Corruption is causing Nigeria to commit “suicide by installment” archbishop says: The Church of England Newspaper, May 28, 2010 p 8

The Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh

First published in The Church of England Newspaper.

Corruption is sapping the energy and exacerbating the country’s myriad social ills, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria said last week in his first presidential address to the Diocese of Abuja synod.

Corruption “is about a nation committing suicide by installment,” Archbishop Nicholas Okoh said on May 21 to the third session of the seventh synod of the Diocese of Abuja meeting the Cathedral Church of the Advent.

“With less corruption, many infrastructures will function and budgeted funds will be spent for the real purpose. In the course of time, there will be noticeable improvement,” he said.  However, if corruption is tackled head on, “it will eventually consume everyone, including the perpetrators,’’ the archbishop said, drawing upon the theme “In times like this‘’ drawn from Esther 4:14.

Nigeria ranked 130^th among 180 countries measured in the global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2009 conducted by Transparency International (TI), a global anti-corruption watchdog.

In the CPI 2009 report Nigeria received 2.5 out of a possible 10 marks, emerged 27th out of the surveyed 47 nations in sub-Saharan Africa, and 33rd out of the 53 countries in Africa.   New Zealand came in first with a score of 9.4, while Somalia came in last at 1.1.

According to the detailed Index, New Zealand edged Denmark to emerge the top perceived corruption-free nation at 9.4 and 9.3 respectively, while Somalia came last out of the 180 countries surveyed, the same position as in the 2008 CPI.

In Africa Botswana scored highest, ranking as number 37 with a score of 5.6, while Cape Verde came in first in West Africa with a score of 5.1—tied with Taiwan and ranking higher than Italy and most Eastern European nations.  The UK came in at 17 with a score of 7.7 followed by the US with a score of 7.9.  Chad (175) with 1.6 points; Sudan (176) with 1.5 points; and Somalia (180) with 1.1 points came in last among African nations.

Corruption was found in all sectors of the nation and was made worse by ethnic, religious and tribal loyalties, the archbishop told synod.  “It is undeniable that corruption exists in the politics, economic transactions, among those who run the bureaucracy of government, the police, the customs, the military, the church, education and banking,’’ he said.

The country’s political and civic culture turned a blind eye to corruption due to self-interest. “Due to the heightened tribal sensitivity, whoever is able to steal from any source returns to a hero’s welcome in his tribal enclave where he is hailed as an ‘illustrious son or daughter’ of the land.  “This is why efforts to combat it have ended up being discredited by those whose sons and interests have been stepped upon. This is even so with electoral fraud,’’ the archbishop said.

He also encouraged the new government of President Goodluck Jonathan to break the cycle of corrupt political and economic dealings that had wasted so much of the country’s natural wealth.

In a May 6 letter to the new president, Archbishop Okoh congratulated Goodluck Jonathan upon his assumption of the office of president following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua.

“We are aware of the great tasks and challenges before you and the high expectation of the citizenry from Your Excellency and this new Administration,” the archbishop wrote.

However, this unexpected political development was an opportunity for reform.  “We are convinced that your coming to power at a time like this, in the annals of our nation, is divine,” the archbishop told the new president, an Anglican.

“Please be assured that we shall not relent in our responsibility to uphold you in our prayers always and give you necessary support at all times as you steer the ship of our great and beloved nation, Nigeria,” the archbishop said.