Corruption Does Not Just Vanish Because It Gets Another Name

By Abidemi Adebamiwa

Power just does not shield itself by telling the truth. It more often adjusts the language. Actions that should normally attract consequences are mostly softened. Issues that should also provoke alarm get safer descriptions. Money is no longer described as missing. It becomes unresolved. Misconduct, another critical matter, is reframed as a procedural issue. On paper, everything looks impressive.

Nigerians have repeatedly heard claims about huge sums of money described as missing in major institutions. Committees are later announced. Hearings are also held. Officials have sometimes promised explanations. Time then passes. Final reports are not clearly released. Recoveries are not clearly explained. Sanctions, if any, are rarely visible. Outrage fades without closure.

The same pattern appears in forgery scandals involving public officials. Questions emerge about documents that should never be in doubt. Public pressure later follows. Sometimes, a resignation occurs. After that, silence happens. The system moves forward without any real closure. What really failed is not clearly stated. Who was responsible is most times not clearly addressed.

An example from outside Nigeria makes the point clearer. This happened in a major American city where a district attorney announced that crime rates had fallen during her tenure. It later became clear that many offenses the city once treated as crimes had been decriminalized by her administration. The statistics undoubtedly improved but daily life did not. What changed were the definitions of the offenses. Behavior, on the other hand, got worse.

The lesson here is that changing definitions can most definitely improve numbers, but it does nothing to change reality. Corruption survives because people grow tired of hearing or seeing corruption swept under the rug. Whenever corruption is renamed, it feels harmless. Records of such remain closed. Responsibility remains unclear. And, most definitely, nothing truly ever changes.

Abidemi Adebamiwa is the Managing Editor @ Newspot Nigeria.