Section C: Recovery of Social Architecture
Public corruption and its near-acceptance as a norm are major social maladies in Nigeria. The wanton frittering and pilfering of public funds by Nigerian political office holders, high-ranking civil servants and government contractors creates large-scale artificial scarcity & socioeconomic inequalities and aggravates social tension. Sadly, this unacceptable attitude to taxpayers’ monies by a section of the elite, with little consequences, continues to lure many other Nigerians in their various fields of endeavour to steal.
However, the journey to reverse the palpable and long-drawn mistrust between government (at all levels) and the citizens of Nigeria would begin by demonstrating financial prudence, transparency, accountability and overall integrity in public governance. This lack of trust is occasioned majorly by corruption, such that all occupiers of government seats (political & bureaucratic) are perceived as ‘dishonest’.
Whoever emerges our President in 2023 needs to do more than ensuring timely releases of funds to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practice & Other related Offences Commission (ICPC) for prompt prosecution of corrupt cases/persons. Nigeria’s next Chief Executive must creatively devise means to prevent acts of malfeasance in public offices as well as the endemic & audacious display of a wasteful attitude by government officials (political & bureaucratic). Furthermore, the fight against public corruption requires that the administration of criminal justice system in Nigeria be strengthened at both the Federal and subnational levels to protect whistle-blowers and expedite the process of conviction of courtroom-indicted corrupt persons as a deterrent to other ‘infected’ minds. Do you agree with the points in the last paragraph?
a. I strongly agree b. I agree c. I disagree d. I strongly disagree
Dr. Adetolu Ademujimi is a Medical Doctor, Author, Reformer, Coach, Public Policy expert and social entrepreneur, who wrote in from Akure in Nigeria. Email: ademujimi@yahoo.co.uk; Twitter: @toluademujimi; Instagram: @adetoluademujimi; Linkedin: @adetolu ademujimi
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