Scholars all around the world has converged at the international conference on TAX HAVENS AND THE DEVELOPING WORLD: THE GLOBAL DIMENSION organized by the Center for General Studies (CGS) and Office of International Conference which held at the University of Ibadan on 2nd &3rd of August, 2017 and they have urge agencies to be at alert in their fight against corruption.
During the second plenary session, speakers discussed various issues that affect the nation’s economy and how the government bodies have played their own part either constructively or destructively.
Egbewumi Musibau from the School of Law and Politics, Department of International Relations and Political Science, Ecole Professionelle Specializee La Cite Universite, Republic of Benin spoke on: Corruption, Law Enforcement Agencies and Whistle blowing in Nigeria.
Egbewumi’s presentation focuses on the activities of the law enforcement agencies and their involvement in corrupt practices and how it affects government policies on corruption free society.
He explained that in the fight against corruption, focus is being placed on high profile most especially high ranking political holders and top government officials, but little did we know that these law enforcement officers have contributed in helping corrupt people perpetrate evil through the use of their uniforms, also the rate of cross-border corruption is alarming and it must not be overlooked.
He therefore beckons on the government to reshape the whistle blowing policy and allow ordinary people on the street blow whistle against these security agencies whose corrupt act has defamed Nigeria’s image. There should also be security assurance for the whistle blower who may fall prey of attacks.
The joint presentation of Olorode Sikiru and Adebayo peter of the Department of History and International studies which is based on: International Conspiracy and the Fight Against Corruption in Nigeria was presented by Olorode Sikiru in a bid to evaluate the role of international communities on financial malpractices by Nigerians through international conspiracy which have created an attractive loophole to steal resources from the society and weaken the country’s economy and institutional quality which make it easier to steal from the national treasury used a former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha as a case study.
“It has been estimated that around $55b was looted from Nigerian public funds by Sani Abacha and his associates during his presidency and stashed in the Western Banks; this is the great problem the new Nigerian government is battling with by seeking assistance from British and American government to recover $ 2.2b of these stolen funds.”
“Corruption is an abuse of public power to promote private benefits. It is also a global devil that has devoured human intelligibility in its social context, and if Nigeria fails to kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigerian indefinitely,” Olorode said.
He further stated that the role of international community’s cannot be over-emphasized with the bane of corruption across international border given the current level of increasingly integrated global economy.
Adding that there is need to intensify anti- corruption checks and balances beyond internal level, and not until the problem of off shore havens is properly address the dividend of democracy cannot circulate.
The paper presented by Nwobueze, Chibuzor of Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, Rivers State University of Education which centers on Public Accountability and the Whistle Blower Policy in Nigeria reels out how public accountability can be strengthen in order to enjoy sustainable peace and development through the adoption of “Whistle Blower Policy.”
“Whistle blower policy is a peace building strategy of Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to control the phenomenon of corruption and ease destructive effects to enable peace and development and this became necessary as a result of the relationship between corruption, conflict and peace.”
“Whistle blower policy is an anti- corruption which seeks to expose acts of undermined transparency in public and private sector, it is also used to curb corruption by taking suspects unaware through reliable information that could yield valuable results when the suspects are exposed,” he said.
Nwobueze listed the instruments of corruption as positions, contracts at different levels and the use of gifts as a means of bribery. Adding that a notable manifestation of corruption is the award of contract in different sector of the economy where people gives bribe to government officials in order to have their names listed as those responsible for the contracts execution.
However, the fact that whistle blower policy target corruption doesn’t mean it is for the elite who have been accused of embezzling public funds alone. But the policy needs to be safeguarded by the acts of parliaments in order to guarantee its effectiveness and the best way to achieve this is to make sure that the Freedom of Information Acts is used in enforcing the policy.
Nwobueze therefore enjoined the commercial banks to create awareness for this policy by raising alarm when necessary and by the end of the day, whistle blower policy will create moral revival with corruption controlled and eradicated.
