The United States (US) new resolve to combat global corruption should be generally applauded. Apart from observing that corruption is a cancer that is spreading beyond national and regional borders, it also calls for concerted efforts by nations, including international agencies, to nip it in the bud.
According to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the US State Department, James Walsh, America has deployed diplomatic and foreign assistance tools to prevent corruption and boost criminal justice responses to enforce international anti-corruption obligations and strengthen domestic anti-corruption laws and institutions. America is ostensibly doing this because corruption is said to impede investment, stifle economic growth, among others.
The US is also increasing its focus on the transnational dimensions of corruption through additional measures such as the multilaterally supported Global Anti-Corruption Consortium, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour. It is equally strengthening collaboration between the media and civil society to expose transnational corruption, drive policy reforms, and increase accountability for corrupt actors. With its recent launching of Democracies Against Safe Havens Initiative, it hopes to “build partner-government capacity to deny corrupt actors the ability to hide ill-gotten gains, encourage like-minded partners to adopt anti-corruption sanctions and visa restriction regimes, and detect and disrupt complex corruption schemes.”
We commend the US for its bold effort to curb corruption globally. Its stand on global corruption is in line with the recent call by President Muhammadu Buhari on the international community for tighter measures against the menace. Nigeria is among the countries that lose so much money through illicit fund transfer. If the US initiative is vigorously pursued with full support of other countries, it will drastically curb global corruption. There is no doubt that corruption is not peculiar to Nigeria. The difference is on how the menace is being handled. While the level of sleaze in the country is increasing, not much is being done to frontally tackle the malaise. We agree with President Buhari that if Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. That is why all hands should be on deck to tackle corruption headlong.
The US observation on the transnational aspect of the crime is a serious challenge to the fight against corruption in the country. Nigeria has recorded consistent low ranking in Transparency Initiative (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI). According to TI’s 2021 CPI report, Nigeria scored 24 out of 100 points and was ranked 154 out of 180 countries surveyed. The report makes Nigeria the second most corrupt country in West Africa, after Guinea that is ranked 150. There is also no indication that the situation has improved even now. Perhaps, corruption is getting worse in Nigeria.
Fighting corruption is among the three cardinal principles of the Buhari administration. The others are tackling insecurity and revamping the economy. However, virtually all the sectors of Nigeria’s public service are neck-deep in corruption. The government must sit up against the menace. Good as the American initiative is, the federal and state governments have roles in ensuring that the menace is highly reduced. It may not be easy to eradicate corruption from the society completely but serious efforts must be made in arresting the trend. Nigerians should not be defending acts of corruption.
We urge the government to fight corruption and redeem the country’s image. Let the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Police be strengthened to do their work. Those accused of corruption must be subjected to transparent trial and the guilty treated according to the laws of the land.
The US policy on visa restriction is in order. The transnational angle to the crime is troubling. When enormous resources are in the hands of corrupt individuals, the country is not safe. There is no denying the fact that corruption can seriously weaken governance and cause economic inequality. It is also likely to affect the capacity of states to respond to public health crisis or to deliver quality education; degrades the business environment and economic opportunity; drives conflict and undermines faith in government.
Corruption is the cause of underdevelopment of many African countries. Effective crusade against corruption requires that there is no hiding place for corrupt government officials. We enjoin governments to collaborate with the US in the new fight against global corruption.