Nigerians hope that present administration will sanitize the system where things like secretive employment, corruption and nepotism would be things of the past. Regrettably administration is characterized with high level of preferential treatment at the detriment of the Nigerian masses that sacrificed a lot and spent hours under the sun to vote for the administration. Electorates are overwhelmingly awaiting the February 2019 presidential polls to vote for a far-reaching departure from lip service toward fighting corruption.
2019 elections is going to be maintaining a change versus changing the change as Nigerians are anxious to get a glimpse on how the elections will look like unlike in 2015, when change battled continuity.
One of the issued that centre in the electioneering campaign is the issue of fighting corruption by the present administration and how the opposition party intended to fight corruption if emerge victorious.
Indeed, corruption must be seen as a cancer worm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation. NIGERIANS are a living witnesses that in any address made by serving and former leaders either military or civilians administration, claimed to fight against corruption. In spite of the president’s intention toward the fighting the cancer but the administration failed due to what can be called as indecisive action on many issues that ordinary Nigerians.
But unfortunately, things like this have continued to happen under PMB watch at an alarming rate, and the most painful part of it is his continued silence especially when many disheartening scandal rocks his government officials. Nigerian masses are irritated and puzzled PMB leadership style of governance as masses and even real Buharist but not blindside one condemned and frowned at it in totality. Nigerians couldn’t imagine that a prejudice of this nature could happen under PMB leadership, nearly end of his first term in office.
As on several occasions, President Buhari had reiterated that he would fight just and total war on corruption without selective approach, but the corruption is like skirmishing him back in the last three years. Despite highly profiled corrupt Nigerians, only two were convicted with various prison terms. Notwithstanding the administration’s most celebrated highly profiled corrupt cases like Defencegate, Dasukigate and PDP campaign funds, still almost four years into the administration, there were a no convictions of the alleged looters.
Millions of Nigerians not induced with the way the administration is conducting its war on corruption because the brawl is not moving so fast, as Buhari-led administration’s fight against corruption lacks transparency and allows for rules to be subverted without appropriate sanctions as there’s no effective mechanism to enforce the laws of the nation and blamed the ineffectiveness of Buhari’s anti-corruption war on weak anti-graft institutions. Corruption poses critical challenges to Nigeria’s economic and social development saying corruption not only diverts resources from legitimate causes beneficial to the society at large, but denies millions of people their fundamental freedoms and human rights and challenges posed by systemic corruption contribute to the perpetuation of poverty and the hindering of economic opportunities.
The opposition party presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar vow to fight corruption effectively if emerge victorious In his policy document promised to fight the scourge of corruption in Nigeria better than current administration has done.
As part of immediate actions to combat corruption under his government, Atiku said he would launch a comprehensive National Anti-Corruption Strategy based on the rule of law, separation of powers, neutrality and non-partisanship so as to reposition and refocus all anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies within the rest 100 days in office and also support and transform the capacity of the criminal justice system to deal with corruption and corrupt practices in a more efficient and effective way; and his administration will initiate measures aimed at changing public perception towards corrupt practices especially transferring of ill-gotten wealth to foreign accounts and jurisdictions through.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar highlight his administration would create special tribunals to try corruption cases sent to it by the relevant anti-corruption agencies as well as speed up judgments on outstanding cases of corruption and ensuring plea bargains are not abused and this can achievable by ensuring that judgments on corruption cases are fully followed through and enforced by the appropriate law enforcement agencies. He will ensure also promised to review and expedite action on the passage of all existing and pending new laws or amendments to all anti-corruption laws currently in the National Assembly and encourage all anti-corruption agencies to enjoy a seamless and rancor-free relationship with the office of the Attorney General of the Federation in order to improve the efficiency of the anti-corruption drive of the Federal Government.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate promise electorates that if elect his administration will would focus on building strong anti-corruption institutions that cannot be manipulated by personalities, while also establishing a culture of accountability, effectiveness, efficiency and transparency and his administration would also ensure rigorous enforcement of judicious use of public resources, with zero tolerance for nepotism, corruption and poor management.
His government will made anti-corruption agencies to be totally independent of government interference and control, and delineate the functions of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Code of Conduct Bureau, Code of Conduct Tribunal and other law enforcement agencies; reinforce the abilities of the anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies through improved funding and improved conditions of service to enable the agencies perform optimally.
One of the greatest challenges tormenting anti-corruption agencies activities in the country is nepotism, partisanship and lack of political will and the impartiality to deal decisively with corruption cases, saying the absence of a coordinated national anti-corruption strategy that fosters transparency and accountability in a non-partisan manner means that present administration fight against corruption cannot be happen again if elected. To achieve just and fair fight against corruption need to make perpetrators of corruption serve as deterrents to others, and anti-corruption agencies require ensuring adequate punishment is meted out to whoever is caught.
On ways to cut down on the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria, Atiku said he would establish a reward system whereby a comprehensive review and increase of salaries of all public officers within the federal services, law enforcement and armed forces would be executed and the concept of “FAIR PAY for FAIR WORK” would be emphasized from the highest levels of government while also promising that all public workers would be adequately rewarded and compensated, thus providing the government with the moral authority to sanction errant public workers. Many Nigerians are anxious to get a glimpse on how the elections will look like. Unlike in 2015, when change battled continuity, 2019 is most likely going to be maintaining a change versus changing the change.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar said corruption poses critical challenges to Nigeria’s economic and social development saying corruption not only diverts resources from legitimate causes beneficial to the society at large, but denies millions of people their fundamental freedoms and human rights and challenges posed by systemic corruption contribute to the perpetuation of poverty and the hindering of economic opportunities.
*** Abba Dukawa a public commentator and media practitioner can be reached [email protected]