Corruption Has No Place In Kano

By

Salihu Othman Isah

And fighting corruption at the state level, Kano has recently shown the capacity to confront it headlong.

Obviously, from the way things are going in the old pyramid state, the heat will soon open up on some public office holders who believes in the old order that it is still business as usual.

Some of these public servants might be caught napping because they feels that going by antecedents, government at both local, state and federal level are not short of talking tough against corruption and corrupt practices, but usually lacked the potency to translate this determination into reality. Save for, the likes of late General Murtala Ramat By

Mohammed and retired General Muhammadu Buhari, no administration at the centre has done anything concrete in stemming this hydra-headed monster that has belittled this nation over years.. At the state level, the former Lagos state executive governor Alhaji Lateef Jakande as well as his Kaduna state counter part, Alhaji Balarabe Musa did their best while they were on the saddle between 1979-1983.

Though, the Kaduna state Peoples redemption party ( PRP) governor was later on impeached by the dominant National Party of Nigeria (NPN) led House of Assembly about two years in Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the seat of government in the state.

But presently, President Olusegun Obasanjo has been working assiduously to enter the hall of fame of the warrior against corruption even though, some school of thought believes he has been selective in the battle while others are of the opinion that those being caught are actually found wanting, whether they are the president’s enemies or not. The recent rating released by TI seems to have laid credence to the latter as it were.

Suffice it that three main agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Price Intelligence and Monitoring Agency, popularly known as the Due Process department under the presidency should actually be commended for the modest achievements recorded so far in the anti-graft face-off. In fact, the EFCC and the due process office both under young, intelligent , astute and indefatigable Nuhu Ribadu and Dr. (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili before she recently got upgraded to a ministerial post are however the miracle workers in the battle against corruption. Sad that the third, ICPC has variously been described as a lame-duck as it only just exists in name and in structure but has no action. Its pioneer chairmen, retired Justice Mustapha Akanbi had at different occasions explained frantically that it is not empowered to bite going by the law that establish it.

However, there is a sign of hope here as the recently appointed head, Justice Yinka Ayoola, also a retired judge has promised to enliven the body.

Kano state governor, Ibrahim Shekarau seems to be taking a cue from all the above mentioned leaders who have achieved some headways with the fight against corruption.. In fact, he has a role model in former Head of State and 2003 All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari in his anti—graft campaign.

At a recent fora tagged, first executive seminar on ‘Corruption in Contemporary Governance’ organized by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Directorate, the body saddled with the responsibility of fishing out offenders and bringing them to book in Kano state expressed serious concern at the level of corruption in the state.

Governor Shekarau while declaring the seminar opened eulogized General Buhari, referring to his short-lived military government as the turning point in the fight against corruption which is however inspiring his administration to follow his footsteps. He equally pointed out that Islam also frowns at corruption and its tendencies adding that his administration is determined more than ever before to provide good governance as well as promote accountability and transparency which is the hallmark of the Shariah legal system, the focal point of his government. Meanwhile to show that it is determined to bring offenders to justice through the Kano State Public Complaints and Ant-corruption Directorate, the organ of government charged with the arduous task of ensuring the success of the new anti-graft campaign in the ancient commercial state of Kano has been inaugurated.

The show its seriousness the directorate headed by no other person than Mallam Aminu Inuwa Mohammed, a tested hand who is a no nonsense personality though with a quite disposition is vested with powers to summon government officials to appear before it to provide it with all required information and grant it access to relevant documents while the public are also mandated to respond to summons when called upon as non-compliance will be treated as a prosecutable offence.

Its scope of mandate is to perform functions beyond those of a public complaints commission as it offers additional services in the form of mediation, advice, counseling, guidance and information and to assist people to access and use the existing institutions better as well as enjoy more effective understanding, rights and duties as citizens. Speaking recently at the executive seminar, Alhaji Aminu Mohammed revealed that the overall mission of his directorate is to foster accountability, social justice and social cohesion and to guarantee the rights of weak and vulnerable members of the society.

According to him, its general functions are to investigate and redress complaints from the public, mediate disputes between individual members of the society as well as corporate bodies, support and assist citizens’ rights protection through legal advice, information and assistance for accessing justice. It is equally charged with the dissemination of information and raising public awareness on citizens’ right and duties and on the legal processes for redress of complaints as well as investigate corrupt practices in the public and civil service in the state.

The directorate has three broad based operational departments, besides the Anti-Corruption department, it also has Public Complaints, Rights Promotion and Protection department as well as Administration and General Services. Here, that of public complaints rights promotion and protection is very interesting because the result of this department would amount to sheer benevolence to beneficiaries.

The main duties of this department are to receive, investigable and decide on complaints of administrative injustice, decision on mistakes, bias and abuse of power; to receive and investigate complaints of unsatisfactory conduct and ineptitude by any government officials with a view to remedy the situation as well as to launch investigation on behalf of the directorate in response to any credible information, regarding inadequacies in the functions of government departments, institutions and functionaries with a view to recommend reforms and to investigate oppressive conduct by powerful members of the society.

Besides, the department is also to recommend corrective measures aimed at remedying administrative injustice after extensive investigation, and then to introduce necessary procedural reforms to forestall occurrence of administrative injustices in future as well as supervise compliance with administrative decisions and due process. It is equally empowered to mediate between individual persons in dispute just as it will do between individuals and corporate bodies or between corporate bodies at loggerhead for settlement of disputes and complaints.

The seemingly unending functions of this department are; to guarantee the rights of weak and vulnerable in the society through counseling, guidance and support offer financial support to deserving person(s) to enable them access justice employ ways and methods of enlightening members of the society on their rights and how to facilitate, use and protect it. In addition, it is the onerous task of this department to offer justice in other institutions responsible for enforcing citizen’s rights as well as enlighten the general public on available opportunities and processes for redress of grievances and complaints; publicize the activities of the directorate and liaise with other statutory bodies responsible for protection and enhancing citizens’ rights.

For the Anti-corruption department, its job is to investigate any allegation of corrupt practices against any civil or public servants in the service of the state and prosecute the accused on the advise of the Attorney General of the state; to monitor and inquire into any case of suspected corrupt practices in the public service of the state and to receive and inquire into any allegation of corruption concerning any public officer as well as to seek information from other public officers and the general public regarding any case of corrupt practices reported to it and to monitor proper handling of all government moveable and immoveable properties.

Other functions of this department are, to investigate any allegation of improper or non performance of any government contract with a view to advice government on the necessary administrative and or legal action open to it; as well as to liaise with other statutory bodies responsible for the fight against corruption and moral regeneration such as EFCC and ICPC. So much for this section.

Most interesting however is that in fashioning out the mode of operation of the entire directorate, it provides that it will receive and make sense of complaints from individuals or groups; sort out such complaints and out these, the directorate is expected to make out one or a combination of the following - to prepare a brief for each complaints worth the attention of the directorate, treat minor and straight forward cases as well.

The directorate is equally expected to work in partnership with existing agencies of government such as the Hisbah, Zauren, Sulhu, Shariah Commission (all Islamically inclined apparatus) and the conventional court of law best suited for treating the matter and follow it up until it is concluded. It is to make public through the radio and television programme and newspaper and magazine publications matters of public complaints amicably settled or which government has addressed; as well as collaborating with other agencies in raising awareness and in the campaign for civility, the pursuit of due process and against corruption.

In its effort to achieve optimum result, apart from the EFCC and ICPC at the federal level, if is also in network with other similar organizations like the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the Legal Aid Council and the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

At the state level, as revealed elsewhere above, it collaborates with the Shariah Commission, Hisbah Board, Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Kano State Judiciary (Shariah Court of Appeal), Directorate of Social Re-orientation, popularly called A Daidata Sahu, Department of Special Services, Cabinet Office, State Project Monitoring Bureau, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (Kano State Command).

Again, the DG, Mallam Aminu Inuwa advocated that the fight against corruption can only be won at all levels if government officials get involved, saying that there is also the urgent need to take the crusade to the grassroots by way of education and awareness creation on the causes and consequences of corruption in Kano in particular and Nigeria in general, assuring that his organization has made far reaching plans to expose the roots of corruption through vigorous public enlightenment campaign and mass mobilsation.

So far, according to Mallam Aminu Mohammed, the directorate in its about six months of existence, over sixty cases of perceived administrative injustices, unsatisfactory service delivery and allegation of corruption has been received. And as already being canvassed by the DG himself, “one of the preventive measures of corruption is to lead a honest, transparent life and live above board. However, the strongest impetus to eradicating corruption is exemplary leadership and sincerity of purpose. In addition and in order to consolidate prevention and determination, appropriate sanctions within the existing laws of the land will be applied.

This indeed is talking tough, but the big question is, can the Kano state government muster the political Will to keep up the vision? And is Mallam Aminu Inuwa Mohammed willing to step on mighty toes like Nuhu Ribadu. Only time will indeed tell.

Salihu Othman Isah

Kano

 wandaction2003@yahoo.com