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Photo: Goddy Umukoro.

By Chukwudi Abiandu
The anti-corruption crusade embarked upon by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is a ruse because the process lacks transparency, according to Mr. Richard Akinola II, a legal affairs journalist, activist and media trainer.
Akinola made the observation today, Monday, December 10/12/2018 in a keynote address he presented at the Press Centre, Government House, Asaba. It was on the occasion of a one day summit organised by the office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Girl Child development/NGO Liaison and the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on civil society in collaboration with the coalition of CSOs, NGOs and Ex-Militants on Delta State.
Akinola who spoke on “Partnership as a veritable tool for Sustainable Development of Delta State” said Transparency must be entrenched in our national life if the nation must move forward in achieving susatainable development.
At the event that had a large number of members of the CSOs, NGOs Ex-militants and journalists in attendance, he declared: “In spite of the current government’s avowed commitment to anti corruption war, there is no indication that the trend has changed. Management of fuel subsidy since 2015, for instance, has been less than transparent.”
Pointing out that Transparency is simply making all details about a process, workings of government or institutions available and known to all involved or those who may be affected by the process or acts of governance, Akinola explained that lack of transparency suggests a chaotic, rudderless and corruption ridden environment where activities of government are shrouded in secrecy, adding that in such a system, you have gross mismanagement and exploitation of people and resources. “Corruption leads to low quality of life and widening income inequality and their attendant problems – crime, social division and discrimination, insecurity and low life expectancy,” he said.
He continued: “In Nigeria, it is difficult to quantify the actual quantity of our national wealth that goes into developing our Country. Apart from Personal Income Tax that is taken at source, no one can say the exact amount of tax any individual or corporate body is expected to pay as tax. And when revenues are paid into government coffers, it is difficult, if not impossible to know which proportion of it is used judiciously. In the absence of transparency, rent-taking and corruption gain impetus.
“It is tragic that apart from revenue from oil grossly mismanaged in the last four decades and largely unaccounted for, debt negotiated at high rates are siphoned with citizens denied the privilege to evaluate utilization.”
According to Akinola, the results of lack of transparency are there in Nigeria, pointing out that One of world’s endowed Nations is now home to the highest number of people living in extreme poverty.
He stated: “Nigeria is now the poverty capital of the world. India is six times Nigeria’s population but Nigeria has more people living in extreme poverty than India.
“In spite of our oil wealth, number of people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria grew from 10 million in 1980 to 87 Million in 2018.
“Six Nigerians fall below the extreme poverty line every minute; 12 million children are out of school.
“Strive for economic opportunities have led to social crisis which if not curtailed may create world’s biggest humanitarian crisis.
“If the resources stashed abroad or used to acquire ill-gotten wealth had been devoted to building utilities and social infrastructure like hospitals and schools, Nigeria would have been on a strong footing for sustainable development. Nigeria has no business with poverty!”
Akinola said the way out is that transparency must be entrenched in our national life in Nigeria. He told the to partner with the Delta state Government through working together by synergy.
He pointed out in answer to a question that collaborating with government doesn’t mean that the CSOs or NGO should be swallowed by the government. “That you engage the government does not mean that you get subsumed by the influence of the government. It is a process of engaging the state government for the good of the society, and it should be devoid of you losing your identity, focus, and independence as a cso or NGO,” Akinola said.
Meanwhile, he Director General, Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, Chief Clement Ofuani urged the civil societies, non-governmental organizations and the press to partner with government for the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17(SDG) and sustained development in the state.
Ofuani, who was the chairman of the occasion, explained in his opening remark that the importance of collaboration between the state government and the civil societies and other stakeholders is imperative in order to deepen the quality of democracy, governance which will lead to greater development of the state.
He called on all stakeholders to give out proper information to the people so that they can make informed decisions.
The SSA To the Governor on Girl Child Development/NGO Liaison Barr. Benedicta Osakunih-Izuegbu in her welcome address stated that it was “pertinent that CSOs, Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) and Ex-Militants/stakeholders should partner with the state government to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with national development plans, formulating policies, resource allocation monitoring and follow up”.
“This summit is geared towards enlightening all stakeholders on their enormous role in sustaining the tempo of development in the state as well as create an enabling environment for mutual participation in the Delta State project,” she added.