Factors Militating Against Kano’s Anti-Graft Agency

By

Salihu Othman Ishah

wandaction2003@yahoo.com

By any standard and given the logistics at its disposal, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Directorate (PCACD) are performing magic. This is so as it has recorded worthy achievements in its few years of existence. The feat is obviously made possible as a result of the leadership at the helms of affairs supported by a workforce that strides to achieve even with minimal supervision and with a barefaced motivation.

However, considering the lofty ideas and numerous plans at its drawing board of the Mallam Aminu Inuwa Mohammed led directorate, it has barely achieved an insignificant percentage of its objectives.

Some governments across the country are waging war against corruption. Kano state is not an exception. But what differentiates it from others; is that unlike its Federal counterpart, Kano ’s fight against corruption and its attendant evils is wholesome. It is unbiased, non deceptive and with good intentions.

And another special feature that singles it out from the others is that the outfit set out to confront this menace also accommodates complaints from across board, which gave rise to its name.

Confronting the issue of corruption, for instance has not been a tea party anywhere in the world, hence governments that are passionate about stemming the trends must endeavour to first of all exhibit a level of sincerity, after which the needed tools that will ease the battle ahead is made available. What is required to do this nevertheless may differ in every situation or environment. But some of these tools may include, but not restricted to adequate and trained manpower and personnel, sensitizing or galvanizing other support agencies to queue in into its set objectives, routine secretariat facilities amongst others.

The enabling legislation and proper funding cannot however be compromised. It ranks very high amongst the necessary requirement for fight against corruption to materialize.

For the Kano State PCACD, some of these tools are yet to be put in place, and those that are provided can also be said to be inadequate. For instance, almost four years into its existence, there is still lack of the enabling law that will make it perform effectively. Though, the governor of the state, Dr. Ibrahim Shekarau at a 2-day Stakeholders Forum on Sensitization on Human Rights Abuses and Related Matters in Kano State organized by the directorate in December 2008, promised that the law backing its set up and operation will come into life soon.

As stated by the governor, “Some months ago, I sent a draft bill to the State House of Assembly for the establishment of Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption…..three weeks ago, the State House of Assembly passed it into law, which I am now studying and government will soon accent to”.

According to him, this will strengthen and enable the agency to operate within the law, deal with corrupt officials and other erring members of the public as well as redress injustice. At the occasion, he publicly expressed personal appreciation to the members of the Kano State legislature for expediting favourable action on the bill, while urging the officials of the directorate to remain steadfast and committed at all times.

Sadly, judicial officers have been uncooperative with the PCACD. To quote its Annual Report of 2007, “The directorate persistently encounters problems with some judicial officers especially judges of the Shariah Courts in the state. Here too, the matter was discussed with the Chief Judge and the Grand Khadi. It is our hope that with close cooperation and liaison between the agencies, a workable solution will be found soon”, it revealed.

Similarly, some organizations have remained adamant when approached by the directorate to verify complaints. “The nonchalant attitude of these institutions poses a great threat to the effective redress of complaints. Discussions were held with some of the agencies and at various fora within the state”.

Funding of the directorate has been grossly inadequate, because during the period under review, it faced difficulty due to constraint of resources. Presently, its monthly overhead stands at a paltry N900, 000. 00 with more than half of it devoted to payment and defrayal of office running cost, payment of staff allowances and inducement; with the balance going for the upkeep of the directorate. It has also made serious effort to realize its “Support for Access to Justice Fund” as captured in the 2006 and 2007 budgets. The fund is meant to offer financial assistance to indigents members of the society who are unable to appeal against unjust court judgments and other problems as it relates to access to justice.

The good news here is that the agency itself have admitted to significant changes being observed as a result of the several advocacies it embarked upon.

As it presently stands, the directorate has four main departments since it became fully operational in August 2005. It also has other sub units in place. The four departments are Public Complaints, Rights Protection and Promotion, Anti Corruption as well as Administration and General Services. They are all under the direct supervision of the director general. But PCACD says the problem of manpower is still persistent and in fact, becoming overbearing as a result of the large number of complaints and petitions it receives.

“Giving the fact that our work is largely field-related, the need for more operational vehicles cannot be over emphasized. We have made our case for additional vehicles and hope to get approval soon”, the directorate emphasized in its annual report for 2007.

In the report in question, it also observed that the fight against corruption is not without challenges. It noted that some of the challenges Kano state has faced in its determined steps to confront corruption and corrupt tendencies are the lack of legal framework as expressed elsewhere above, politics, poverty as well as the erosion of social values. Amongst these challenges as enunciated by PCACD politicizing a serious issue as steps to curb corruption is more worrisome.

As stated by it, “There is a disturbing tendency to ‘politicize’ every aspect of life in Kano . The emerging syndrome of “our people are being targeted” may in the near future become a ‘thorn-in-the-flesh’ of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Directorate’s fight against corruption. When action is to be taken against those alleged to be corrupt, some people rise up in ‘defence of their own’. Hence corruption is only condemned when it happens to or involves ‘others’.

For poverty, it says it poses a great threat to the fight against corruption. According to it, “It is as much a cause as it is a consequence of corruption. The victims of corruption are mostly the poor and disempowered while those that indulge in it hide under the guise of poor remuneration”, it affirmed. The PCACD added that corruption is so deeply ingrained in the society that in some cases it is seen as a way of life. It disclosed that given this situation, honest and hardworking persons are sometimes being despised while corruption have been glorified and admired for their riches. The thought of this have eroded the social values in Kano , it explained.

CONCLUSION

It has been observed that lack of required funds have taken its tools on other vital aspects of the directorate like its investigations and social advocacy for mediation and reconciliation. This obstacle has necessitated the directorate to seek approval for a separate funds made available for its investigative assignments, legal support for indigents as well as for reconciliation activities. Its effectiveness has to rely greatly on the availability of such funds.

Besides, it is hoped that the pledge by His Excellency, the state governor that the enabling law will be passed soon is meant to the letter. This is so, because experience has shown that inspite of the good intentions of government, the administrative bureaucracy and bottlenecks have oftentimes militated against realizing its objectives. This writer for one; had thought that when the governor gave the promise last December, the soon will come to pass in the first quarter of this year, 2009. And with less than one week to go as at the time of writing this piece, the fear yet again is that the soon might just be endless waiting afterall; except of course, the Shekarau-led administration does otherwise by proving him wrong. It should be realized in the second quarter of the year. END