Akin Oyebode, professor of international law and jurisprudence, says if drastic measures are not put in place urgently, “corruption might ultimately result in the mortality of Nigeria as a nation-state”.
Oyebode spoke at a roundtable organised by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
The programme held on Wednesday at the CITIHEIGHT Hotel, Sheraton Opebi Link Road, Ikeja, Lagos.
He said mass action by the citizens is urgently needed to put pressure on authorities to end impunity for grand corruption in the country.
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“The people must be enlisted in the war against corruption. Nigerians should start anti-corruption clubs in schools, radio jingles should be put in place to fight corruption, carry placards, go outside, organise sit-ins like SERAP is doing presently, Nigerians should be mobilised against corruption and now take their destiny in their hands,” he said.
“The fight should not be left alone to organisations like SERAP and when the state wants to attack organisations like SERAP, the masses should fight for them.
“The recent attempt by the national assembly with the NGO bill to control, monitor and eventually sequester CSOs all because of the excuse that some CSOs are corrupt should not be allowed. Cutting off the head is not the cure for headache, the bill is an overkill. If they cage organisations like SERAP, who will fight for the masses? The government do not want anybody to act as an impediment to their thievery activities.
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“Corruption is now thriving more than ever before, despite the ongoing fight against it. However, international law has really helped with a plethora of laws against corruption, it now behoves on citizens to take advantage of this laws to fight against corruption.”
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