Nigerian Governments Are Corrupt – Justice Akanbi

The pioneer chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi yesterday ruminated on the state of the nation and declared that Nigeria is operating governments of corruption.

Akanbi spoke in Ilorin, Kwara State at a public lecture organised by Amicus International Club with the theme, “Corruption – The Bane of Our Society”.

The retired president of the Court of Appeal said, “Speaking for myself, I ask myself this question; does it mean all the governors in Nigeria are corruption-free? Does it mean all the legislators are corruption-free? Does it mean the judiciary is corruption-free? We know that it is happening but people are not being arrested, no action is being taken and the end result is that people accept bribe with impunity now.

“At least if they had taken few people to court, we would have known that something is being done. There is a general lull and the fight against corruption has gone down completely. That is why we are gearing up the tempo now so that people can be aware of it.

“Now when you look at many people wanting to be governors, the question should be; ‘is it because they want to serve their people or that they want to go and chop, chop? It is apparent that many of them want to enrich themselves because they know that when you go there you make money and become wealthy. Ditto, going to the legislature. Yet, people are suffering, there is no development. There is corruption, kidnapping and the ills of the society have gone on the ascendency.

“Honestly, in terms of these governors, who have been arrested? We know about ‘Oduahgate’, and the billions of naira that Sanusi alleged that was missing. The terrible thing is that the judiciary is not helping the matter either.

“The indices are that the moments are dark, the clouds have thickened, corruption is escalating. And we cannot pretend. The Transparency International put us at the position of 136 corrupt nation, you cannot deny it even though it is a perception. Honestly, I do not see what is being done about corruption now”.