Corruption, Nigeria’s visa to failed statehood –Akanbi

                                                       

  

                  Former chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi (retd), has warned that Nigeria is on the brink of becoming a failed state if the problem of corruption is not addressed with the seriousness it deserves.

Justice Akanbi gave the warning while delivering a keynote address at the 46th annual conference of the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) held at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) with the theme: Corruption and National Development.

The eminent jurist lamented the increasing wave of unbridled corruption and criminality in the country, which, he said, could only be curbed if those in power had the political will to do so.
In his lecture, Justice Akanbi said: “Bare-faced looting of public treasury, fuel subsidy scam, pension scam, money laundering, economic crimes of all sorts, oil bunkering, kidnapping, cold blooded murder, massacre, grand and petty corruption are now common day occurrences and they are all committed with reckless abandonment and impunity.”

He submitted that given the frenzied and fluid state of affairs in the country, the nation is on the path to the predicted failed state because “corruption breeds inefficient economic outcome, impedes long term foreign and domestic investment, reduces ability of the state to revise revenue, impedes the state’s ability to provide essential public goods and services, promotes inflationary trends, undermines and reduces efficiency of professionals, makes project planning difficult, creates social unrest and undermines the legitimacy of state.”

The former ICPC chairman said Nigeria’s poor transparency rating was due largely to lack of political will to confront the menace of corruption frontally and head on.
He observed that the gradual decline and observable weaknesses of governmental institutions over the years to face the challenges of failing economy, political institutions and system were parts of the causes of corruption in the country.

Challenging the judiciary to also take its place in the fight against corruption, the elder statesman said: “The judiciary must be independent if it is to effectively play the role of an arbiter and ensure that the rule of law prevails.”

In his opening remarks, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Okey Wali, called on universities in the country to review their curricula to include professional ethics. He noted that universities in the country must introduce professional ethics in their curricula to address the problem of lawyers lacking in ethical knowledge.

While describing corruption as the biggest cancer and worst problem facing the nation, Wali noted that the recent American report indicting the country on the issue of corruption only served to remind the nation of a problem that was well known.

Earlier in his welcome address, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali described the conference theme as apt and timely.

The vice chancellor, who was represented on the occasion by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (RTI), Prof. Felix Oladele, also noted that corruption was not a new phenomenon but a disease that had eaten up every facet of the Nigerian society.

President, Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT), and acting Dean of Law, UNILORIN, Dr. Abdulqadir Ibrahim Abikan, in his remarks stated that the NALT conference had become a household event through which law teachers throughout the country gathered to ruminate on topical national issues. Abikan stated that the drive to eliminate corruption prompted the choice of the title of the conference.