Jailing corrupt officials won’t stop corruption – Ali

A constitutional lawyer, Yusuf Ali (SAN), has said jailing corrupt officials or others accused of corruption cannot stop the menace in the country.

He said this yesterday in Abuja at the launch of Akin Fadeyi Foundation’s end-line report on its anti-corruption and good governance project and advocacy campaign ‘corruption not in my country’.

The three-year project, supported by MacArthur Foundation, was designed to reduce corruption in Nigeria and promote transparency by encouraging positive behavioural changes among citizens.

Ali, who spoke on ‘Anti-Corruption Endeavours and Government Collaboration: A strategic Recipe for Nation Building’, said: “Corruption will not stop until the average person sees the evil in corruption. Nigeria is the only country I know that corruption has a tribe and religion making it difficult to look at the merit of the allegations against someone.

“The fact is Nigerians corrupt their leaders and I’ve never blame only the government for corruption,” Ali said.

The Executive Director of the foundation, Akin Fadeyi, said the project was designed to promote good governance in Nigeria and address issues of transparency and promotion of rule of law with the nation’s criminal system. African Director, MacArthur Foundation, Dr Kole Shettima, said change could only happen when citizens work with government and government works with citizens.