Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Adamu Ibrahim, said the Police Force cannot be separated from human rights activities
Job Osazuwa
Corruption has been identified as a major challenge affecting economic, political and human development in Nigeria. It has set the country on a perpetual path to retrogression, making most of the citizenry to swim in abject poverty.
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Corruption has also been identified as the major reason unemployment is on the rise in the land, as infrastructural decay stares everyone in the face. Public health institutions, roads, electricity, education and potable water are undeniably in need of urgent intervention.
Perturbed by its attendant effects on the nation and the people, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigeria Police Force, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Human Rights Defenders and Access to Justice Advocacy Centre recently converged on Lagos to speak against the epidemic called corruption.
At the event organised by the NGO, the representative of ICPC, a Deputy Superintendent, Dubem Odega said if Nigeria must defeat corruption, all hands must be on deck irrespective of position or status. She said the level of moral decadence in the society today calls for a collective concern.
Quoting Peter Egen of Transparency International, Odega said: “Corruption poses a threat, not only to the environment, human rights, democratic institutions, fundamental human rights and freedoms, but it also undermines development and deepens poverty for millions of people across the world. If allowed to continue, corruption will deny that most fundamental of human needs – hope.”
She expressed worry that corruption has become a subculture, a common practice, and an evil. She said it was unfortunate that most Nigerians have grown used to it, as it has become an integral part of their everyday life. She warned that if the evil was not eradicated from the society, it would continue to pose a threat to poverty alleviation and national development.
She explained corruption as a dishonest or illegal behaviour, as well as the abuse of position held for personal gain to the detriment of others. She quickly corrected the often-held view that corruption was only perpetrated by those occupying government offices. She explained that any form of bribery, fraud or other related offences that is committed by anybody is corruption.
“There is political corruption which affects the way and manner in which decisions are made. Electoral corruption has to do with buying of votes or promises of illegitimate votes to certain candidates, while bureaucratic corruption is common among public servants such as in MDAs, schools, hospitals and so on.
“Other forms of corruption are: nepotism, extortion, embezzlement, misappropriation, falsification of official records, ghost workforce, absenteeism, examination malpractices, impersonation, cultism, drug addiction, internet fraud and other forms of cheating. Corruption can even occur in homes as well as in churches and mosques where people profess holiness and nearness to God,” she said.
Odega identified some of the causes of corruption as: lack of clear rules and codes of ethics; greed and avarice; extensive discretionary powers; distorted societal values; weak law enforcement system; poor payment of wages/salaries; leadership insensitivity; unfavourable working conditions and lack of fear of God.
“In fact, corruption is one of the most dangerous social ills of any society because corruption, like a deadly virus, attacks the vital structure that makes society to progress, thus putting its very existence into serious perils.
“Today, our country is a shadow of its former self, and it is no longer in doubt that recounting the woes and travails bedevilling our fatherland will cast one down on a path of depression and anguish.”
She vowed that ICPC would not renege in clamping down on people who engage in corrupt practices. She revealed that the commission also prevents corrupt tendencies in public and private sectors. Part of its mandate, she added, is educating the public on and against bribery, corruption and related offences.
It also enlists and fosters public support in combating corruption through public education and effective partnership with relevant NGOs.
She called for the need for a reorientation, especially re-establishing the ethical and moral foundation of the individuals. She stressed that beyond the strengthening of the laws and institutions that enforce them, all Nigerians must key into defeating corruption.
She said: “The deplorable state of affairs is injurious to the viability and sustainability of this nation and our collective worth as Nigerians. Corruption is probably the fastest means to accumulate illegal wealth in Nigeria, hence, it places a great need for a critical appraisal of our value system and to have a rebirth. We need to confront this behemoth of corruption to the barest minimum.
“All attempts to tackle corruption in Nigeria seem to be hitting the brick wall based on the dimension it has taken, particularly lack of political will. A situation whereby looters walk freely on the streets without being charged, where contracts are awarded without being executed, is worrisome.”
To combat corruption, she urged Nigerians to practise self-discipline, honesty, accountability, and hard work.
In his contribution, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Adamu Ibrahim, said the Police Force cannot be separated from human rights activities, as well as stamping out corruption from Nigeria.
The AIG, who was represented by Ben Osuji, a chief superintendent of police, said there was no gainsaying the fact that human rights is a universal phenomenon that cannot be negotiated. He said everyone, including the police, must continue to propagate and seek enforcement of human rights for all citizens.
“The emphasis on human right discourse is shifting from theory and philosophy to practicalisation. That is why law enforcement agencies continue to strive for a secured society so that human rights can thrive,” he said.
Ibrahim pledged to collaborate with NGOs and others in propagating and promoting human rights and justice so that there can be a safer society for all to live in.
Mrs. Amaka Omoh, who is the Head of Human Rights Education of the NHRC, said it was unfortunate that most Nigerians have not been active in exercising their rights; especially holding to account those they voted into public offices to represent them.
“We must become active citizens. It is only when we play our part that the challenges in the society can be dealt with. We must be involved in how we are governed, and we must do so selflessly. We must do the right thing and always stand by it.
“Some people believe it is not their business. We have become our own worst enemies by keeping quiet when we see things going wrong in our environment. We all must contribute our own quota to build a nation we want to be proud of. As we approach the general election, please don’t sell your votes,” Omoh said.
Representing NAPTIP, Mr. Fred Uche Okoh, said the agency was responsible for tracking people or group who are involved in trafficking people or their parts locally or internationally.
According to him, human trafficking is the movement of a person or persons through deception, threat, abduction and coercion, for the sole purpose of exploitation.
He said the act negates human rights and promotes corruption in every society. He, therefore, renewed the agency’s commitment to end human trafficking, which he said had shattered dreams and claimed lives in some cases. He announced that since its inception, NAPTIP had got 358 persons convicted in connection with human trafficking.
“Most people might not know but it is against the law to employ a child less than 12 years as a house help or to be engaged in hawking or begging for alms. We also track people who traffick minors and adults for prostitution. Enough is enough of human trafficking of Nigerians,” Okoh said.
The National President of Human Rights Defenders and Access to Justice Advocacy Centre, Mrs. Queen Rose Ameh, said the organisation was committed to the promotion of human rights and to sweep the streets of human rights predators.
Other areas of focus for them, as gathered, include protecting the integrity and interest of indigent citizens, as well as to create a society of human rights compliance and accountability.
So far, Mrs Ameh said seven cases of minors who were sexually abused had been treated, and ten cases of domestic violence resolved by the NGO. She said her team and partners had visited 12 schools to create awareness on human rights.
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