Corruption in Nigeria: Cleric Says Countries Without EFCC and ICPC Are Performing Better

Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, former Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and current Executive Director of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, has criticized Nigeria’s fight against corruption, stating that many countries without specialized anti-graft bodies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are doing far better than Nigeria on the global corruption perception index.

Cleric’s Position on Leadership and Corruption

Speaking in Abuja at the 23rd Bi-annual Leadership Lecture organized by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD/KAS) and during the graduation ceremony of its Leadership School, Rev. Fr. Ehusani noted that Nigeria’s problem goes beyond the existence of anti-corruption agencies.

According to him, the real challenge lies in the leadership recruitment process, which consistently produces political figures with questionable integrity. He emphasized that the system frequently throws up “crooked and devious characters,” including ethnic bigots, religious extremists, and opportunists who exploit Nigeria’s divisions for personal gain.

The cleric stated:

“Until we address this fundamental error and correct the perception of political leadership and recruitment processes, no matter how many anti-corruption agencies or crusaders we create, they will not transform Nigeria’s fortunes.”

Nigeria’s Systemic Crisis and Political Failures

Fr. Ehusani further described Nigeria as a nation in a state of paralysis and warned that the country is on the brink of disintegration. He attributed this decline to decades of misrule by what he called a “thoughtlessly corrupt, nepotistic, lawless, and incompetent elite class” since independence and especially after the first military coup in 1966.

He criticized leaders who deliberately exploit ethnic rivalries and religious sentiments for political gain while habitually looting public funds at the expense of ordinary citizens. According to him, these behaviors render the masses impoverished and hopeless, undermining national unity and stability.

Comparing Nigeria With Other Nations Without EFCC or ICPC

The cleric highlighted that several nations without multiple anti-graft institutions perform better in curbing corruption. In these countries, the regular police and judicial systems are enough to investigate, prosecute, and conclude corruption cases swiftly.

He contrasted this with Nigeria, which has created multiple agencies—Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), ICPC, EFCC, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Public Complaints Commission, and the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation—yet still lags behind in effectively reducing corruption.

Fr. Ehusani stressed that multiplying agencies without addressing leadership failure and governance culture will continue to hinder Nigeria’s development.