NOI: Nigeria’s systems can’t prevent corruption
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the minister of finance, is of the opinion that corruption persists in the country because Nigeria lacks the institutions, systems and processes to prevent it.
She made this statement on Tuesday while speaking at the Catholic Caritas Foundation Forum in Abuja.
According to Okonjo-Iweala, the absence of relevant systems and institutions that will help check corruption has created opportunities for people to engage in the act.
“This thing has been with us and we must crack it. This is not something that started in this country today, but it is something that we must crack,” she said.
“Fundamentally, we have to ask ourselves: ‘Why has this continued to be a problem? I am convinced that it is because we constantly look at the symptoms and not the cause of the disease.
“The cause of the disease is we don’t have in place the institutions, the systems and the processes to block and prevent it in the first place. That’s the only difference between us and the people abroad.”
She maintained that people would be compelled to do the right thing always if the appropriate systems were in place to block and prevent corruption.
Okonjo-Iweala urged youths in the country to ask relevant questions that would help tackle corruption in the country.
“This is so important now because of technology and I am a total fan of the use of technology and electronic platforms to block the leakages in this country,” she said.
“We must use them the way they are being used in other countries.”
Okonjo-Iweala further said that the introduction of the government integrated financial management system (GIFMS) had helped to reduce physical movement of cash to make payments and curb corruption.
She said that the integrated personnel payment system had also helped government to remove ghost workers from the system and save money in the process.
“We have been able to weed out about 62,893 ghost workers till date, saving N208.7 billion and we have not finished in the system. That is addressing the root cause.”
The minister said that the names of the persons found to be involved in the act had been sent to the ICPC for further action.
She added that through the electronic wallet system introduced by the ministry of agriculture, government had been able to reduce corruption in fertilizer distribution in the country.
She said 10.5 million farmers had been registered under the system with more than 6 million being able to access the product personally and that the development had contributed to increased food production.
She said that 14 people were presently under trial for various pension scams in the country.
On the outcome of the forensic audit on the alleged $20 billion missing oil money, she said the ministry had written to the NNPC asking it to remit the amount as directed by the auditors.
Iya Oni Gele, we all know. The question is, what has your administration done in the past 6 years to tackle the situation rather than making it worse. Let me refresh your memory small. What did your principal, ‘Uncle Jonah’ do when innocent souls died from the #Immigration saga; Nothing, because the individual involved has his godfather at the helm of the senate. You better start updating your Resume for another job. #MarchForBuhari.
@Naijaboy, I donot see the benefits of abuse or impolite comments to public discourse. We should rather interrogate postulations and views politely. To the view credited to NOI, some fundamental assumptions underlying her proposition on the use of technology to combat corruption are doubtful. Technology qua technology may not suffice. To be sure. Technology can be a great enabler under certain conditions. You must have clarity on your objectives and properly
understand the operating environment for the proposed technology. Every technology platform has business rules. These must properly articulated in line with the objectives underpinning the technology platform. Additionally, there is always the human interface in the operation of the platform. If the values of the human interface are antagonistic to the objectives of the platform, the efficacy of the technology will be doubtful. I have examples to illustrate this.
MY POLITICAL POSITION AND NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Whatsoever is the outcome of the NATIONAL CONFERENCE NEED TO BE DISCUSSED NOW AND IMPLEMENTED BEFORE THE ELECTION.
The 1999 constitution is an instrument of National fraud.
-It legalized corruption because of the immunity clause it placed on high public office holders. How can Ministers, Governors and senators commit NATIONAL FRAUD AND WOULD NOT BE JUDGED WHILE IN OFFICE.? This immunity clause should be removed.
-SECONDLY, IT DISCRIMINATED ON THE CHRISTIANS BY IT’s RECOGNITION OF SHARIA AND ISLAM.
-THE CRITERIA FOR QUALIFICATION FOR NATIONAL OFFICE HOLDERS WAS VIRTUALLY NOT ACCEPTABLE INVIEW OF THE CHANGING WORLD.
-THE STATUS QUO OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, NOW, ADOPTED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THEIR NON PERFORMANCE. THEY MUST BE TOTALLY INDEPENDENCE.
-THE SUDDEN PARTY MIGRATION FROM A POLITICAL PARTY THAT PROVIDED THE PLATFORM FOR THEIR APPOINTMENT MUST BE REVIED AND CORRECTED.
IF WE MUST REMAIN ONE, AS A NATION, THIS CONSTITUTION MUST BE VISITED, MENDED OR REVERSED NOW.
– THE NATIONAL OPERATING SYSTEM IS TOO CRUDE AND CORRUPT TO PREVENT CORRUPTION. WE CAN NOT FIGHT CORRUPTION WITH CORRUPT MINDS AND CORRUPT SYSTEM.
APOSTLE DR. PATRICK UTULU