Nigeria: 'Impunity, Bane of Corruption in Nigeria'
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Vanguard (Lagos)
6 September 2008
Posted to the web 6 September 2008
Innocent Anaba and Abdulwahab Abdulah
Participants at a oneday roundtable on corruption and how it can be reduced in the country, have agreed that punishing offenders remains the most effective way of checking corruption menace in the country.
One of the discussants, Mr. Femi Falana said that effort by the country to get rid of corruption will remain a mirage until people are punished when they go against the law.
Speaking at the event organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountable Project (SERAP) in Lagos, Falana said, "Corruption cannot be won if people are not punished for the offence they commit.
Once a General is able to get away with murder, or because the person is highly placed, then this country will not move forward."
Reacting to comment that Nigeria is far corrupt than the developed countries of America and Europe, he said, "Nigeria is no more corrupt that the US and Britain, because once u assist any person that is stealing, you are equal guilty of stealing. We must also blame the developed countries because they benefit from our corruption are even more corrupt. The West cannot claim that we are corrupt, yet they provide sanctuary for stolen monies from Nigeria."
Meanwhile, a Commissioner with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Mrs Dupe Atoki, who was the guest speaker at the occasion, observed that corruption is endemic in the country and can only be checked, if the whole country join hands in fighting it.
She spoke on 'Corruption, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Nigeria: the Role of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights'. According to her, "the impact of corruption on a people cannot be overemphasized.
Corruption undermines democratic institutions, retards economic development and contributes to government instability. Corruption attacks the fundamental democratic institutions by distorting electoral process, prevents the rule of law and create bureaucratic quagmires".
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Atoki in her paper said that the role of the African Commission in tackling socio-economic problems can be derived from the mandate given to the commission by the statute under which it was established.
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