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By Emmanuel Onwubiko
In Nigeria of year 2021, Nigerians struggle to convince the rest of the World that we truly understand the implication of waging a law based war on Corruption and Economic Crimes. We are still being overtly and covertly dramatic about such a life and death hydra headed monster of corruption and economic crimes. Virtually all aspects of the political life in Nigeria is characterised by corruption and financial malfeasance to such an extent that it appears that we have created a welcoming home for corruption in the World.
This is because if Nigeria truly wages a war on Corruption and Economic Crimes in the real sense of it, then the two recent global ratings as the World’s Poverty Capital and the second most corrupt Country in West Africa would not been necessary. To make matters worst, those at the pinnacle of political powers are busy playing too much of politics with the war on corruption to an extent that in Nigeria some corruption is better than the other based on political affinity and the networks of the person being accused of corruption. This much was revealed by the Advisory Council Chairman on corruption to President Muhammadu Buhari when he exchanged verbal abuses with the number one law officer of the Federation which will be shown in the concluding segment of this brief reflection made necessary by the high profile conviction for corruption of one of the World’s most powerful political former leaders in France. As soon as the sentencing was announced on the Global media, the over a dozen people in my office who watched it shouted that it was an impossible task in Nigeria because of the extensive problems of corruption and bribery that define the court system in Nigeria. And so in this write up, I will argue that Nigeria is a home for Sarcozys whereby they are the persons that control the different levers of political powers in Nigeria and they are simply above the law since those who ought to prosecute and jail them are similarly involved. Those who get jailed are the WRETCHED OF THE EARTH. As stated above, Corruption and Economic Crimes are the main drivers of mass poverty and insecurity of all kinds which have manifested heavily all across board in the Nigeria of the year 2021. These social vices have become very troubling and indeed extensive because of the fact that the institutions put in place to combat them are themselves being weakened by Politicians.
Can I proceed by telling even if it means a repetitive affirmation, to my readers that the immediate reason for this reflection is the phenomenal judicial verdict of guilt that was pronounced by a court in France against one of France’s erstwhile powerful political leaders- Nicolas Sarkozy.
Also, we should be reminded as often as possible that what makes a nation strong and reputable globally is not by how powerful the political leaders are but by the strength of the Institutions put in place to make everyone to operate within the bounds of the law. Equity and equality before the law are two symbolic qualities that distinguishes a law based society from the rest. In the light of the above statement, we need also to recall that France is a very strong Country and it is so because the institutions put in place are stronger than the politicians. For the avoidance of doubts, historically, we must recall that the World economic forum had few years back, precisely in the year 2017 July, rated France as the World number 1 for soft power.
France’s vast diplomatic network, its cultural richness, not to mention Macron’s policies on cooperation and integration, have all contributed to the country’s No 1 position on this year’s Soft Power 30 index.
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Meanwhile, the US has fallen from first place to third in the past year. This may be due to President Donald Trump’s “America first” policy, an approach that has “played poorly abroad, alienating allies and damaging links with the rest of the world”, the report says. The US’s decline on the index is based on people’s changing perceptions, not facts. The country is still unrivalled in higher education, cultural production and technological innovation, argues the report. American universities continue to dominate global league tables. The UK, in second place, is in a precarious position. Although it held on to its No 2 spot, it is one of only four countries to have scored lower in this year’s analysis, which ranks 30 countries overall. This is largely down to the Brexit vote, argues Portland. “It is hard to see how it will enjoy the same level of influence in Europe (and beyond) that it did as of 22 June 2016.”
Still, the UK continues to have the world’s most trusted news source – the BBC World Service – as well as a flourishing cultural, tech and education sector. The top five soft power contenders have remained the same since the analysis was first published two years ago, but their order has changed. Germany, which has dealt with major issues including terrorist attacks and a wave of immigration, has fallen one place in this year’s index despite an improved overall score and widespread confidence in Chancellor Angela Merkel. And although Canada “remains one of the world’s most well-regarded countries”, it needs to beef up its innovation and enterprise, according to the report. However, even when France is a Nuclear power and one of the five Nations that wields the veto powers within the security council of the United Nations, France as it were still observes the institutional checks and balances between the legislative and executive branches including the President’s power to dissolve parliament and the National Assembly’s power to dismiss the Prime Minister, shared authority to initiate legislation between the parliament and the Prime Minister and the absence of any Veto power on the President.
In France, the parliament’s power are strictly enumerated by the Constitution, which lists the matters that can be the subject of legislation. The parliament began since June 17th 1789 during the French revolution. French president serves as the head of state, popularly elected and cannot be voted out of office by parliament. But he/she as president can be impeached by the French parliament for willfully violating the constitution or the National laws. The process of impeachment is written in the 68th article of the French Constitution. A group of Senators or a group of members of the National Assembly can begin the process. In line with the democratic principle of separation of powers, the French Judiciary- although its members are state employees- is independent of the legislative authority. The basis of the French legal system is laid out in a key document originally drawn up in 1804 and known as the code civil or code Napoleon. In France, the law is no respecter of persons or status. Unlike here in Nigeria, the former President Nicolas Sarkozy would be at home and treated as a sacred cow. In Nigeria, even some TERRORISTS ARE PAMPERED AND THOSE WHO AREN’T TERRORISTS ARE CLASSIFIED AS ONE.
But not in France where the Institutions are stronger than political forces. The former President of France has today become a Criminal Convict over Corruption allegation of bribing a judge which is institutionally forbidden. In Nigeria, the ICPC has recently told us that billions of Naira were pumped into pockets of judges as bribes. Not one person amongst the givers and takers of these bribes are in jails. Judges in Nigeria retire into stupendous wealth from the bribes accumulated from rich litigants who buy justice off the shelves.
How can corrupt judges be in jail when one of the key anti-corruption bodies is heavily weigh down by accusations of credibility crisis. Even the head of the judiciary at the moment in Nigeria was smuggled into office by the backdoor through an ex parte motion and through an order issued by a quasi judicial forum of Code of Conduct tribunal as against the Constitutional provisions that only give such mandates to the National Judicial Council. And so what you see happening is open public spats over who should be made Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC and not necessarily how to wage successful crusade against corruption. The war on corruption in Nigeria is characterised by corruption.
Onwubiko is head of the Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA)
