The bane of the management of public finances in Nigeria is not corruption. Corruption is a human problem and is not peculiar to Nigeria. The heart of man is desperately wicked. Because of man's fallen state and greed, most would steal, kill and destroy IF they believe they can get away with it. Our real problem in Nigeria is the absence of the rule of law. It is almost certain that there will be no consequences for stealing public funds.
Those corrupt public officers whose postings/assignments do not give them access to public funds have devised ways to still get at our patrimony in collusion with their peers who do to use shell companies and fronts in cornering public procurement contracts. It is now rare to find a public officer in all tiers of government (Federal, State and Local Government) and in all arms of government (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) who is not a contractor.
Another dimension is our system of official mismanagement of public funds. The system encourages and promotes profligacy. This is why our recurrent expenditure is so high. Public sector salaries are low but the allowances and other pecks of office for those in the executive cadre (that is Assistant Directors and above) are obscenely generous. The system is wasteful; most executives in our ministries, departments and agencies have large retinue of personal servants: personal assistants, secretaries, messengers, cooks, drivers, gardeners, security details and sundry hangers-on who are all paid from the public purse. The esta code allowances for foreign trips are too high and foreign trips by our officials (for "training" and various trivial issues which could be handled by emails or phone calls) are too frequent.
The sheer quantity of "Notes Verbale" written daily by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting that various foreign embassies grant visas to our public servants (and their family members, friends and girl-friends/boy-friends) is scandalous!
The sheer quantity of "Notes Verbale" written daily by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting that various foreign embassies grant visas to our public servants (and their family members, friends and girl-friends/boy-friends) is scandalous!
We must also revisit the rationalisation of public sector agencies as recommended in the Steve Oronsaye Report and prune the work-force. The Federal, States and Local Governments have a bloated civil service. Apart from the perpetual problem of "Ghost Workers" despite the computerisation of the pay-roll system, too many civil servants are actually idle.
The fight against corruption must first be waged against the man/woman in the mirror. We will not have victory in the public space unless we win the battle at the personal level.
God bless Nigeria!
Nigeria di fure!!
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