Anti-corruption rhetoric and dramatics are now very popular in Nigeria. I totally support campaigns to rid this country of corruption but I also insist that such campaigns must carried with the right level of professionalism, detachment, neutrality, integrity and honesty. Anything short of these is plain dishonest. Anything short of these really amounts to the continued enthronement and celebration of corruption in efforts to combat it. where anti-corruption are not neutral, detached and honest, then they are likely to abuse their powers and influences, applying inconsistent rules and procedures in their treatment of persons and agencies. Double standards also represent critical threats to anti-corruption campaigns as they throw up different evaluations and reactions for the same behaviour. Such practices, where they occur, amount to corruption!
Here are a few reflections on this subject matter.
- Double standards are outcomes of corrupt thinking. A nation of double standards will thus remain corrupt.
- You cannot have one set of scales for persons in one party & another for persons in the other. Such a habit results from a corrupt mind set.
- If you practice selective hysteria for allegations of corruption against persons in one party, then your mind is gradually being corrupted.
- If you practice selective targeting in your campaigns against corruption, then your campaign is already steeped in corruption.
- Anti-corruption practices must be fair. They must be conducted without any trace of favoritism or fear. Fail to do these and the campaign fails
- To be credible, anti-corruptions must be consistent, even handed and transparent. They must be devoid of all forms of double standards.
