ANTI-CORRUPTION VALIDATION WORKSHOP REPORT, ON STRENGTHENING MEDIA SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES IN NIGERIA (SMS CAM).

ABUJA.

November 29th 2018

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Introduction: Equal Access International-Nigeria program, under its MacArthur funded project

on Strengthening Media Support for Community Accountability Measures in Nigeria (SMS CAM)

with focus on the Power and Education sectors in Nigeria, held a one-day validation workshop

on anti-corruption baseline research conducted in five selected states of Northern Nigeria, on

29th November 2018 at Immaculate Suites and Apartments, No. 110 Adetokunbo Ademola

Crescent, Wuse 2 - Abuja. The stakeholders’ workshop was organized to present and validate

the findings of the research conducted to understand public perception of corruption in

northern Nigeria.

The event had 36 participants from 8 states: 9 from Kano, 2 from Niger, 2 from Benue, 2 from

Plateau, 1 from Gombe, 1 from Borno, 1 from Nasarawa, 1 from Jigawa and 17 from Abuja.

Eight of the participants were female while twenty-eight were male. Some of the organizations

that attended the workshop are:

MacArthur Foundation- Project funder

Presidential Committee on Anti-corruption (PACAC)- Government agency

Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)- Government agency

Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC)- Government agency

National Orientation Agency (NOA)- Government agency

Ministry of Education- Government agency

Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB)- Government agency

University of Agriculture Makurdi- Government university

Griot Studies- MacArthur grantee

Moving Image- MacArthur grantee

Mambayya House- MacArthur grantee

Accountability Lab, Deutsche Welle

Peace Promotion Fellows (PPFs)

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Content Advisory Group (CAGs)

Objective: The objective of the workshop was to validate the research findings of the baseline

survey for the MacArthur funded anti-corruption project, which aimed to understand public

perception of corruption in Nigeria, particularly in the education and power sectors.

Sessions: The event started as scheduled and all participants were duly registered, after which

Fatima Ibrahim, (Equal Access) briefly welcomed all the attendees, followed by formal

introduction of individual participants. Then, the below listed individuals delivered

presentations at the event:

Gad Peter, Program Manager Equal Access - gave a brief presentation on the history of

Equal Access in Nigeria with more emphasis on Farar Tatabara and its activities in

northern Nigeria.

Dayo Olaide (MacArthur Foundation) - spoke on behalf of MacArthur mandate in

Nigeria.

Professor Etannibi Alemika (Consultant) - presented the lead paper on corruption.

Dr. Henry Mang (Cosultant) - presented the findings of the baseline research.

MacArthur foundation’s Deputy Director, Dayo Olaide spoke extensively on the scope of the

intervention by the foundation which ranges from health issues to education and corruption.

He said the shift to good governance and corruption became necessary due to the fact that

corruption has become a menace deserving serious action. He explained that MacArthur is also

providing grants to other organizations to fulfill its objectives. He explained that the foundation

wants to move from simply gathering information to galvanizing collective action to fight

corruption. He then pointed out that no sector in Nigeria is immune to corruption.

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Furthermore, Mr. Dayo stressed the fact that MacArthur is prepared to fight corruption

practices and ideologies in Nigeria through movies, media, behavioral and social change and

through other innovative approaches. He expressed satisfaction at the number of other

MacArthur grantees’ present at the workshop. Finally, he commended EAI for its various

activities and concluded his remarks by saying “I want to thank this organization for the

beautiful work it is doing.”

Mr. Dayo Olaide (MacArthur Foundation)

Professor Etannibi Alemika presented the lead paper on the “Imperative of Collective Action

Against Corruption in Nigeria”. He spoke extensively on the history of corruption in Nigeria by

dividing it into two segments, starting with when Nigeria was not corrupt. This, he says, was the

era when leaders were governing with the policy of “what can be done for the people?” “What

can be done for the common good?” It was an era devoid of religiosity, ethnicity and

regionalism. The focus of the government was on how to develop the people and make their

lives as comfortable as possible.

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He explained that between 1955 and 1980, Nigeria was less corrupt when compared to the

1980s to 2000s. He gave instances of the early years of Nigeria after independence where the

government was functional and actively advocated for both formal and informal education in

the Northern part of Nigeria. He gave examples of how the agricultural and educational sectors

were being properly managed to benefit the common people, and when the Nigerian

government was focused on the services it could provide for its people.

Prof. Alemika explained the second part as when Nigeria became corrupt. This was the era of

the 1980s to 2000s when leaders started governing on the policy of “what I can get for myself,

not what can I do for my community”. At this point, all the glory and works of past leaders had

been forgotten, with self-interest playing a major role on the conduct of leaders. He further

explained that “Corruption is a vicious problem that undermines development, security and

welfare of citizens, which leads to the manifestations of practices such as bribery,

embezzlement of funds and nepotism among others.” As a way out, he suggested that

collective action is the key way to solving the problem of corruption in Nigeria and pointed out

that “If the fight is done collectively it is easier to win than when it is done individually’’.

Moreover, he emphasized that the media, especially the radio, has a vital role to play in fighting

corruption in Nigeria.

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Professor Etannibe Alemika

Professor Alemika listed out various consequences of corruption which erode human security,

welfare and undermines national development, unity and security, engenders many humans

and creates economic, political and social problems at many levels and sectors of the society.

He also listed out various measures of preventing and tackling corruption which he said

required comprehensive, multi-disciplinary and multi-sectorial approaches.

Professor Alemika discussed the imperative of collective social action against corruption stating

that we are all victims of corruption; if there is no corruption we all win and when there is

corruption we all suffer. He said the three major problems we have in Nigeria are corruption, a

population dynamic which is not sustainable for development and political parties which are

merely organized criminal networks. He states that there is a model of development that has

been abandoned and every problem we have in Nigeria is about lost moral values, although we

are doing a good job in terms of values in the fight against corruption. He states that corruption

is facilitated by several groups and many institutions in Nigeria, and if the groups can be

mobilized against corruption, there will be a significant reduction in corrupt practices.

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The professor concludes the presentation by stating the following:

We need collective social action to fight corruption.

We need to act against corruption in the state level instead of focusing only on the

federal/national level.

We need to do whatever we can to build a collective action to fight corruption.

If we all agree that we don’t want corruption, we will all win.

The presentation was interactive and very engaging. Below are comments by participants.

Comments and Questions:

“It is really interesting the way the presentation was delivered - going through history

before coming down to the present. This will serve as a reflection for all to start to think

about and consider what had gone wrong. Nigeria has a moral crisis. It is about our

values. What do we value? One way to shun corruption is to have self-esteem. If one

values his/her reputation, he will avoid anything that will tarnish that image.” - Dauda

Muhammad (CAG member)

“I agree with the adoption of collective action to fight corruption. In our program,

“Shugabanci” we have placed emphasis on collective action, and people have started

identifying the need to fight as a group rather than alone”. - Abdul Kareem (Moving

Image)

“It is important for people to know that they own the government and not otherwise. If

people have a change of mindset, they will be able to track projects. When we become

budget conscious, government can be held accountable.” - S. O, Igbudu (Independent

Corrupt Practices Commission)

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“Radio programs should target the traditional institution, because as much as they are

closer to the people, they are one of the most corrupt institutions in Nigeria. In

addition, whistle-blowing should be encouraged by rewarding the whistle-blower”. -

Rabi Ibrahim Waya (Kano State Anti-Corruption Agency)

Dr. Henry Mang presented the baseline research on anti-corruption.

Dr. Henry Mang is Equal Access International-Nigeria’s consultant on the Baseline Study carried

out in five states of Northern Nigeria. The study was designed with the understanding that

public perceptions can best be understood through qualitative inquiry. Dr. Henry started his

presentation by stating the aim of the baseline survey which was to understand Nigerians’

perception of corruption. The methodology used to conduct the baseline survey was a semi-

structured interview and focused-group discussion. The study focused on 2 groups of

participants: the first group comprised of 88 respondents who were part of Equal Access

activities and the 2nd group comprised of 77 respondents who were not part of any Equal Access

activities. The respondents were between the ages of 20-30, most of them were male who

mostly had blue collar jobs.

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The research was conducted in 5 states- Kano, Gombe, Borno, Plateau and Niger. The 5 states

were chosen for the study because Equal Access had already built a relationship with the states

through content dissemination and collaboration, and it only deemed fit to leverage on the

platforms that have already been created in the states. Other reasons include the fact that

some of the states have their ex-governors in prison because of corruption related issues or

their governors are currently awaiting trial; some states have witnessed multiple violent

conflicts, one state has an anti-corruption agency while the others states have relatively low

corruption issues.

The researcher summarized the information of the baseline study, thus narrated that there are

multiple factors found to fuel corruption, which are poverty, unemployment and

underemployment, scarce resources, lack of transparency and the quest for quick money. The

study demonstrated different understandings of corruption in northern Nigeria, for example, in

states like Kano, Gombe and Niger, corruption is perceived as the practices of people who want

to be rich at all cost, so they are willing to do anything to be financially wealthy. Respondents

in Plateau and Borno states thought that identity leanings determine whether issues of

corruption got exposed or not. Whereas, those in Kano, Gombe and Niger thought that the

opportunity for personal financial gain was behind people refraining from exposing corruption.

The findings on most corrupt public sectors/institutions showed that most perceived the

education, power, police force, judiciary and the football most prone to corruption. Some of the

issues raised by the respondents with relation to each sector were as follows:

Education sector: The respondents cited exam malpractice, student impersonation,

falsification of exam results, proliferation of fake certificates, payment for professional

exam, demand for sex for marks from women, etc., as some of the corrupt practices in

the education sector. Most respondents blamed teachers and school authorities for

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moral decadence within the educational institutions. Others agreed that students and

their families were equally to be blamed for being complicit.

Power sector: The respondents blamed the close down of industries on lack of

electricity, communities are asked to pay for transformers or have to pay for

installation, exorbitant and shady billing practices etc. A lot of respondents believe that

corruption in the power sector is the primary barrier to development in Nigeria.

The Police Force: This is the institution with the most concerns/or complaints among the

respondents. Some of the issues raised by the respondents were that the police focus

more on collecting bribe rather than actually doing their job. Despite all of these, the

respondents also feel a sense of sympathy for the police personnel who are poorly paid,

discharge their duties under harsh weather conditions and are yet expected to put their

lives in danger. Respondents in Borno and Plateau stated that because they know the

importance of the police force, they don’t mind actually giving them bribes as a sign of

appreciation of their work.

The Judiciary: The respondents observed that corruption in the judicial sector stems

from undue influence and pressure from powerful politicians, government and business

people. Majority of respondents in Jos, Kano and Maiduguri believed that the judiciary

was the most corrupt among all public institutions. A good number of respondents

believed that officers within the judiciary had turned corrupt and are unable to

withstand influence and pressure from powerful and wealthy politicians, chieftains and

business people.

According to the respondents, the factors that fuel corruption in Nigeria include lack of

incentives, poverty linked to unemployment, scramble for resources, ineffective anti-corruption

agencies, lack of fear of God, quest for quick money and crime among many others. The major

factor that was mentioned among respondents was weak public institutions, but poverty also

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stood out. The reason why poverty stood out was because people feel that because they are

poor it is okay to take advantage of certain things.

The researcher added that one of the major findings of the research was the feeling among

citizens to one’s own (i.e. ethnic and religious group members) which lets people allow

corruption to thrive. The identity issue determines the level at which people look at the issue of

corruption. This was more of an issue in Borno and Plateau states. The respondents were asked

about the social, political and economic costs of corruption, and they stated that those that are

privileged try to control the less privileged which yields corruption. Anti-corruption efforts are

focused on the elite and nobody considers including the poor in the fight against corruption. A

respondent noted that local corruption is even worse than large scale corruption (government

corruption vs. citizen corruption) where poor people exploit one another.

If people will understand that everybody needs to be involved in the fight against corruption,

then it will work. Respondents also mentioned that there is a poor reward system which

incentivizes corruption.

On the question of how government has addressed corruption, respondents looked primarily at

EFCC and ICPC and feel that the two agencies were not doing much in the fight against

corruption. A lot of the respondents did not know about the existence of other government

anti-corruption agencies. They see non-governmental organizations as more effective than

government institutions. They feel that local initiatives/civil society organizations are more

effective than the government. In Borno, they see Ina Mafita as one of the best instruments to

fight corruption. The Ina Mafita has been of great influence on people.

The next question the respondents were asked was what spaces are provided for citizens to

engage constructively on good governance. A respondent thinks that people need to be

sensitized on what corruption means before trying to fight corruption. It will help give people

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more knowledge and incentivize them to join discourse of corruption. The media itself is very

powerful as seen with Ina Mafita and Labarin Aisha, and the radio is also a very common

medium among people. Most people from the survey appreciated radio more while the

internet and TV were given the same importance.

In conclusion, the respondent noted radio has been very influential in the northern society and

suggested more radio programs should be aired that will help in the fight against corruption.

Comments and contribution by participants:

Professor Alemika commented that “It will be more effective if there is a tabulation of

the research states and the various findings of each state for easy identification.

“When MAMSER was created in the 1980s, it was well equipped and funded. The

agency was able to make so much impact as a result of that. But the reverse is the case

with National Orientation Agency (NOA), the agency that replaced MAMSER. I think, If

NOA could be given the attention and assistance, it will be able to function well and

contribute towards this fight.” -Elisha Sabo (National Orientation Agency).

“Parents have a responsibility to teach their children at an early stage the issue of

corruption, because this is a serious phenomenon.” - Muhammad Shuaibu (Community

Leader).

Zainab Rabo - (Journalist) stated: “I urge all participants to take to the next level all that

was learnt in the workshop. As individuals, we have a role to play in this fight”.

Lack of knowledge about NOA is due to lack of funds. NOA was not created to publicize

against corruption but to publicize government policies”.

A representative from PCACC said “The data collection for most research is centered on

the northern region and researchers and donors need to venture out into other parts of

the country because each region of the country has its peculiar problems. He also stated

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that the government has been successful in some aspects of the fight against corruption

in areas such as seizing abandoned properties, prosecuting people, and recovering

3.2billion Naira from tax evasion”.

A PPF from Borno Aisha Abba said “Corruption in Borno state is due to selfish interests

from the common man and due to poverty. Equal Access plays a major role because a

lot of people from all walks of life listen to FT programs and have changed people’s

attitudes and perceptions”. She urged Equal Access to keep enlightening people because

a lot of people lack knowledge which is major issue.

“Before attending this workshop I used to think corruption in Nigeria is a hopeless case,

but being here today and listening to the findings of this research, I now have hope”.

She also commended Henry for a very good research” Etty Peter

Dr. Moses, Mambayya house Kano - (MacArthur grantee) pointed out that “Sample size

should have been more on who does not have direct link with Equal Access

International, to get more independent data. Why is the sample size predominantly

male? Also, the use of language should be simple for easy of understanding.”

General Comments:

ICPC representative said “People are helpless and we need to change our perception

and attitude to corruption. We need to demand for change within the system and

create a system that works in order to fight corruption. The system that protects

corrupt public officials from prosecution needs to be changed, even if it means

changing the law. Fighting corruption is not about going to court, we need to change

the system to be able to fight corruption”.

Moving Image representative used a narrative of a radio program they did to affirm

how collective action works in fighting corruption. 13

A representative of the National Orientation Agency stated that poverty is really not

the main reason for corruption because even the elite and rich of the society engage

in corruption.

Professor Alemika explained that “The phenomenon demonstrates that people can

become corrupt if they want, because it is not just identified with certain class or

group of people. This is evident that corruption has eaten deep into the whole

society and nobody is exempted from it that is the more reason we must collectively

fight it”.

One of the participants from the Ministry of Education noted that the sample

population was not adequate.

The representative of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), argued that the

respondents were not aware of the activities of NOA because of lack of funding of

the government agency. He noted that although they had discussed collaboration

with the ICPC last year for a national sensitization on the fight against corruption and

accountability, however funds were not available.

A representative of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of

Public Property (SPIP) also noted that there is a tendency for people to ignore the

achievements of government, and this is because there is no concerted effort to

disseminate information and facts about government initiatives. The question is who

is to blame for this?

Professor Alemika recommended that a graph showing knowledge by participants of

such organizations in a state by state outline will help to show the government

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organizations seen as effective in anti-corruption.

Conclusion: The workshop was a success, the number of participants who attended the

workshop was encouraging, and likewise the level of engagement and interaction was robust,

as people actively participated. Also, the baseline research consultant and Equal Access was

delighted about the feedbacks, therefore further improvement will be made on the study.

Photo gallery of the anti-corruption validation stakeholder workshop in Abuja

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Cross section photographs of attendees. Cross section photograph of participants

Dayo Olaide (Deputy Director, MacArthur) Professor Alemika (EA consultant)

Attendees discussing with Prof Alemika. Dr. Henry Mang presenting anti-corruption

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Baseline findings.

Igbudu Okechukwu from Independent Zainab S. Rabo commenting at the validation Corrupt Practices Commission. workshop.

Rabi Wayi from Public Complain and Anti- Abdul Kareem Mohammed (MacArthur corruption Commission. Grantee)

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Hajara Abdullahi (left) Peace Promoters Fellows. Sammin Amaddin from Economic and Financial Crime Commission.

Group photographs of participants. Group photographs of participants.

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