Recently, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe took a swipe at Nigeria, labeling its citizens as corrupt. The nonagenarian made the remark during his 90th birthday luncheon hosted by his service chiefs. Mugabe said Zimbabweans are now almost behaving like Nigerians who have to be corruptly paid for every service.
“Are we now like Nigeria where you have to reach your pocket to get anything done? You see we used to go to Nigeria and every time we went there we had to carry extra cash in our pockets to corruptly pay for everything. You get into a plane in Nigeria and you sit there and the crew keeps dilly dallying without taking off as they wait for you to pay them to fly the plane,” the sit-tight president was quoted, followed by a huge laugh from delegates attending his birthday bash.
The current corruption rankings in the world rate Zimbabwe’s corruption a lot worse than Nigeria. Nigeria is ranked 163rd most corrupt country in the world while Zimbabwe is an embarrassing 170th, third from the bottom. So, on what moral pedestal was Mugabe standing as to spew such disparaging attack on Nigeria?
Expectedly, Nigeria took exception to the accusation. It promptly summoned Zimbabwean high commissioner to Nigeria to protest the remarks, describing it as vitriolic.Nigeria has the courage to feel insulted because the attack came from a nation that is also languishing in the nether region of corruption. Mugabe’s vituperation against Nigeria is a typical instance of the kettle calling the pot black.However, Mugabe said the bitter truth. “What’s in it for me?” is the mantra in virtually every business transaction in this country. However, it was wrong of Mugabe to generalise all Nigerians as corrupt.
There are still many Nigerians who have zero-tolerance for the crime. It is an unfortunate situation because when you lump one rotten egg with good ones, the odium rubs off the others.
Today, the level of corruption in Nigeria boggles the mind. In spite of the existence of two anti-corruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the invidious crime has not only continuedto wax stronger by every passing day but it has also stuck to us like a leech.
In the early years of the Obasanjo administration, the EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu attracted foreign donors who believed that Nigeria was serious at stamping out the felony. For instance, in September 2007, the European Union gave the EFCC the sum of $32m. Subsequently, the World Bank released $3.181m, The Netherlands assisted with $699, 000, UNDP made available the sum of $650, 000, while the British Government offered $625, 000. These supports were made public through a newspaper advertisement placement by the then executive chairman of the EFCC, Malam Nuhu
Ribadu. Today, such assistance is no longer forthcoming ostensibly because the anti-graft organ has been losing the battle on all frontsdespite the foreign aids. Presently, the EFCC is hamstrung by lack of funds to carry out its core mandate of ridding the country of the menace.
President Goodluck Jonathan is not helping matters either given his stand that the corruption phenomenon is an exaggeration by those who are bent on discrediting his administration and that the situation does not warrant the wielding of any big stick. We disagree with him. Many have canvassed for death penalty for corrupt elements convicted of the crime. It appears to be the only option available to the country if indeed we are serious at stemming the dangerous tide.