By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye has advocated for behavioural change to address the menace of corruption in Nigeria.
This is even as a renowned Professor of History, Professor Toyin Falola of the Department of History, University of Texas, Austin, United States of America has said all Bureaucratic Elites are fundamentally corrupt.
The ICPC Chairman and eminent Nigerians made this assertion on Monday in Abuja at a one-day programme titled: “Policy Dialogue on Corruption, Social Norms and Behaviour Change in Nigeria”, organized by the anti-corruption agency as part of efforts to advance an alternative approach in the fight against corruption in the country.
In his Opening Remarks, Owasanoye noted that the timing of the Policy Dialogue was right especially at the time when the foundation of the country’s social values and norms has become seriously threatened.
He expressed worry regarding the emergence and pervasive spread of corruption-inducing social norms across all ethnicities and religious divides.
The ICPC boss therefore stressed that achieving the goal of behavioural change in a society was necessary to address factors that fuel corrupt practices.
Said he: “Despite widespread cultural and religious perception of corruption as a negation of societal values, a survey carried out by ACAN-ICPC in 2020 revealed that corruption among public servants is enabled by community ambivalence towards the proceeds of corruption.
For example, as high as 69% of the public servants surveyed indicated that their community would accept monetary gifts above their annual salary without questioning the source of the money. Corruption is therefore fueled by community expectation of people in office”
Speaking further he said: “There is for example a general belief that groups, networks and communities expect the holder of an office to confer benefits from (or of) the office on members of the community regardless of whether (a) the benefits are corrupt practices in themselves (e.g., nepotism), or (b) if the benefits come from proceeds of corruption (e.g., embezzlement).
Also, there is the common expectation that people in high office should donate huge sums of money at public functions.
Lastly, it is equally expected that government officials should enrich (and/or confer other benefits on) themselves from their office. Relations and community members of public officials see nothing wrong with all these, even when they condemn such practices happening in other communities – a case of “it is good for us and not for other communities”.
Owasanoye lamented that “over the years, the law and order approach to combating corruption has dominated the activities of the anti-corruption agencies. Although the law and order approach is necessary to curb corruption, however, it is not sufficient as it has to be complemented with some form of a self or group-regulatory mechanism to achieve the desired behaviour change in both government and society. This is where a discussion of corruption, social norms and behaviour change becomes relevant”.
According to him: “Achieving the goal of behavioural change in a society with endemic corruption involves a complex and sometimes a long process that requires a multi-sectoral brainstorming session to develop appropriate policy framework. This is where a policy dialogue platform offers a unique and veritable opportunity.
“The task therefore before this Policy Dialogue on Corruption, Social Norms and Behaviour Change in Nigeria, are to: Disentangle the web of issues involving political, social, economic, religious and ethnic factors that fuel corrupt practices.
“Identify how societal expectations from peers, networks, groups and communities, enable corruption to fester in both government and society;
“Identify corruption-enabling social norms that are peculiar to the private sector; and finally, develop appropriate policy framework and measures to counter social norms that fuel corruption.”
The ICPC Chairman urged all stakeholders at the Policy Dialogue implement advocacy programmes in their constituencies.
“In carrying out this task, I call on you to reflect on the following preliminary recommendations as a take home assignment:
“All stakeholders invited to this Policy Dialogue should implement advocacy programmes in their constituencies.
“All the stakeholders should lead by example to inspire their members and constituents.
“All stakeholders should list out corruption – inducing social norms that need to be discouraged and anti – corruption social norms that should be encouraged.
“Key stakeholders should institute a reward system for those who demonstrate good behavior or who stand against corruption in their constituencies. Such a reward system should be elevated to a policy for all administrations to implement, and the ad hoc recognition of good practices which is presently being done should also be elevated to the level of policy that is not regime-bound,” he said.
Prof. Owasanoye the Federal and State Ministries of Education should develop and implement behavior change programmes in primary and secondary schools for the youths.
“Federal and State Ministries of Education should introduce inter – school debates to promote anti – corruption social norms and behavior change.
“The seven pillars of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIP) should be incorporated into the advocacy for behaviour change,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Keynote Speaker, Professor Falola surprisingly noted that most Nigerians are not corrupt contrary to popular assumption but insists that “all Bureaucratic Elites are fundamentally corrupt”.
Said he: “Most Nigerians are not corrupt, let’s make that clear. If you show me one corrupt Nigerian, I will show you five Nigerians that are not corrupt”.
The erudite Professor of History however admitted that Nigeria has been grappling with the pervasive problem of corruption for a considerable period, adding that its consequences have had far-reaching effects on its development, governance, and society.
He asserted that to effectively address corruption it was necessary to address the issues of societal norms that perpetuate and enable such unethical behaviour.
“To effectively address corruption, it is essential to delve into the intricate web of societal norms that perpetuate and enable such unethical behaviour. In the fight against corruption, it is crucial to focus on transforming behaviours and fostering a culture of integrity and accountability. This requires active participation from individuals across different sectors.
“A holistic approach is required to effectively combat corruption. These measures should primarily bolster institutions, promote adherence to rules and regulations, foster transparency, and actively involve citizens. We can create a robust framework to tackle corruption head-on by addressing these key areas.
“To find effective solutions, it is crucial to implement preventive strategies and educational initiatives and foster collaboration among multiple stakeholders. These three components work together to address various challenges and ensure long-term success. Preventive strategies help to identify and mitigate potential issues before they escalate, reducing the overall impact.
“Educational initiatives are key in raising awareness, equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions. Lastly, multi-stakeholder collaboration brings together diverse perspectives, expertise, and resources, fostering innovation and creating a collective effort towards development. In the battle against corruption, addressing socioeconomic factors such as poverty and inequality is imperative.”
Also speaking at the event, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) revealed that the NBA would make the fight against corruption a lifestyle.
He harped on lack of justice as a major factor that fuels corruption in the society, while he encouraged righteous living as a panacea to avoiding corrupt practices.
“We want to make the fight against corruption a lifestyle by members of the Nigerian Bar Association. The Fight against corruption is a business of lawyers, we are the ones who knows how to do it better.
“We do not need anyone to tell us that all the social ills we are faced with in the society all depict absence of justice. So, it all boils down for us to adopt a lifestyle that will help us to deal with corruption.
“It is when we are conscious of righteous living that we can build our nation. We all need to get it right, and by living righteously we can make the country great,” he said.
The Royal Father of the day and the Emir of Keffi, His Royal Highness, Dr. Shehu Chindo Yamusa who declared the policy dialogue open appreciated the ICPC for providing the platform to identify a major constraint in the effort to curb corruption in the country.
Dr. Yamusa who identified that corruption runs through all the strata of government and the society, expressed optimism that it was possible to tackle corruption in Nigeria.
He stressed that one of the most effective ways to fight corruption was with oversight, adding that corruption could be eradicated if everyone play their role.
Also speaking at the event the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen who commended the ICPC for the initiative expressed the hope that the outcome of the policy dialogue would lead to a national re-orientation of values and policy re-direction towards tackling the hydra-headed monster of corruption in Nigeria.
The Speaker who was represented by Hon. Oluwole Oke noted that corruption is a multifaceted problem that permeates various aspects of society and has far-reaching consequences for the development and stability of nations.
He therefore stressed that behavioural change and social norms approach in tackling corruption was required to cut it off from the root.
He said,”In our own case, it has been widely recognized as a significant obstacle to progress, impeding the country’s ability to reach its full potential. Despite this recognition, certain corruption-inducing behaviours, norms, attitudes, and expectations persist within our society, thereby, enabling and perpetuating acts of corruption.
“Corruption in Nigeria has been fuelled by various factors, including weak governance structures, lack of transparency and accountability, poverty, and cultural acceptance of corrupt practices.
“While we have laws, policies and institutions to tackle corruption, it is my considered opinion that corruption continues to fester owing to prevailing societal attitudes towards wealth, fame, power and success regardless of how they are obtained.
“It is in this light that I particularly find this conversation very crucial in the anti-graft war in our country. The behavioural and social norms approach in tackling corruption is akin to cutting off the root of an evil tree than trimming its branches. After all, prevention is better than cure.”
Other key stakeholders who were present, as well as represented at the auspicious occasion include; the Accountant General of the Federation; Senate President; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA); Director General, Bureau of Public Service Reform; Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria; Africa Regional Director, MacArthur Foundation; Executive Secretary of Christian Pilgrim Association; traditional rulers, among others.
