Corruption Becoming Growing Industry In Nigeria, Threat To Economy – Coalition Of CSOs

The Coalition of Civil Society for Good Governance (CCSGG) on Wednesday alerted that “corruption is fast becoming a growing industry in Nigeria” thereby threatening economy of the country.

CCSGG  raised the alarm in a communique issued at the end of its one-day interface on Mainstreaming Transparency and Openness in Anti Corruption Crusader in Nigeria, held at the KS Motel, Ibadan.

The Coalition in the communique read by Comrade Toyese Oyerinde emphasized that ”inspite of making zero tolerance for corruption its selling point, the present administration has not recorded a pass mark in its anti corruption crusade”.

According to CCSGG, ”the only area where government seems to be winning its war against corruption is in the media”, saying, “this is evidenced in the downward spiral in the ratings of the country on corruption war by the Transparency International”.

“The participants resolved that corruption is fast becoming a growing industry in Nigeria which if not properly and sincerely addressed could asphyxiate the economy of the country and render it comatose”, it added.

The Coalition lamented that ”as government sincerity to curb corruption is ebbing away because the anti corruption agencies seem to have shifted focus from the demands of their assignment and choose to play to the gallery through its selective enforcement of law to prosecute only the credible challengers of their government in power”.

Emphasizing the need for the anti corruption agencies in Nigeria to double “their efforts in public orientation program to raise the consciousness of the people on how corruption and greed affects economic health of their state and strive to earn public trust and support”, the Coalition added that” corruption and greed should not be zeroed down to only financial misappropriation by way of pilfering of state  resources or political corruption”.

“Government should also stratify nepotism, giving appointment without merit, manipulations of policies and institutional procedures to benefit people in power as areas of corruption that require urgent attention”.

CCSGG also stressed the need for corruption agencies in the country to prove” that they are not primed to serve the interest of the government but the people for democratic consolidation”

“As benefits of politics increase, so is corruption and greed, hence, public financing of campaign funds of all the parties should be made transparent and no party should shoot beyond the stipulated spending cap. EFCC should draw a line between electoral funds duly disbursed through a legal financial institutions and sourced by willing private sector donor and monies that are proceeds of crime which of course can be subsumed under money laundering."

Earlier, speakers at the program including Elder Moses Olorode, of the National Alliance Democratic Surveillance (NADS), Comrade Femi Ola of the CCSGG and Alhaji Kehinde Adeniyi asked the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to desist from the on going media war on corruption but the sincere, objective and fair if truly his administration intends to fight corruption in Nigeria.

The program was attended by leaders of the Positive Life Assurance, Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation, National Alliance for Democratic Surveillance, Youth for Better Society National Traders and Market Leaders ,public affairs analysts , Civil liberties organisations and others.