Recent, President Goodluck Jonathan remarked that corruption was not the problem of Nigeria. But a constitutional lawyer cum Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome said corruption had assumed a dangerous dimension and could pull down the ship of state. He spoke as a guest lecturer at the 4th Thomas Moore Public Lecture organized by the National Association of Catholic Lawyers to mark the association’s week in Abuja, recently. AMEH EJEKWONYILO reports
Chief Mike Ozekhome charged catholic lawyers to offer pro bono (free legal) services to less privileged members of the society who have limited access to justice.
The human rights activist bemoaned the endemic level of corruption in the Nigerian polity; as he blamed the situation on the docility of the Nigerian masses to hold the country’s leadership accountable.
He said: “If you pursue the average Nigerian to the wall, rather than turn back and fight you, he would even break down the walls to further runaway from the aggressor. You are not going to hold government accountable to the people in that way. We have to show a strong will and desire that we the people of Nigeria sent our people in government there to go and represent us, and they are the “tail and that we are dog that wags that tail. So, that is the issue of accountability.”
Ozekhome averred that, “corruption has steadily grown to become the 37th state of Nigeria. In fact, corruption today as the 37th state in Nigeria is the wealthiest; because it combines all the wealth of the Boko Haram, kidnappers who kidnapped me last year and took N50, 000 000 and combined it with those of armed robbers, prostitutes, the ‘Otokotos’, fraudsters (419ners), those who deep their hands in the coffers of our public treasury and take money as much as they want. Corruption has become gargantuan and dangerous. So, it is the richest state in Nigeria; which was why in the year 2000, we won the gold trophy in corruption by Transparency International Corruption rating index. In 2001, we managed and won the silver diadem over medal, and in 2002, we still drew with the rest of the world with one bronze in corruption.”
“That is how corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigerian nation which is why we have become unshockable; nothing seems to shock us anymore. In those days when you hear that someone has stolen one million, you get shocked. It was Justice Ovie Whisky Chairman of FEDECO in 1979 who was accused of taking a bribe of one million naira, and he said, ‘In all my years as a judge, I have never seen one million naira. In fact, if I see one million naira, I will faint and die.’ But today, we hear of an ordinary Assistant Director in a Ministry pocketing N8.9 billion, N11 billion. We no longer hear of millions. So, we are getting to a stage of unsociability in corruption. We are becoming almost ungovernable in terms of societal ethos; those fine things that bind us together as a people. We have to do something about corruption in our homes”, Ozekome advised.
Speaking on the existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity for the past 100 years, the Learned Silk observed that the country is a diverse nation, adding that Nigeria had passed through a lot of phases such as the civil strife.
He lambasted politicians for Nigeria’s stunted democracy. “Politicians have messed up our democracy which we fought for. The economy has been destroyed; everyone is a government onto himself as we provide basic services for ourselves such as power, water and security.”
Despite these challenges, Chief Ozekhome urged Nigerians to learn to live together as one nation. “We are from different ethnic nationalities and religions, but true fiscal federalism is a panacea to Nigeria’s unity.”
He noted that the crisis of insurgency in the North-East should not be localized as a ‘Northern proplem’. It should be seen as a collective responsibility.
The constitutional lawyer tasked Catholic Lawyers to practice law with the fear of God. “Practice law with the view of helping the downtrodden in the society.”
Earlier in an opening remark, the President of the Association of Catholic Lawyers, Abuja Chapter, Barr. Innocent Eremionkhale said the event was an annual occasion that brings all catholic lawyers in the FCT together to brainstorm on current national issues with a view of fashioning ways out of the problems.
“Every year the National Association of Catholic Lawyers, Abuja Chapter, organizes a public lecture where we consider contemporary issues as they affect the fabric our society. This year, the fourth in the series; we have chosen to consider the centenary of our country. Being aware of the challenges we face as a people, we have picked the theme: “Unity in Diversity: A 100 years in Diversity.”
He reiterated the association’s commitment to the unity of Nigeria. “Catholic Lawyers stand for the continued existence of the Nigerian nation. We task Nigerians to proffer solutions to our challenges rather than call for the disintegration of the country.”
