08/08/2015
EVERYMAN'S CROSS
by Ogbang Adung Akwaji
Growing up I was told doing bad left a sour taste on the tongue of the perpetrator so we all did good in fear of this. These values yet nuclear in perception acted as a psychic judge that conceived and enforced the principles that kept most of my friends and peers in check. The human body consists of microscopic cells working independently and coherently with the sole purpose of maintaining the individual. In this very manner economies, societies, nations and other cooperate institutions and establishments are setup. The success of daily tasks or actualization of cooperate goals are strictly dependent on the functionality of these individual units.
WHAT DEFINES CORRUPTION ?
Corruption can easily be defined as moral perversion, an impairment of virtue and moral principles. The definition of corruption above was objectively focused on one concept "morals". Morals can be defined as principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behaviour and character based on those principles. In simple terms a man is corrupt if he consciously engages in an activity that does not uphold moral integrity. In our society today the moral bounds that were consistent with the African culture is consistently being obliterated and replaced by an enthusiasm to mimic the so called "free spirited" structure of the western society.
The irony that the concept of corruption in the African society poses is this; the foreign community bases the corruption in Africa to lack of development and civilization, if Africa in its primitive state was known for moral ethics how effective is this claim as stated above.
WHO JUDGES CORRUPTION ?
The dependency of corruption on moral values creates an inevitability of global involvement; simply put because every man is open to the option of doing either good or bad, any man and everyman can be corrupt. Even within what seems to be boundless realities of moral responsibility, rules and regulations have been set to curb and scrutinize public behaviour as pertaining to the confines of moral obligation. These rules and regulations as enforced by various governmental organizations oversee from financial corruption to other forms of corruption.
However with the inert ability of every sane human to discern between right and wrong the responsibility of curbing corruption is made the responsibility of everyone with the choice of doing good since its repercussions are universally felt too.
WHO PROSECUTES CORRUPTION ?
Unfortunately in the Nigerian society some forms of corruption has been inappropriately accepted as some form of "necessary evil". we mourn the collapse of our educational system which is probably the most affected sector of our dear nation by corruption in several forms. Most victims of the system are unaware that these crimes can be prosecuted because of the illusion of infinite power the perpetrators posses. Whenever officials of these regulatory bodies come around to enlighten the population on their crusade, unfortunately their gospel falls on deaf ears.
The corrupt practices and other related offences act of 2000 established a commission known as ICPC and vested with the investigating and prosecuting offenders thereof. The act in its power also makes provision for the protection of anyone who comes forward with information. these efforts as postulated by the government are tangible devices put in the hands of the masses for the crusade against corrupt practices and related vices.
Newsmen report daily on financial crimes, social circles deliberate bitterly on the menace of these crimes and the magnitude and gravity of the situation. government in an attempt to battle this crises under the economic and financial crimes commission establishment act of 2002 setup a commission of same name and empowered it to prevent, investigate, prosecute and penalise economic and financial crimes and charged it with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of other laws and regulations relating to economic and financial crimes.
THE SOLUTION
Every time the fight against corruption comes up Nigerians hiss in disapproval of the cause. In some strata of the society corruption is perceived in synonymity with being Nigerian. Our fathers tell us "in my time" during campaign politicians tell us "when my time comes" two different frames of time with supposedly "no corruption", one past and the other yet to come. None of these have so far solved the challenges because promises have not been entirely met and stories have failed to inspire.
Deep within the embrace of this insidious economic kraken certain individuals have chosen to uphold the moral values that define being truly Nigerian. These select few have understood what it means to be black, what it means to be the beating heart of the black continent. These individuals don't belong to just governmental organizations or Ngo's or other affiliated supposed flag bearing enthusiast but these group of people consist of everyone that has chosen to believe in the black initiative.
The black initiative is a philosophy, the black initiative is a black kid with a limitless dream, the black initiative is a character. The black initiative refuses to accept corruption as part of the black culture. The black initiative understands that to be black means to do right, to stand up for right and to represent right. It's time we understand that taking from another man even by means subject to his implying greed does not prove us as being smart. Africans have to understand that the most basic form of their identity as black people demands of them a character besieging canonization. We as a people have to make role models of our colour, let the driving force of our morals be the fact that we believe in the limitless possibilities we posses as black people.
