Pat Utomi, a political economist, has lamented the pervasive culture of corruption in Nigeria, urging citizens to take a firm stand against bribery and unethical practices.
In his latest Tuesday Tonic discourse, Utomi highlighted the deep-seated corruption crippling the country, referencing a recent lecture by Sam Obla, which detailed shocking levels of financial misconduct in government.
According to Utomi, the revelations from Obla’s investigations paint a picture of Nigeria’s leadership, suggesting that those in power operate without regard for national welfare.
“You really will think these people come from a mental asylum. They’re not human. How can individuals want to do that to their country?” he remarked.
Utomi linked corruption to the country’s high poverty rate, insecurity, and violence, emphasising that these challenges persist because corruption has been normalized.
He cited historical figures such as Michael Okpara, the late premier of Eastern Nigeria, and Festus Remi Marino, the first group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as examples of leaders who upheld integrity in public service.
Read also: Nigeria ranks 140th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Recalling his time at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Utomi expressed dismay that only three out of nearly 60 business leaders, including himself, Christopher Kolade, and Engineer Xavier Kukoyi, were willing to publicly commit to rejecting bribery.
“The shock that most of business was not willing to do it tells a story,” he said.
Calling for personal responsibility in tackling corruption, Utomi urged Nigerians to adopt a simple but impactful resolution: “I will not give and I will not take a bribe.”
He maintained that individual commitments to integrity would serve as a crucial starting point in addressing the systemic corruption that undermines Nigeria’s progress.
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