A new report shows that the prevalence of bribery in Nigeria has undergone a significant decrease since 2016 when it stood at 32.3 per cent, Assistant Editor BOLA OLAJUWON writes.
Nigerians have witnessed an upsurge in the number of corrupt individuals that have been investigated and prosecuted. Positive results from the government’s new stance on corruption are also being witnessed as most of the cases in the courts are being prosecuted by the regulatory agency charged with the responsibility. Large sums of money are being forfeited to the Federal Government.
Malami on war against corruption
Some high calibre politicians are also behind bars. No fewer than 22 former governors are either on trial or facing investigations over corruption allegations, according to Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN).
He said: “The failure to address corruption inhibits sustainable long growth which undermines national development.”
He also said the regime’s fight against corruption “is total, comprehensive and dispassionate devoid of any political or ethnic sentiments or inclination”. According to him, “the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, was able to, from 2015 to September 2019 convict 1, 636 persons involved in corruption-related offences”. He also referred to the conviction of former Governors Orji Kalu of Abia State, Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, and Jolly Nyame of Taraba State, who are currently serving jail terms for corruption.
Agents of war against corruption
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is in charge of investigating bribery and corruption in Nigeria. The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission is also playing a major role in investigating bribery and corruption allegations.
Other agencies also adding bite to the fight against corruption and bribery are the Special Fraud Unit and Anti-fraud Section of the Nigeria Police Force, the Code of Conduct Bureau, which was created to establish and maintain a high standard of morality in the conduct of government business; ensure that the actions and behaviours of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability; among others.
Nigeria and Corruption Perceptions Index
Despite the Federal Government’s efforts in tackling the menace of corruption, Nigeria is the 144 least corrupt nations out of 175 countries, according to the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. Corruption Rank in Nigeria averaged 121.48 from 1996 until 2018, reaching an all-time high of 152 in 2005 and a record low of 52 in 1997. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. A country or territory’s rank indicates its position relative to the other countries and territories in the index.
New horizon at the end of the tunnel
But despite international and local pessimism about government’s fight against corruption, a new report has claimed that the prevalence of bribery in Nigeria has undergone a significant decrease since 2016 when it stood at 32.3 per cent. According to the report of Second Survey on Corruption in Nigeria, which was presented on by the Federal Government in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the greatest change is in relation to police officers.
The report showed that the share of people who paid a bribe to a police officer out of all those who had at least one contact with a police officer in the 12 months prior to the 2019 survey decreased from 46 to 33 per cent. Encouragingly, the prevalence of bribery in relation to several types of public officials has also decreased significantly since 2016.
The report was presented to an international audience, including civil society at a special event on the margins of the Eighth Session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention against Corruption in Abu Dhabi.
Of the total of 17 types of public sector institutions that were specifically covered by the survey, 10 showed significant improvements in terms of the prevalence of bribe-seeking behaviour, while only one agency showed deterioration. The report, which was first presented in Abuja earlier this month, provides an insight into the prevalence and frequency of bribe-seeking behaviour experienced by Nigerians, as well as their attitudes towards corruption, their readiness to refuse requests for bribes and to report such incidents to relevant authorities.
Outreach and Communications Officer of UNODC in Nigeria Sylvester Atere, in a statement, said the report shines the light on bribery and nepotism in public sector recruitment as well as the phenomenon of vote-buying.
Statistician-General of National Bureau of Statistic Dr. Yemi Kale stressed that out of all Nigerian citizens, who had at least one contact with a public official in the twelve months prior to the 2019 survey, 30 per cent paid a bribe to, or were asked to pay a bribe by a public official.
The 2019 survey also shows a notable increase in the overall proportion of Nigerians who had at least one contact with a public official in the 12 months prior to the survey. This can be seen as a positive sign for the provision of public services in Nigeria. Healthcare professionals, namely doctors, nurses and midwives, and public utility officials are the two types of public officials with whom the largest share (31 per cent each) of Nigerians had at least one contact in the 12 months prior to the 2019 survey. Police officers came a close third, with 30 per cent.
Improvements in among young people’s attitudes
The 2019 survey also showed improvements in particular among young people’s attitudes towards corruption with 60 per cent amongst them considering corruption never acceptable, as opposed to 58 per cent in 2016.
According to the report, Nigerians overall seem to have become more willing to refuse requests for bribes, with 19 per cent of the survey respondents indicating that at least on one occasion during the past twelve months they had not refused to pay a bribe when asked to do so. At the same time, public officials appear less emboldened to request bribes with 60 per cent of the bribes having been paid after a direct demand of the public official down from 66 per cent in 2016.
Impact of government effort through evidence-based surveys
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Organisations in Vienna Ambassador Vivian Okeke, who opened the special event, emphasised the need to assess the impact of government effort through evidence-based surveys. She highlighted that data collection was one of the areas that needed improvement in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. She recognised the high-level commitment demonstrated by President Muhammadu Buhari administration, which, she noted, contributed to some of the positive results highlighted in the report Malami, who led anti-graft stakeholders in hailing the report, expressed his gratitude to the National Statistical Bureau and international partners like UNODC in providing the necessary data analysis to help review the impact of government efforts as well as to further improve performance towards the achievement of a corruption-free Nigeria.
He said: “Beyond allowing us to assess our past performance, the report identifies some crucial policy implications of the data which I am confident will help us to further sharpen our policies and interventions, to prioritise our efforts and resources in the fight corruption and to achieve, ultimately, better anti-corruption results for all Nigerians.”
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu, represented by the head of Legal and Prosecution, Kabir Latona, stated the data had shown positive indicators in several areas but acknowledged there was still room for improvement in the fight against corruption.
He outlined some of the efforts embarked by the government through the EFCC in combatting corruption to include policy initiatives like the open treasury portal, beneficial ownership register, and the successful investigation, prosecution and adjudication of several politically exposed persons.
Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, who was represented by Adesina Raheem, also reacted to the data, stressing the importance of implementing the recommendations emanating from the survey.
Hermione Cronje, Head of the Investigating Directorate, National Prosecuting Authority, South Africa, expressed the interest of South Africa to undertake a similar survey with a view to being able to better determine the actual impact of its anti-corruption efforts. She stated her willingness to work closely with the relevant Nigerian authorities and learning from their experiences in conducting such experience-based surveys.
UNODC Country Representative Oliver Stolpe observed that while the prevalence of administrative, mostly low-value, bribery has decreased, the survey suggests that moving forward greater efforts might be needed to eradicate small scale corruption typically committed by certain types of public officials, which continues to have a profound effect on the lives of Nigerians.
He added that the survey had identified several such policy implications which had the potential to further enhance effectiveness and benefits of the fight against corruption for the people of Nigeria. (The Nation)
