Smoke and mirrors
The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) disclosed that federal, state and local…
The Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) disclosed that federal, state and local councils lose ₦1.4 trillion ($122 billion) annually to fraud, including contract scams, procurement fraud and fraudulent court judgments. CIFCFIN President Dr Iliyasu Gashinbaki said these losses could increase to ₦3 trillion by 2025 without intervention. Gashinbaki emphasised the need for a forensic review of government contract awards and digitisation of the process. Relatedly, Funso Doherty, the Lagos Action Democratic Congress governorship candidate, raised concerns about controversial projects on the state’s procurement portal, citing questionable expenses in a letter to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Public procurement is fundamental to the government delivering on its mandate to the people. The whole process is broken in Nigeria, shrouded in secrecy and rife with endemic corruption. The recent exposés by Funso Doherty, the governorship candidate of the ADC in Lagos, have shed light on the rampant corruption that plagues Nigeria’s public sector. His detailed accounts of questionable expenditures, including millions of naira allocated for seemingly unnecessary projects and personal enrichment, have sparked public outrage and raised serious concerns about the misuse of public funds. Mr Doherty’s fact-based exposés are a valuable contribution to the fight against corruption in Nigeria. They provide concrete evidence of wrongdoing and serve as a wake-up call to the authorities to take decisive action. However, merely exposing corruption, as Mr Doherty did for Lagos and others have done for different states recently, is not sufficient. Exposing it does not guarantee consequences for those who have engaged in corrupt practices. This lack of consequences is why the corruption continues, prompting many to go into these contract scams, certain in the knowledge that very little will happen, even if they are caught. Stemming the rate of corruption is essential for Nigeria’s development and prosperity. Corruption diverts resources from essential public services, stifles economic growth and undermines the rule of law. It breeds mistrust and cynicism among the public, eroding confidence in government institutions and hindering progress towards a more just and equitable society. Therefore, finding ways to make these exposés truly impactful is crucial. The way to do that is through meaningful investigations, prosecutions and reforms.