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From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Prof. Usman Salisu Ogbo has said the granting of Prerogative of Mercy by the Executive arm of government to corrupt People has made Nigeria a laughing stock before comity of Nations
Prof. Ogbo made this assertion yesterday while delivering the 37th Inaugural Lectures of Federal University, Lokoja entitled”Corruption versus Corruption: unpacking the ‘wuru wuru’ of the anti corruption crusade in Nigeria”
He said government can not claim to be fighting corruption while at the same time acting in a way to defend them or deny punishment to those who are found to be corrupt because of political considerations or other vested interests.
The Professor of Political Science therefore called on the Civil Society Organisations to spearhead a robust campaign against the politicisation of the prerogative of mercy by the executive for individuals convicted of corruption-related offences.
He stressed that this practice, observed across successive administrations since 1999, has trivialised the fight against corruption and systematically undermined the efforts of anticorruption agencies.
The Erudite Professor also called on the federal government to introduce the African traditional oath-taking system where potent ‘ juju’ can be administered on public office holders so as to drastically reduce corruption cases in Nigeria.
While outlining some celebrated corruption cases in Nigeria, he said unless the government stops paying lip service to the issue of corruption, the efforts of the anti corruption agencies will not be meaningful and called on Nigeria to emulate other countries to introduce death penalty for corrupt people.
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In his words: “First, there is an urgent need to mobilise civil society at all levels to exert sustained pressure on the political class—particularly within the legislative and executive arms—to pursue constitutional review and amendments that introduce capital punishment, including the death penalty, as a deterrent against corruption and corrupt practices. Notably, many countries with low corruption perception indices retain capital punishment within their criminal justice systems.
“Second, I propose the establishment of dedicated Centres or Institutes for the Study of Corruption within Nigerian universities, given the scale and pervasiveness of corruption in the country.
“I urge the Federal University Lokoja to take the lead in this regard, drawing inspiration from institutions such as the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, which hosts a vibrant Centre for the Study of Corruption.
“Third, civil society organisations must spearhead a robust campaign against the politicisation of the prerogative of mercy by the executive for individuals convicted of corruption-related offences. This practice, observed across successive administrations since 1999, has trivialised the fight against corruption and systematically undermined the efforts of anticorruption agencies.
“Fourth, the African traditional oath-taking system, prior to colonial intrusion, proved to be one of the most effective deterrents against corruption. Historically, violations attracted immediate and often intergenerational consequences. In contrast, the contemporary oath-taking system—anchored in imported religious texts—defers accountability to the hereafter.
“Nigeria can be fixed before the hereafter through constitutional provisions mandating the incorporation of indigenous oath-taking systems. It must be noted that every part of Nigeria possesses unique and potent traditional oath-taking mechanisms, which can be appropriately adapted and institutionalised.”
