Term of EFCC Presidents: The Political System and Banana Peels, By Umar Yakubu

Suspended EFCC President Abdulrasheed Bawa

Until the process of running for political office is reformed by reducing the expenses involved, with the benefits of public office sanitized, alongside the limitation of other attractions of political office, every president of the EFCC will be overthrown by the political system, whether it is performing or underperforming. Does the EFCC have its own shortcomings? Certainly, many of them.

Based on a documented history, the country agrees that corruption in the public sector is a blight on our progress as a nation. For decades, foreigners have viewed the country as a haven for corrupt activity. Inside the country, news of corruption is the daily headline. Although there are many good officials, almost all officials have been accused or are considered corrupt. It's usually shocking to find an uncorrupted one. The opposite is the norm. Regime after regime, each government has tried to do something about the problem of corruption. In 1999, President Obasanjo decided to provide a comprehensive legal and institutional framework to fight corruption in the public sector. It gave birth to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Crimes Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

As with everything, leadership is important. The quality of leadership determines the success or failure of any organization. Somehow, the leadership of the EFCC from 2004 decided to do the extraordinary – tackle public sector corruption and cross all known boundaries. Nuhu Ribadu set the bar so high that it caused problems for the Commission. Before him, the norm was to idle and conform to the usual. He decided to do otherwise and was of course the first victim of the political system. He survived and posterity agreed with him. In his words, corruption will always fight back. The political system recently claimed its recent victim, Abdul Rasheed Bawa.

In the area of ​​anti-corruption, the Corruption Code Office (CCB) has a broader mandate to combat corruption in the public sector. For the past eight years, the organization has lain dormant, while those who run its affairs remain. There are more than six hundred ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government. Just a few factual examples: the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has become rundown, our electricity hasn't drastically improved, the public health system is in a coma, and the country is still bleeding waste in the oil and gas sector. . While there are no penalties for gross incompetence, changing those who were part of the problem creates hope in the citizen that things will be better.

All research on campaign finance in Nigeria points to public sector corruption. Combating this is the domain of the EFCC, ICPC and CCB. To combat it effectively, politicians must be held accountable for the public resources they oversee. The oxygen of political aspirations and survival is too dependent on public sector funds. While others have decided to look the other way, this is the area the EFCC has focused on since 2004.

In a recent BBC Hausa interview, I was asked why always EFCC? My answer has not changed. I believe that is the style of democracy that we have chosen to operate. The political system is simply too attractive and too lucrative. Candidates need millions just to become presidents of local governments, and billions to be governors and presidents, respectively. What legitimate business can set aside so much money just to participate in elections? All research on Nigeria's election finance points to public sector corruption. Combating this is the domain of the EFCC, ICPC and CCB. To combat it effectively, politicians must be held accountable for the public resources they oversee. The oxygen of...