Corruption: New approach needed to fight ‘viral vice’

Part II. In our previous part of this series that ran in Sunday Monitor of November 25, we discussed how the same person cannot be the investigator, prosecutor and a judge on the matter of corruption. In this last part, the writer discusses the new strategies for fighting corruption.

The strategic objectives may have the following goals: Solutions to completely eliminate the problem, significantly reduce the extent of the problem, reduce the severity or consequences of the problem, improve the role of anticorruption officers’ response to the problem, and make the responsible parties accountable for the problem.

There is also need to assess measurements, procedures and tools of varying complexity depending on the situation which enables one to verify the adequacy of anti-corruption actions to pin point those aspects of the intervention which should be modified and to measure the actual effect of the intervention plan with respect to its objectives.

I do welcome the decisions of the Executive and Parliament in taking some measures to reduce the severity or consequences of the problem. But they (Executive and Parliament) should never die on the cross on behalf of the thieves by attempting to pay off for the loses, instead they should create votes by taking all the bulls by their horns. The law of justice is that “it is one for himself and only God for us all.”

The culprits selfishly and criminally commandeered national economy and taxpayers’ treasures, which were used for camouflaging corruption and being enjoyed by their spouses, children, close relatives, in-laws and friends. This is a very serious national economic tragedy of the Pearl of Africa.

Political will needed
The first law of political will is that it declines in direct proportion to the proximity of corruption among all the political, security and civil elites of a country, particularly those responsible for making public decisions and control of resources.

Conversely, political will seemed strengthened by the closeness of peripheral corruption associated with predecessors, critics, rivals and opponents of the government.

For sure and real, the most effective political will to combat corruption is consequently often retrospective and directed more at punishing the already identified past transgressors than at preventing new corruption. The political will should not, this time, decline at the shadows of the culprits.

The key people in whose proximity the investigations or prosecutions of this corruption will either die or succeed include the following as in door one: the CIID, police, auditors, experts and witnesses; in door two: are the State attorneys, prosecutors, politicians, chief executives and lawyers. In door three are magistrates, judges, prisons and defence lawyers and the last stage is the civil society, cultural and religious leaders, the development partners, the Fountain of Honor, and the citizens. The Pearl of Africa looks forward to the positive will of all these.

If leaders cannot practise the political will, then they should practise the “will of God” and a much long awaited one. Jesus Christ taught the will through prayers, saying “thy will be done on earth as in heaven”, starts with forgiveness for the people who have done wrong to us. The Lango say, “ka olo le, kweri dong mom tongo”, meaning that what has defeated an axe, no hoe can cut.

The will of God is not for meaningless things and not willing any of us to sin. If we cannot now use the political will, we should not even attempt to claim any mercy from God.

This is a call for all of us in the Pearl of Africa to stand to be counted and offer what we can; spiritual, social or capital to reinforce the Executive and parliamentary efforts to recover our damaged glory.
Thank you for your attention, and For God and my country.

The writer is a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com