Some sins are clear and too noticeable and the world at large are quick to condemn both the offence and the offender(s). Yet, corruption is a sin, not readily recognized at formative stage, like virus, until it’s fully grown and even re-producing. Right now, corruption is not still acknowledged as a global problem, instead, the international community, especially America is quick to point to Africa as fertile land for corruption, where it thrives inhibitedly. With recent events being unfolded today, one begins to wonder if the case isn’t the same everywhere.
Few years ago, China’s head of State Food and Drug Administration, Zheng Xianyu, was convicted taking 6.5m yuan (about $ 850,000) in bribes. The bribe made him close his eyes to the sub-standard medicines and tainted goods that caused many deaths in China. But China isn’t an African nation!
140 governments signed a 2003 United Nations Convention against corruption! In fact, around same time, there were more than 100 foreign bribery investigations being treated worldwide, according to Angel Gurria, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Secretary-General. One of the cases with the highest profile involved the huge German firm, Siemens, which was investigated for allegedly, paying bribes to win telecommunications contracts. The company lamented that, on checking for the past seven years, it has found $550million in payments it could not clearly identify!
In Britain, the anti-corruption investigations over bribes for aero defence contracts’ with Saudi Arabia was dropped by the British Serious Fraud Office at the order of the former British Prime Minister Mr. Tony Blair. Why? For Blair, British’s ties with the Saudis are paramount. He was quoted to have said the investigation would do enormous damages to British’s relationship with Saudi Arabia. Blair also said that ending the contract could cause “thousands of British jobs to be lost!” But Article 5 of the OECD Convention specifically states that neither national economic interests nor foreign relations priorities should influence bribery investigations. But the question is, ‘if Britain, an important signatory to the anti-corruption convention, get away with ignoring the convention’s terms, wouldn’t the whole crusade be futile?
How about America? Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria , Victor Attah paid one Mr Richard T. Hines, an American lobbyist $1.2m on the theory that the dude would help persuade American government to invest in Akwa Ibom State. Mr Hines was also to solicit aid for Attah’s government. The contract was signed in September 2005 and Mr Hines had one year to work his magic. But nobody in United States was propelled into action by Mr Hines pitch! Attah expected Hines to make Akwa Ibom State a honey pot but what he got was a barrel of castor oil.
The $1.2million Attah paid Mr Hines for a year contract was said to be extremely generous. The generosity was almost on Warren Buffet scale, Buffet and Mr. Bill Gates only help the ill and the needy, the unfortunates of the developing world!
Mr. Hines again appeared in Nigeria with a man called C. Edward Creed. Mr Creed’s greed, his creed of crookedness, led to his ruin after an airline company he and others had set up performed more poorly than the Wright brothers’ aircraft during its maiden flight. Mr Hines told Mr Creed that Attah was a soft touch and that he should ask Attah to give him a contract. Creed, hired by Attah to get some privatization project going, had used money he had been trusted with to start the airline that had no airliner.
Another American named Barry Witz was brought in on the Akwa Ibom project by Hines. Mr Witz is a whizz at dishonesty: ‘he pleaded guilty in 2007 to his role in a conspiracy to defraud investor..
Again, after the same governor had built a world class golf course in Uyo, he desperately sought for the presence of some top world professional golfers at the inauguration. He gave another Mr Thomas Ondeck the contract to fly in top golfers for the inauguration. Ondeck has offices on the firm land of New York City and he boasted he was an experienced lawyer as highlighted on Global Options websites. Ondeck and the golfers flew in from Florida on a chartered plane. It is not known how much Attah paid Ondeck, but Attah had told one American that he had paid $1.5million, a sum that would have covered the golfers’ appearance fee.
All the American representatives Attah had dealings with were called crooks, with proof by Mr Barry Meier in his article, ‘Teed Up: Golf, K Street and Nigeria’ published in The New York Times of April 29, 2007.
John Grisham’s book, The Pelican Brief, contains a legal drama on corruption. It was widely acknowledged to be a true picture of American politics! In the book, Mattice was a rich oil magnate who contributed millions of dollars for the presidential campaign fund-raising. He masterminded the assassination of two Supreme Court justices because of the pending Pelican case upon envisaging the two justices could be obstacles to his winning the lawsuit.
It would be recalled that last year, former French President was convicted for corruption. A judge found Chirac guilty of embezzling public funds. His 2-year sentence in the landmark case was suspended though.
Around same period, there was also a case of 4 New Scotland Yard Detectives that were alleged to have received bribe to the tune of £20,000 over Nigerian James Ibori's case.
The global campaign against corruption may undoubtedly face serious institutional and cultural difficulties. Corruption simply has become a way of life both in developed and developing economies. There is always an excuse for corruption lapses especially when it involves the developed countries. Whichever way it’s viewed, it shouldn’t be seen as only Africa or Nigerian factor, but a global disease that requires serious war that must be jointly fought!
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