the people”, the Governor said.

The State, Governor Fashola said, has also invested heavily in vocational training centres and disbursed over N850million to graduates of such centres and others in micro-finance loans to enable people create jobs for themselves.

According to the Governor, in other to show that the administration abhors corruption, the Attorney-General of the State personally leads prosecution of law breakers.

Welcoming the Governor earlier, the Chairman of ICPC Hon. Justice Emmanuel Ayoola thanked the Governor for making out time to honour the invitation adding that he was very proud of the achievements of the Governor.

The forum, he said, was part of the Commission’s National Integrity Outreach aimed at not only educating the public on and against the ills of corruption and what governments are doing to eradicate corruption , “but also to make the crusade against corruption truly national and people-driven”.

During the question and answer session that followed, Governor Fashola took time to clarify issues raised by the members of the audience most of whom praised his leadership style and the achievements of his government. Responding to a question on the issue of immunity clause as currently provided for in the constitution, Governor Fashola noted that removing it now would do more harm than good. He explained that the clause does not preclude the trial of an offending public official after his tenure adding that it was intended to shield such officials from distractive civil litigations while in office.

The Forum also had in attendance, Dr. Tukur Bello Ingawa, the ICPC Secretary, Dame (Chief) Mrs. Onum Nwariakwu and other honourable members of the Commission, two members of the National Assembly representing Lagos State, Senator Muniru Muse, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon. Samuel Sejero, the Chairman Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Hon. Afis Ipesa Balogun and representatives of the Civil Society group. The event was also witnessed by the Association of Lagos State Indigenes resident in Abuja.