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Bishops warn of revolution if Nigeria won't fight corruption
2002-223-4
10/1/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Nigerian Roman Catholic and Anglican Church bishops have warned that unless the government makes strenuous efforts to check pandemic corruption in the country, there might be a revolution that could sweep political leaders from power.
Transparency International, a non-governmental organization working to eradicate corruption, in its 2002 index rated Nigeria as the second most corrupt country in the world, only beaten by Bangladesh. The organization had surveyed 102 countries for its annual report, released on August 28. When presenting the report in Berlin, Peter Eigen, president of Transparency International, said corruption was keeping many nations in poverty and hampering development--despite pledges by political leaders to crack down on it.
However, the Nigerian government says it does not agree with the country's ranking as the world's second most corrupt nation. Tunji Oseni, President Obasanjo's spokesperson, said the report was 'fundamentally flawe,' challenging the conclusions.
Nigerian Catholic and Anglican bishops do not, however, agree with their government's assessment of the Transparency International report. Dr. Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, Catholic archbishop of Lagos, expressed dismay that Obasanjo had not been able to tame corruption as he pledged when he took over from the military government. He described corruption as 'a cankerworm eating into the fabric of the society.'
In the same vein, Anglican bishops say the Nigerian government has deliberately shied away from fighting fraud in high places because the political leadership itself is corrupt. The Rev. Emmanuel Kana Mani, Anglican bishop of Maiduguri in northern Nigeria, said, 'There have been alarming reports of large scale stealing of public funds by people in high places, looting of public treasury, extortion of public contracts and bribery.' Yet, he said, 'no serious attempt has been made to bring to book the so called leaders who have benefited from the ill-gotten gains, many of whom stashed the money in other countries.'
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