By Suleiman Arzika And Hauwa Ibrahim Esq

Your Excellency, your path to the presidency has been long with many twists and turns. None of us can fully comprehend what you have gone through the past twelve years to reach the current the exalted position of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Knowing what you believe and what you represent, we supporting you from the sidelines can only feel that your presidency signals an unlikely rebirth of our country.

 
Much has transpired to create the space for this political moment in our country’s history. You yourself understand the “seriousness of the legacy” we are currently living. The structure you stand on is built on the strong will and loyalty of the Nigerian people. Yet there are fault lines of security, corruption and unemployment, which continue to weaken and divide the country.

 
By 2015 Nigeria was at a breaking point. Whether one voted All Progressive Party (APC) or People’s Democratic Party (PDP) there was a consensus that something had to change. It was the youth demographic who articulated this not only with energy and passion but also with commitment. They found their dreams articulated in the promises of the Buhari presidency, especially the call for honesty and the belief that necessary, difficult changes would be made without fear of the “vested interests” that seem to have captured and imprisoned Nigeria’s development. Mr. President, you were fortunate to have Nigerian youth believe in and mobilize support around you on an unprecedented level in our political history. Despite the doubts of their parents and various other obstacles, they were committed to and delivered your victory.

 
It would be a misstep to believe that going forward the simple correcting of mistakes carried out by the PDP would be enough. The promises made to youth particularly around youth unemployment must be acted upon with both care and urgency. This is valuable energy and goodwill that can be harnessed to ensure that the important and difficult work ahead is not only done, but also done with accountability.

 
Mr. President, you have the ability to engage with this demographic in direct and committed ways through social media and telecommunications. This generation needs to be connected to through the avenues where they are consumers, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and be asked their opinion through group text messages and conference calls. It is evident that the youth are organized and reachable through various organizations that support your presidency. While they still believe in your promises there needs to be a re-engagement. Youth are for the most part, the ones that got you elected and they are the ones that can help you generate real change in Nigeria if policy changes are focused around and through them.

 
For a long time now the system of government in Nigeria has been alien to the people. The gap between the government and those governed has widened and the citizens are often fundamentally at odds with those holding political appointments. This has led many Nigerians, especially the parents of the youth we speak of, to view government as a “fat cow to be milked” rather than a body that they can and must take an involved role in influencing. By focusing on youth engagement in tackling unemployment, corruption, and security you will be helping everyone have faith in the political process and all citizens will begin to engage more deeply in the political process.

 
Focusing on the issues of youth unemployment and governmental corruption are direct ways to address deeper problems of security. The ability to develop a true sense of freedom and security can only come from being part of a sustainable society. Economic stability and the confidence in a merit based systems of employment, rather than relational means of employment, are both ways to ensure the confidence of Nigerian citizens. Therefore, addressing corruption within employment is necessary.

 
In order to begin to do this, we need to know a thorough accounting of who is currently unemployed in the country and those in diaspora who want to come back home. A proactive initiative, independent from government, should be undertaken to do this. Different methods, at a grassroots level, such as surveys and interviews over social media and the call to a return or report to the wards, Districts and local government center, Nigerian embassies and missions abroad can be used to gather information in a national/international database that consists of potential workforce and their skill sets. This can be used specifically to coordinate a base of employable youth.

 
By coordinating a database of those who are looking for employment, the government also has an opportunity to actively and transparently engage capable citizens to be employed in local, state and federal positions as well allow a vibrant private sector to thrive. This is a key initiative to cut down corruption in government and help citizens feel that there is an equal opportunity for skilled citizens to be fully involved in political/non political positions. This is especially true in terms of appointment of members of cabinet at different levels. There needs to be a transparent database of all of the highly qualified (and not so qualified) Nigerian citizens (willing and desirous of moving Nigeria forward) to restore a true sense of authenticity.

 
While a database such as Sure-P exists (other governmental programs may exist), and therefore the government may have an established system, the administration should focus on a database of the Nigerian workforce that is independently managed. This ensures that there is transparency in who is hired in governmental positions and open up the field for private entrepreneurship. Such other data can also be improved, in an independent manner, by modeling the database and program similarly to programs such as “JobCorps” in the United States. This would not only provide a comprehensive way for open positions to be filled, but also allow a platform for the youth workforce to gain additional training and education around employability. The building and strengthening of this database will also be beneficial in recruiting young Nigerians in the diaspora to return to the country and be part of the country’s development.

 
An additional way to reduce youth unemployment, cut down corruption and build stronger security is by looking at how youth can be better involved in the police and military. The Police are the face of a Nation. There is already a need to grow the numbers in the ranks of the police and army. There is also the common experience of Nigerian citizens being taken advantage by police through compromises by some officers of the force in different ways. This is done by the same police that are responsible for providing assistance,

protecting/enforcing law and order to the public in time of need. But how are individuals to have trust in the police force based on some of their actions? Recruitment of youth who have been specifically engaged in supporting your campaign promises around anti-corruption should be undertaken so that there is a cultural change of transparency within the ranks of the police and military while giving them the dignity they deserve.

 
In the fight against corruption, there are two areas where independent commissions can be used in order to improve up faltering governmental systems. The first is an independent commission on police and military corruption. This could be modeled after the Commission to Combat Police Corruption (CCPC) established in the 1990s in New York City as a way to break the cycles of corruption found at different areas of the police department. This independent commission could monitor activities to help keep the police and military vigilant and dedicated to eradicating corruption. A similar commission can also be created in order to place a check on judicial systems in the country. Often times it appears the justice system is not working for every day citizens as the rule of law often is used to keep certain individuals in power or excuses them from any consequences for wrongdoing. Enacting an independent system of reviewing the way courts and judges are carrying out the rule of law ensures that the laws of the government are not being compromised.

 
The crack down on corruption and increase in employment are the greatest ways to build security in Nigeria. And it is through the country’s youth that these goals can be accomplished. Of course there will be difficulties in changing the status quo, especially as people cling harder to the territory that they feel they own or are owed. But, Mr. President, you brought the feeling of hope to our country, and actions must be taken before people become stagnant and dissuaded once again. Without the participation of all Nigerian citizens, especially youth, those fringe groups, such as Boko Haram, Biafra, Shiite Movement and Niger Delta Militants will gain momentum causing a further threat to Nigerian society. By focusing on youth engagement in tackling unemployment and corruption you will be helping everyone feel more secure and have more faith in the political process, and all citizens will begin to engage more deeply in the development of Nigeria.

 
The, moment, the season and the light are here, let them not be still—may we all savor the moment— clocks and calendar’s alike, all scheduled by the sun intervals will not be denied, let us feel the freshness of the tide and may all the light of our soul be bright, as we walk the long walk for the generation yet unborn. The sun will rise again, even brighter in NIGERIA!

Hauwa Ibrahim is from Gombe State, a lawyer, an author, a visiting lecturer at Harvard University, she is currently a visiting Professor at the University of Rome, Italy. She resides in Boston, USA

By Samuel T. Ajibola

To many long-suffering Nigerians, the word ‘corruption’ rightly evokes images of sleaze and generally, misuse and abuse of power or public office, in places high and low, for private gain.

Since the government of President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May 2015, these images have been reinforced by the almost daily reports of looting of the public treasury to the tunes of billions of Naira and US dollars.

At the launch of the National Sensitization Campaign against Corruption on 18 January 2016, Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stunned Nigerians and the world when he said that in just seven years (2006 – 2013), just 55 Nigerians were alleged to have stolen 1.34 trillion Naira.

Consider this: in US dollar terms, the 1.34 trillion Naira translates to $6.8 billion — more than the combined average yearly revenues of four sovereign African States: Eritrea ($1.145 billion), Niger ($2.415 billion), Benin Republic ($1.964 billion) and Togo (1.115 billion).

Not unexpectedly, Lai’s disclosure made the front page in more than a dozen Nigerian newspapers, played widely in the social and international media, and drew the attention of some of the world’s most powerful countries and financial institutions.

Cost of corruption: According to the United Nations, corruption does not just steal money where it is needed most; it stifles economic growth, weakens democracy and the rule of law, and undermines good governance and human rights by weakening State institutions that are the basis of equitable societies.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) classifies corruption into two types: spontaneous and institutionalized (or systemic) corruption. Spontaneous corruption is usually found in societies observing strong ethics and morals in public service. Institutionalized corruption, on the other hand, is found in societies such as ours, where corrupt behaviors are perennially extensive or pervasive. In these societies, corruption has virtually become a way of life.

Corruption in Nigeria’s public and private sectors is far too familiar to Nigerians and so well documented that a detailed presentation may not be necessary here. However, a brief mention of the practice will not be out of place.

Various forms of corruption practiced in Nigeria include over-invoicing, bribery, outright embezzlement of public funds, nepotism, extortion, kickbacks, influence peddling, falsification of records, the giving of ‘grease money’ or egunje (for smooth delivery of services).Infrastructure projects have been known to be biased against the poor, since public officials design public projects that will maximize bribery receipts and minimize the chance of detection. This has a pervasive and troubling impact on the poor, since it distorts public choices in favour of the wealthy and powerful, and reduces the state’s capacity to provide social safety nets. High levels of corruption reduce economic growth. It can distort the allocation of resources and the performance of government in many ways.

As events in contemporary Nigeria clearly show, corruption can slow down the pace of development and lead to the aggravation of security challenges when funds meant to secure and protect citizens are diverted, misapplied or misappropriated by corrupt public officials.

For example, the reported diversion of funds meant to prosecute the fight against insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria has led to the death of tens of thousands of civilians and security operatives, and the displacement of more than two million Nigerians in the area.

Examples of corruption in education abound. Academic fraud which is rife in secondary and tertiary institutions is regarded as a serious threat to the integrity and reliability of certification in our higher intuitions of learning. Procurement wastages in the education sector, including “ghost” teachers and even “ghost schools” as well as false maintenance costs, have been recorded in several states of the federation. But financial costs are not the only concern here.

“Danger lurks ahead if young people, our most valuable assets, come to believe that school or university admission or grades can be bought or ‘negotiated’,” says Sylvester James, a Nigerian professor of education at Ohio University in the United States.

Corruption is also bad for health. It results in the loss of enormous amounts of limited public health resources. Recent estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that as much as 25 per cent of medicines which are procured in African countries can be lost to fraud, bribery and other corrupt practices. Statistics from WHO also show that countries with a higher incidence of corruption have higher child mortality rates.

In his speech at the launch of the National Sensitization Campaign Against Corruption, the Information Minister gave an insightful hint of the negative impact of corruption in the land. Using World Bank rates and costs, he said, one third of the funds stolen by the 55 Nigerians earlier referred to could have provided 635.18 kilometres of road; built 36 ultra modern hospitals, that is one hospital per state; built 183 schools; educated 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 million Naira per child; and built 20,062 units of two-bedroom houses.

Corruption also undermines democratic institutions and attacks the very foundation of these institutions by distorting the electoral process and perverting the rule of law. The situation is not helped in a bureaucratic culture like ours, where civil servants see themselves as dispensers of favour and treat people as recipients of patronage.

Breaking the corruption chain:

The APC government has started on the right footing and must intensify its ongoing efforts to break the corruption chain. Past experience shows that the most vulnerable areas of government activities are: public procurement, land allocation, revenue collection, government appointments, elections and local government business. Opportunities for corruption must continue to be reduced across the board through imaginative and innovative policy reforms. Reform of campaign finance must also be undertaken as the dynamics of electoral politics, particularly the financial requirements to obtain and retain
office, create opportunities for corruption. Meritocracy in the civil service should be improved to reinforce merit and provide adequate financial compensation for performance.

Alhaji Mohammed believes that preventing and combating corruption requires a comprehensive approach in which governments, the private sector, the media, civil society organizations and the general public work together to curb the menace.

The media are particularly called upon to use their privileged position to play a special role. Using the often unique position that they occupy in society, the media can provide checks and balances; report incidences of corruption and raise public awareness about corruption, its causes, consequences and possible remedies. The media can also offer an essential service in informing the public about the positive progress being made by government in the anti-corruption war and give unambiguous support to those who take principled stands in the fight against sleaze.

President Buhari should also take advantage of the groundswell of goodwill he is enjoying around the globe by leveraging on the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the first legally binding international anti-corruption instrument. In effect since December 2005, the Convention covers four main areas: prevention; criminalization and law enforcement measures; international cooperation; and asset recovery.

A strong judiciary is a key component of any anti-corruption effort. The government will have to address areas such as the perception and reality of judicial corruption; case overload and delays; poor working conditions; alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms and judicial education. The President’s comment during a town hall meeting he had with Nigerians living in Ethiopia on 23 January captures the uphill task he will face in reforming the judiciary. Buhari said : “In my first attempt (to be President) in 2003, I ended up in the Supreme Court, and for 13 months I was in court. The second attempt in 2007, I was in court for close to 20 months, and in 2011, my third attempt I was in court for nine months. I attempted three times and on the
fourth attempt through God and the use of technology, it was possible
to elect an APC candidate as President.”

But all said and done, involvement of the people in curbing corruption is key. As citizens become increasingly aware about corruption, they also become increasingly weary of corrupt leaders and demand more accountability. To paraphrase Alhaji Mohammed, people will gladly take ownership of corruption if they know that it is linked to unemployment, bad roads and road traffic crashes, prolonged insecurity, reduced life expectancy, the creation of widows and orphans, and weak electoral systems which throw up corrupt leaders and bad policies. “They will not hesitate to confront the looters’’, he
says pointedly.

Today, ordinary citizens, including many young people, are increasingly showing they are committed to fighting corruption. As part of this process, citizen can – and should – inform themselves about what their Governments are doing to tackle corruption and hold elected officials responsible for their actions. Actions are also key – reporting incidences of corruption to the authorities, teaching children that corruption is unacceptable, and refusing to pay or accept bribes.

Alhaji Mohammed puts the centrality of citizens in the anti-corruption war more succinctly and elegantly: This is not Buhari’s war. This is not APC’s war. This is Nigeria’s war.”

Samuel T. Ajibola, a Public Affairs Analyst lives in Ilorin north central Nigeria.