Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has said that unless Nigerian leaders live above board by imbibing and showing high level of moral authority it will be difficult to stop the menace of corruption from ruining the country.
The governor who said this at an interactive session with the Lagos State Governor’s Office Correspondents (LAGOCO) at the weekend noted that though the concept of corruption were multi-faceted, theft constitutes worst part of the menace.
Fashola said though corruption is a heinous crime, capital punishment will not stop its perpetration in the country, saying, “As for corruption I have my own views that I have expressed consistently about corruption and I have always said corruption is the symptom of a more serious problem.
“There are so many levels of corruption and I think the Nigerian people or nation must reach an agreement about what we want to do about corruption. When we say we must stop corruption who is ready to lead by example? Corruption is not only taking money, that is stealing and it is corruption and I disagree that stealing is not corruption.
“If you are driving against traffic , though it is an infraction against the traffic law to get to where you do not deserve, it is corruption. If you go to the commissioner to get a promotion for your sister before promotion examination in the ministry, is that fair? These are cases of corruption. Can you sentence somebody to death for that?
“So I don’t think sentencing people to jail or death is the answer to the problem of corruption. The answer first is to provide enough for people and to lead them with a moral authority that is everybody knows that it is bad to cheat and when they break the rules that there will be consequences.”
He said in that order the people will voluntarily comply, saying “Unless the leadership demonstrate that kind of example no nation can enforce all the provisions of its laws if the people don’t voluntarily comply. The whole idea therefore is that it is the leadership that inspire people to comply, so that, enforcement is reduced to the barest minimum.” He said utterances credited to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Jimi Agbaje in the wake of intense politicking in the state seemed to suggest that he has been disconnected from the society pointing out that after denying he is not a tax defaulter he has finally gone to pay N500,000.
Fashola said, “After denying that JK is not Jimi Agbaje he has gone to pay N500, 000 out of the N1.6 million .He is still owing the government.
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