Book That Exposes Corruption In Nigeria Launched

Corruption in Nigeria Exposed, a book written by Chuks Nwaze, has been launched in Lagos. Speaking at the occasion, Gamaliel Onosode, identified corruption as a menace that has become entrenched becaused of our inability to tackle it. Onosode implored Nigerians to develop the character of living above board by refusing to indulge in corrupt practices.

Also speaking, former Chairman, Unilever Plc, Dr. Michael Omolayole, said corruption “has reached an endemic stage in this country that we can no longer keep quiet. If five per cent of this country’s population is corrupt, we can live with that but not 95 per cent.”

He called for strategies to be developed to curb the anomally. He listed some of the strategies to include the introduction of ethics committees in institutions that can evaluate the propriety or otherwise of any action taken. He called on Nigerians to encourage whistle-blowers provided they have facts to prove their accusations.

In his remarks, the author explained that the motivation to write the book stemmed from the need to keep talking about corruption as a means of finding a panacea to it. Nwaze noted that ‘by supporting the fight against corruption, we are engaging in a revolution without bloodshed.’

A critical review of the book threw up some fundamental questions. Eli Ogbonnaya, Director, Research and Technical of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, ICAN, said the book, “when added to the contitution of the country becomes a corporate mission statement.”

He went ahead to identify some forms of graft as bribery, nepotism, extortion and misappropriation. A cummulative of these, he noted, leads to instability, erosion of public confidence, proliferation of abandoned projects, a failed state and examination malpractices, among others.

Among other key government angencies, the reviewer itemised religion as a dimension to the inflating corruption malaise. According to him, this manifests by means of tithe manipulation by religious leaders and the seed sowing syndrome, when the seeds sown cannot be accounted for.

The event drew guests from the civil socities, the banking and accounting professions, business executives and government agencies.

—Bankong-Obi