Anti-corruption war: Don’t give impression of witch hunt – Onaiyekan

The Federal Government has been told to ensure fairness and transparency in the way the anti-corruption battle is being fought in order not to give the impression of witch hunting any particular set of people.

The advice was given by the Catholic archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, at the weekend.

According to Onaiyekan, Nigerians have agreed that there was an intolerable level of corruption in the country and that something should be done about it, but it should not be done by just rounding up a few people.

He said: “Government should not let people have a feeling that the war on corruption is about targeting certain or few people.

“That will defeat the war against corruption.

“My feeling about this whole thing is based on my understanding of the fact that the kind of corruption in Nigeria we had was systemic, endemic.

“While not saying people who took money should be allowed to go free, I would have felt that the emphasis should be on the system.

“Reorganize the system of governance in the country in such a way that it would not be easy for anybody to steal millions and billions of naira because of the position he or she had held in government.

“Find a way to block all the holes in the system.

“Insist that the structures that regulate the affair of governance, especially the financial aspect be done in such a way that you don’t have to be a saint to be able to remain honest.”

The Cardinal noted that it would be difficult to find anybody who had a hand in the affairs of this country in the last 20 years not to have something against him or her, he however warned government against creating the impression of witch hunting.

While reacting to the trial of a former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, the Archbishop said government should be careful and protect those who could be facing trial based on having made enemies while in government.

ONaiyekan said: “If we have a situation where someone had stepped on powerful toes while in government and he is now being unjustly punished, I would have thought that this would be a concern of government that this does not happen.

“That being the case, the way we deal with the so-called corrupt people needs to be carefully addressed so as not to appear, in the words we are hearing nowadays, witch hunting.

“Why do you pounce on one person and leave others?”

Onaiyekan also advised that judges be allowed to do their work without harassment and intimidation.

He said: “When I talk about structures we are to include not only how business should be conducted in the civil service but how the law should be administered.

“The whole scenario of 100 lawyers invading a court over one case.

“That is ridiculous.

“We should find a way to prevent such charade.

“We have to see that judges are in position to do their work without intimidation, without harassment.

“We are talking of separation of power, without anybody telling them what to do.

“When we see the way some of the cases are going, one becomes a bit worried.

“Some of the judges have also come out to say that they were under strong influences, that they are not free to do their work.

“How many of them can resist any influence from above and from different places?

“We are back to the rules and to how things are done properly.

“I would have hoped that the whole process of dealing with the cases of corruption can be dispensed with without too much rigmarole and we still ensure that justice was done.”