…As ICPC blames corruption for Nigeria’s insecurity

By Ogaga Ariemu

President of Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan said recent military onslaught against terrorists, bandits, criminal elements is yielding positive results as the country fires from all cylinders in her efforts to ending insecurity.

This is coming as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said public sector corruption has directly, indirectly caused insecurity in Nigeria.

Lawan who spoke at the ‘National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Insecurity in Nigeria’, a programme organized by ICPC in Abuja, harped on the need for all Nigerians to support Government’s efforts in curbing corruption and insecurity.

The Senate President who was the Chairman of the event said the fight against corruption is not restricted to government officials alone but a networked efforts by all the society.

He noted that, “Success can only be achieved if leaders and citizens alike are in the fight. It is not only about FG but the states, Local Government Areas”.

He lamented the collapse of Local Government structures in Nigeria, a major setback in preventing insecurity.

“The challenges of our country must be solved by all of us not only the leaders”, he said.

He added that, “Only recently, the president gave a marching order to the armed forces to extinguish bandits, kidnappers and other criminal agents against the state and her citizens, by December 2022. This administration is committed to achieving this set target. Accordingly, the past few weeks have seen security agencies flushing out terrorists from their hideouts in Kaduna Birnin-gwari axis, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto. Similar results were recorded in Niger, where, like in Kaduna, the Nigerian Airforce neutralised many terrorists”.

On his part, the Chairman, ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, said public sector corruption directly and indirectly causes insecurity in Nigeria.

He explained that diversion of Military funds, job racketeering, embezzlement of public money, others are the bane of insecurity in Nigeria.

Owasanoye highlighted efforts made so far by the Commission to reduce corruption and its attendance effect on Nigeria’s economy, society.

He added that the Commission under his watch will see to a speedy conclusion of all corruption cases currently being investigated.

According to him, “Policy dialogue aims to broaden our thinking on causative factors, enabling factors and policy gaps that weaken the country’s capacity to decisively and conclusively eradicate insecurity from within her border.

“At face value, insecurity is seen to be, and is sometimes treated as a matter requiring only a military response or reaction, but an in depth look into its possible root cause(s) shows that corruption is a major contributory factor to the continued existence and propagation of insecurity in the country.

“In fact, a clinical diagnosis of the insecurity menace in the country reveals that to effectively combat insecurity we require the collaborative efforts of Security Agencies (the military, intelligence, Police, Customs, Prisons, others), as well as Law Enforcement and Anti-Corruption Agencies.

“ICPC’s research and investigation findings on the subject matter show that Public sector corruption, directly and indirectly, enables insecurity, and can sometimes complement it.

“Cases of job racketeering abound in the security sector, many of which are under investigation by the ICPC. There are also ongoing investigations into military contracts spending. Recently, ICPC arrested a military contractor that received over a period of less than ten years cumulative sum of about N6 Billion from the Nigerian Army in suspicious circumstances and in violation of extant legislation. The Commission’s recovery of huge cash sums in local and foreign currencies, luxury cars, customized mobile phones, designer watches including three Rolexes as well as property documents from the premises of the contractor underscore the corruption that often attend military procurement.

“Some former military and security personnel are being investigated by ICPC and our sister agency for embezzlement of funds allocated to security. For example, a former head of one of the arms of the military in the twilight of his tenure deposited the sum of N4 billion from military budget into the accounts of two companies where he is beneficial owner and sole signatory.

“ICPC’s prosecution of this high ranking officer to recover all the implicated assets was strangely and perversely frustrated by a recently retired High Court judge who decided to forfeit some of the assets to FGN and the rest left to the suspect. While the Commission has filed notice of appeal, this strange development aggravates an already bad situation and escalates insecurity and impunity

“Funds to retool and reposition the police to a world class institution is no less threatened by corruption. The newly established police special intervention framework designed to eliminate underfunding of the police, the Police Trust Fund, is already under ICPC investigation for abuse, fund diversion bogus, questionable welfare packaging that is not for the police who are the beneficiaries of the fund and sundry corrupt practices. One may safely conclude that other security agencies are dogged by similar practices albeit to varying degrees”, he disclosed.

Also, in his remarks as the Key-note Speaker, National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Babagana Munguno (rtd) advocated that all hands must be on desk to sustain the efforts towards ending corruption, insecurity in Nigeria.

According to him, Munguno said, “It is significant we focus our attention on the root causes of corruption by reworking our value system towards promoting good governance, accountability and transparency in both public and private sectors”.

Meanwhile, Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in his goodwill message stated that, “It is incumbent on us all therefore to break this evil nexus between corruption and insecurity. The less corruption there is in a society, the safer it becomes”.

The Policy Dialogue witnessed the amalgamation of ideas from renowned academics on effective policy frameworks required to ending the menace of corruption and insecurity in Nigeria.

Others dignitaries present at the session include: Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor; President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Waba; Representative of Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, DIG John Amadi; Representativeof Ministry of Defence; Representative of Ministry of Police Affairs; Representative of Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs; Representative of Nigeria Governor’s Forum;The Emir of Keffi in Nasarawa State, Dr Shehu Chindo Yamusa III; President Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh and others.