By Mike Adeyemi
A legal luminary, who also doubles as Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. M. N.O Olopade has traced the scourge of corruption pervading the country to misplaced of our collective cultural values system as a nation.
Olopade stated this recently during a paper presentation titled, “Corruption, Society and the Legal Profession : Whither the Bar,” at the 3rd Annual Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ogbomoso.
According to the learned sage, ‘
many of the societal ills afflicting Nigeria cannot be divorced from the virus of corruption. The ills are so pervasive that there is hardly any sector that is free from the plague.’
“There is no doubt that corruption is a cancer that is injurious to our collective existence as a nation. This is perhaps the reason the drafters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 expressly provided in section 15(f) that; The State shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.
“The reality of our existence is that we have totally misplaced our cultural values. Today, a teenager is interested in riding the latest automobile in town without following due process. Today, parents do not raise any eyebrow about their children’s sources of income, ” the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said.
He added that though, the incidence of corruption doesn’t peculiar to Nigeria alone, saying it is high time we retract our step as nation and embrace our lost values system, warning that if graft is not curtail it poses threat to our collective existence.
“Corrupt practices and abuse of power can, if not checked threaten the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof… The deadly threat is the effect on the economy of the country with the attendant inflation and lack of control on the monetary and fiscal policies of the Government.
“Corruption is not a disease which afflicts public officers alone but society as a whole. If it is therefore to be eradicated effectively, the solution to it must be pervasive to cover every segment of the society.
“It should be noted, contrary to general perception, that corruption is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global phenomenon and a worldwide virus which afflicts many countries of the world. It is such an international issue that exactly 20 years ago, the United Nations in 2003 declared December 9 of every year the International Anti-Corruption Day. It is a day set aside for the world to re-affirm our collective commitment to eradicate corruption in all aspects of professional life and national affairs.
“For the whole world to have dedicated a day to the scourge of corruption underscores the fact that it is indeed a global virus which is not limited by race, tongue, or tribe. The truth is that if we are going to be sincere with ourselves, many of the challenges we are facing in the world today could not be divorced from corruption and corrupt practices.
” Many of the societal ills afflicting our country cannot be divorced from the virus of corruption. The ills are so pervasive that there is hardly any sector that is free from the plague. From education, to administration, to public service, to law enforcement, to even traditional institution, and of course to our own legal profession. The cankerworm has eaten deep into our very existence, ” Olopade lamented.
The erudite lawyer however used the fora to call on all and sundry to embrace moral value systems, lamenting how modern parents have abandoned their core duties over their wards, and no longer questioning the source of wealth of their children.
“With the unanimity of opinions about the unsavoury effect of corruption, the question that I know is agitating your mind is what is the root cause of corruption? In other words, how did we get to this point that we have seemingly normalised corruption and corrupt practices.
“I want to believe that a fundamental factor in this regard is what I can describe as our misplaced cultural values. I have noted above that corruption was alien to our society and culture. It was a taboo in our society where we placed premium on honesty, hard work, and fidelity.
“Today, we do not know our neighbours and we do not interact with them. Our children cannot be disciplined by our neighbours. As a result, there is no longer what I can call ‘itiju’ in our society.
“The social stigma that attaches to being morally bankrupt is no longer there. You only need to check the social media to observe the abysmal level of the values in our society. It may not be out of place to say that moral decadence and absence of good moral values have been our bane for a long time, ” the legal giant stressed.
Olopade congratulates the Nigerian Bar Association, Ogbomoso Branch for its thoughtfulness in instituting the lecture in honour of Hon. Justice Atilade Ojo during his lifetime and not waiting for posthumous lectures and events after the departure of the legal giant and a trail blazer in legal practice in the land of the valiants and great achievers.