Corruption is like a cancer metastasizing in the country. It's a kind of social evil that pierces through the entire country and has been leaving our ability to cope in question. No doubt it has crippled the country in so many ways , it has brought the country down and buries itself deep in to everyone's conscious thinking. It's something too heavy for anyone to carry.
Corruption is an everyday threat in both public and private sectors. It's not only peculiar to Nigeria; it's a global threat.
Buhari's anti-corruption war is an anti-graft war declared by Muhammadu Buhari, the 4th democratic President of Nigeria. This is a war against all forms of corruption in Nigeria. During the president's election campaign in 2015, he vowed to fight against corruption and insecurity if elected. Since his election in April 2015, anti-graft war remain one of his topmost priority.
However, the anti corruption war has been fierce. It's like a gun war been fought with bows and arrows. It has left some fighters to be victims and some to be heroes. It's a war both sides has been constantly manipulating to gain both personal and political grounds. The anti corruption czars wine and dine with the ones they're fighting. They attend their big ceremonies and accept and offer "gifts".
No gainsaying the top priority of the present administration is war against corruption. Congratulations and salute for that. It's obvious President Buhari wants to be remembered for nothing other than the strong pillar who fought corruption for Nigeria. But aren't we losing in other aspects? The economy has been in terrible state since the current administration came on.
This administration is making a big mistake which is definitely going to undermine it in the 2019 elections. Battling corruption while losing grounds on the economy will be like a pyrrhic victory (provided it's won).
" Pyrrhic victory is named after king Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose army suffered irreplaceable casualties in defeating the Romans at the Battle of Heraclea in 280 BC and the Battle of Asculum in 279 BC, during the Pyrrhic War. After the latter battle, Plutarch relates in a report by Dionysius:
The armies separated; and, it is said, Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one other such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits, and he found the confederates in Italy backward. On the other hand, as from a fountain continually flowing out of the city, the Roman camp was quickly and plentifully filled up with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss they sustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolution to go on with the war.
— Plutarch, Life of Pyrrhus
In both Epirote victories, the Romans suffered greater casualties but they had a much larger pool of replacements, so the casualties had less impact on the Roman war effort than the losses of King Pyrrhus. "
The present administration shouldn't forget that the low class men and women of the country who are likely to come out to vote aren't really benefiting from the anti corruption war rather they're suffering from the neglect to focus on the economy. The low class villagers wouldn't listen to the music of anti corruption war in the coming election.
It's no exaggeration that families now go to bed without at least one square meal. Some had fled homes because basic needs of life could no longer be supplied to loved ones. Over the past a year, the country has had nothing to show while poverty in the country had reached an unprecedented level. protesters urging President Buhari to find solution to harsh economic situation People steal unimaginable things, sell their loved ones. Workers go to work with empty stomach and students stayed home for months because of incessant strikes.
The anti-corruption war must not be the only pivot for our economic recovery. The claim that anti corruption war is going to bring back our economy into stable condition hasn't materialize over the past two years. It's a campaign that has not achieve its goals despite the claim of victory.
The anti-corruption war must not be fought at the detriment of a comprehensive economic recovery plan to navigate our way towards economic recovery. The current administration doesn't reason much about getting the economy back on track. A hungry stomach will definitely have every tendency to steal While it might look like the top class corruption is reducing, the grassroots corruption is increasing incredibly everyday. People are doing the unimaginable everyday to survive this present state of economy.
The present anti-corruption war has definitely been highly sensational and thoroughly compromised due to overbearing political undertones and motives. In my best own language, this is not how anti corruption war will be won. The war has been one sided on many occasions.
Accepted, the crash in oil prices might have had it say on the current distress in the economy but the current battle has not helped the situation with the policies coming up everyday. The reality is that this present administration’s fight against corruption has created much political tensions and it's everyday affecting the economy.
Tough fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government arise everyday naming the anti-corruption war as its basis which is leaving the existing businesses nothing but a grind to a halt, new investment initiatives are not tapped into and the already existing ones are on the run.
I am totally against corruption and I support the anti-corruption war of Mr. President and the administration. I support the effort to eradicate this social evil called corruption. I am only only worried about possible negative consequences, such as the downgrade in the economy that we are currently facing today as a result of what is fast becoming Pyrrhic like anti-corruption war. I believe anti-corruption war and economic growth can thrive side by side. The fight against corruption should be given a priority, but plans and models towards our economic recovery should be given greater priority because an economically stable country would translate to a lesser corrupt country .
Aderinto Nicholas medicine and surgery department
Ladoke akintola university of technology,ogbomoso
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