Uba Sani’s zero tolerance for corruption

BY EMMANUEL ADO

The governor of Kaduna state, Senator Uba Sani’s resolute decision to fight corruption and institute accountability in the state, has not come as a surprise to keen observers of his political career. Right from his civil society days, through the senate and to his election as governor, Governor Sani has, in words and deeds, demonstrated deep aversion to corruption in all its ramifications.

It is very easy to understand why an activist like Governor Sani should display a zero tolerance for corrupt practices. Not only does graft have corrosive effects,it destroys the very foundation of society by weakening the impact of public service delivery. Though corruption affects all citizens negatively, the poor are certainly the worst victims. Governor Sani’s determination to wage a sustained war against the deadly cancer speaks volumes of his courage and commitment to good governance.

Many observers see Uba Sani’s perpetual campaign against dishonesty practices in public space as a natural course of an activist, because corruption undermines good governance,human rights and the rule of law.

Notorious bank debtors, who made indebtedness to commercial banks a hobby, would not forget Governor Sani in a hurry. The consequential amendment of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Act, which he spearheaded as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance, Insurance and Financial Institutions ensured that chronic bank debtors do not get away with their financial heist. Sani’s savage reaction to their refusal to repay their loans was the inclusion of a Loan Tribunal in the amended AMCON Act, to assist the agency in the recovery of loans from debtors who, hitherto used legal gymnastics to stall repayment of their facilities. It’s to the credit of Governor Sani’s leadership that the law has improved loan repayment to the banks.

In Governor Sani’s words, the refusal by the debtors to repay their loans amounted to “orchestrated acts of corruption and economic sabotage”. This was because their actions gravely hampered the ability of banks to lend money to honest investors, precipitated instability in the financial market which affected economic growth, and eroded the confidence of bank customers.

In the last few weeks, Governor Sani has taken very decisive actions in line with his continued determination to fight the scourge of corruption in Kaduna state. The swift actions he took over some infractions by the Kaduna State University (KASU) and the Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Authority (KASTLEA) demonstrated his zero tolerance for corruption.

It would be recalled that the management of the KASU committed the heinous crime of flagrantly flouting Governor Sani’s clear and unambiguous directives on the reduction of fees and levies for students in State-owned tertiary institutions. On assumption of office, the governor, following passionate appeals by parents, had reduced the fees and scrapped the levies to help cushion the harsh economic situation on the poor, who are dear to his heart, and are at the center of his politics.

In the case of KASTLEA, one of its operatives was caught on video diverting revenue due the Kaduna state government, using Point of Sale (POS) machine, after subjecting the citizen to dehumanising torture that compelled him to eventually pay up. Sad to say, the action of the operative was not an isolated incident, as many operatives of the agency are notorious for extortion, harassment and intimidation of motorists.

The university and KASTLEA managements have themselves to blame for their poor judgment and for feigning ignorance of Governor Sani’s pro-poor stance. Among his very first actions in office were the reduction of fees and abolition of levies, and the signing of the executive order on the Financial Inclusion of 2.1 million poor, and vulnerable citizens previously excluded from the financial services, which had denied them access to state and federal government’s social intervention programmes.

It is also baffling how the management of KASTLEA refused to take note of the Governor’s premium on revenue generation, and communicate same to their staff to “change their ways”. Governor Sani has never ceased to stress the need for revenue agencies to generate the necessary revenue to fund his rural transformation agenda.

The visible anger of Governor Sani, who as the visitor to Kaduna State University has supervisory powers over the institution, is understandable. The inexplicable actions of the KASU and the KASTLEA managements could have dented his pro- poor credentials, which he guards jealously. The KASU management was certainly uncharitable to the governor and to the parents to have reimposed a burden that the governor, at great cost to the state, lifted off the shoulders of the citizens. The state government virtually funds the university because whatever internally generated revenue (IGR) KASU generates are largely unaccounted for. So, you ask, what was the university authorities’ justification for reimposing the fees and the levies abolished by the benevolent governor? Could it be that the management of these agencies delude themselves that they are above the law?

Corruption is an ugly reality that has proven to undermine and erode trust in government and has adversely affected the capacity of government to achieve its developmental goals. The question, moving forward is, what are Governor Sani’s strategies to mitigate endemic corruption?

First, passionate observers of the unfolding Uba Sani phenomenon believe that the government is on the right path, by ordering the management of KASU to refund the unauthorized levies which it flagrantly collected from the hapless students despite clear directive from the government. On KASTLEA, the governor has instituted an enquiry into the conduct of the operatives, in clear demonstration of his respect for the rule of law, which gives the accused an opportunity to defend himself. Furthermore, his call on citizens to report any violation of the law, which many people didn’t take note of, empowers the people and co-opts them into the war on corruption.

Obviously, the government needs to do more to clean the Augean stable in the state university. This follows the startling revelations that have since come to light, of the procurement of books for the library that are supplied and returned to a popular bookshop in Kaduna, the non funding of the departments, diversion of IGR, unmerited promotions and the use of old answer sheets to print question papers etc. Governor Sani has a duty to set up an administrative panel to investigate these allegations. He should start by taking a look at the report of the visitation panel and implement all its recommendations.

In the case of the notoriously corrupt, uncouth and highly unproductive KESTLEA personnel, most of whom resume under trees when not extorting motorists, Governor Sani should order an immediate reorganization to weed out dead woods, and those who remain should be retrained and properly equipped. This will hopefully address the deep contempt the public has for the agency.

Many would agree that Governor Sani should vicariously hold the managements of KASU and KASTLEA responsible for the manifest shortcomings of their organizations due to apparent failure to supervise and provide leadership. He will be justified in whatever further actions he eventually takes.

No doubt, there is a compelling need for Governor Sani to drive the message home that his war against corruption would be unrelenting and total. By punishing proven cases of graft and abuse of office, he has made the point that government officials would be held accountable for their actions. This is a vital component of his anti-corruption effort.

Feelers across Kaduna state indicate that Uba Sani’s actions have continued to receive applause from the people. There has been an overwhelming support for his actions to reduce corruption to the barest minimum. To the people of Kaduna state, Governor Sani is a Daniel that has come to judgment, because of their belief that the outcome of the war will enhance transparency and accountability in government, which will ultimately impact positively on their lives.

While there is no magic wand to tackle corruption, clear evidence of institutional weakness, applying sanctions when there are infractions like Governor Sani has done, is a one of the ways to go. The other commendable step is the wholesome reform of the system to make committing the act extremely difficult, because the perpetrators bypass or exploit weaknesses in existing laws and regulations to carry out their crimes. Sensitisation campaigns to change the attitude of public servants would equally help.

Governor Uba Sani’s strategy of tackling corruption proactively derives from the sage that prevention is better than cure. This approach will definitely go a long way in reducing corruption. He has equally showed that he has the political will to tackle dishonesty dealings among public officials beyond reiterating his zero-tolerance for abuses in the ministries, departments, agencies and state-owned institutions. His loud and clear statements have continued to reverberate and demonstrate to everyone that his administration remains committed to protecting its citizens against fraudulent actions by public servants, and that his zero-tolerance for corrupt practices knows no sacred cow.