Why corruption thrives in Africa — Don

Ifeolu Koni, a professor of law at Redeemer’s University, Ede, said the failure of many developed countries to honour their obligations under international instruments was responsible for persistent corruption in Africa.

Koni said this at the 11th inaugural lecture of the university, on Thursday at the university campus in Ede, Osun.

Supreme News reports that the lecture has as its theme ”The Hypocrisy of International Cooperation On The War Against Corruption And Abuse of Office In Africa: A case Study of Nigeria”.

The don said that the insincerity and refusal of the developed countries to honour the United Nations Convention against Corruption was also the major reason siphoning of stolen funds and other corrupt practices persist across the continent of Africa.

Koni noted that developed countries possessed the necessary technology to detect and block illicit transfer of funds, but they refused to use the same because they needed the funds to develop their countries.

”This contention is further strengthened by the notorious fact that the developed countries posses the technology to detect and block illicit transfer of funds from African states.

”Could it be then mean that they refuse to block those funds because they are needed, and in fact, used to develop their countries?

”The way forward is for Africa to look inward and must not be deceived by the campaign spearheaded by the developed countries. Our salvation and deliverance is in our hands.

”It is the same developed countries that are labelling Africans as corrupt and it is the same illicit funds they refused to block, they are using to develop their countries”, he said.

Koni also said that it was sad that in corruption assessment ranking conducted by the transparency international in 2022, no Africa country could be found among the top 10 least corrupt countries.

The don said that since the establishment of TI in 1993 and the commencement of its corruption perception index in 1995, Africa countries had been performing poorly.

Koni said that African leaders must look inward to minimise corruption.

He also said that Nigeria must strengthen its implementation of laws against corruption.

According to him, the greatest challenge of Nigeria is not corruption but impunity.

“Until the law begin to take its cause in Nigeria, the fight against corruption cannot succeed”, he said.

Koni said that Nigeria must also avoid conspicuous consumption of foreign goods, adding ”we should consume what we produce”.

“Let us consume what we produce. It is the developed countries that introduced conspicuous consumption to us and that is the basis of corruption in the country”, he said.

In his remarks, Prof. Ahmed Yerima, the acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the lecture was a clarion call for Nigerians to change their ways.

”Corruption is something that has come to be with us and that is why I am happy that the lecturer found it pertinently to discuss the topic.

”We must all come together to fight corruption to move our society forward,” Yerima said.