Almost every Nigerian agrees with the assertion that corruption is the greatest threat to the nation becoming the most desirable country to live in on the planet earth in record time; it keeps militating against our development. It is an evil that has eaten deep into our fabric, most people seem to have accepted it as a norm but it must be adequately dealt with squarely before it finally destroys the foundation of our country.
As the government strategizes to fight corruption, some things must be put in place by the 774 LGs, 36 States and the FG if we are truly going to eradicate corruption in our generation.
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We must re- structure our economy in a way that every Nigerian worker can afford food, clothing and shelter. Jobs must be available and opportunities must be created to encourage entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
If truly we desire to stamp out corruption, basic social amenities must be available to all and sundry, everything that makes life comfortable must be put in place to discourage the average Nigerian from requesting for or giving bribes.
Effective mortgage system that guarantees that every worker at all levels can own a home over a period of time. It must be affordable and available to all depending on each person’s income. The income will determine the size and location but the Nigerian worker must be sure that the home will become his without having to steal.
Every worker must be guaranteed of receiving his pension and gratuity without having to lobby or protest after retirement.
Every worker must be able to work into a car dealership store, pick a car and pay over a period of time based on the level of his income.
Electricity must be constant and access to good water is a necessity.
Public educational system must be in excellent shape. Teaching and non- teaching staff must not down tool because if they do, parents will be compelled to take their wards to private schools or send them abroad even when the income cannot accommodate it thereby encouraging them to be shady when the opportunity shows up.
Public health care system must be in good shape, functional and effective. If citizens must queue for hours to see a Doctor, why won’t they bribe a Nurse that has not been paid for months just to shunt queue. We should not make the need to visit a private clinic compulsory for the average Nigerian.
As we fight corruption from the top to down, these and many more are basics to discourage people at the middle/lower cadres from being compelled to demand or receive bribes.
Bribery and corruption prevails because the society approves it, it keeps parading because the economy allows it.
The percentage of Nigerians that steal billions cannot be compared to the percentage that “genuinely” demand for bribe because of urgent “need” that must be met in order to make life meaningful. A sizable number of Nigerian are not interested in embezzling billions but their actions or inactions militate against development on daily basis. Our focus should not only be on the few covetous thieves amongst us who steal large sums from our commonwealth, these stolen funds must be repatriated and used wisely to fix our economy.
Many patriotic workers have not been paid for months and no one is bothered despite the release of bailout funds. How do we expect these people to survive? They have to feed, pay school fees.
Majority of these patriotic citizens are not interested in buying properties on Madison Avenue, Oxford Street or sheikh Zayed Road, they just want to be comfortable. People steal billions and go away with it while others are just asking for regular pay as and when due to cater for their family.
We must structure our economy to bridge the gap between the have and the have- not, there must be a strong middle class. Only then can, “CHANGE” move from being a mere slogan to a reality.
We are not asking for too much as patriotic Nigerians from the government at all levels, we just desire a vibrant economy where things work. We desire that our stolen funds must be spent on projects that will be meaningful to all and sundry. We desire an economy where who you know doesn’t influence what you get but the capacity to deliver, a system that encourages entrepreneurship development.
God bless you!
God bless Nigeria!
