Why corruption destroys businesses in Nigeria – ICPC
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said that the fight against corruptionin Nigeria has been daunting and may not end anytime soon because of the attitude of many Nigerians.
Chairman of ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, stated this during the 4th annual conference organised by Forensic Insight International Ltd, held in collaboration with Summit Leadership Institute, Corporate Integrity and St. Vincent Tourism Board, with the theme: “financial crime, cross-border crime and illicit substance abuse”.
Represented at the event by his special assistant, Barrister Elijah Akaakahol, Owasanoye said that corruption in Nigeria is like cancer that keeps spreading in different forms and that efforts to arrest it is difficult because of different factors.
He said: “By all accounts, the fight against corruptionhas been daunting over the years. A situation whereby anyone wishing to do business in Nigeria has to bear in mind that there is corruption is discouraging.
Corruption can be likened to the five blind men trying to describe an elephant. It comes in different forms and there is no universal definition of what it is. It depends on existing laws and the profiteers.
“One of the reasons corruption thrives in Nigeria is that the victims refuse to define it.
You sometimes hear that the person accused of corruption is not guilty , even when the person has admitted to the offence himself.
You have instances of people protesting with placards if their kinsman is arrested and being prosecuted.
Therefore, if Mr A sees that Mr B indulged in corruption and nothing happened to him, Mr C will replicate it, because society accepts it.”
Speaking earlier , a forensic accountant and the Chief Executive Officer of Forensic Insight International Ltd, Mr Tunji Aworinde, said that enforcement of laws against corruption is one of the problems militating against its fight.
“We have laws established to fight corruption, but enforcement is weak. Agencies are doing their best, but it appears they lack the capacity.
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Some of our laws actually encourage corruption. For instance, the immunity clause in our constitution is a licence for looting without getting accountable.
We have different exchange rates for different people travelling abroad either for pilgrimage, education or health ground,” he said.
