Anatomy of Crime of Corruption Set for Launch in Abakaliki

Yinka Olatunbosun 

A two-volume doctoral research book titled ‘Anatomy of Crime of Corruption Constitutional Framework as The Tap-Root,’ is set for public presentation next month at McGetterick’s Catholic Pastoral Centre, Abakaliki. 

Written by a lawyer and politician, Onu John Onwe, the book was written based on the author’s curiosity on the history of corruption in Nigeria and why the fight against the scourge has been a stalemate over the years. 

At a press conference held yesterday at Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos the author argued that for anyone to fight corruption, there must be a clear understanding of the crime of corruption.

The author said: “Nigerian rulers and their governments consider corruption the chief problem of the country. But it appears that they have never bothered to understand what corruption is, and how to tackle it. 

“Every ruler and every government have burdened themselves with the problem of corruption that it is now a sing song. But that is where it stops and ends because once the ruler climbs unto the throne, the problem of corruption surrounds him and overwhelms him. 

“It is this problem that I have observed and decided to study it to discover what it is with a view to solving the problem.”

Digging into Nigerian’s colonial history, the author discovered that the source of corruption in Nigeria is the nation’s feudal state structure and constitutional framework that bred it.

Onwe explained: “The history of Nigeria is a history of conquests, subjugation under restrictive laws and abridgement of freedoms. Nigeria has never been free since its formation between 1862 and 1914. The British conquerors/colonizers deployed humungous violence to conquer and subjugate the over 300 ethnic nationalities to form Nigeria. With a mixed matrix of corruption and strong arm, Britain ruled Nigeria, thereby leaving a culture of autocracy and corruption.”

According to the author, the military proved to be the worst culprits of the crime they accused the civil rulers of being guilty of. 

It is this problem that the book, Anatomy of Crime of Corruption in Nigeria (Constitutional Framework as the Tap-root) Volumes 1 and 2 has studied. 

To rid Nigeria of corruption, the author said that this feudal autocracy and the extant constitutional framework that was imposed right from 1914 to date must be abolished and restructured state and constitutional framework agreed to by the people must be instituted. No reforms, no panel-beating of the present system will solve the problem. Rather than solving the problem of corruption, reforms will deepen the problem and plunge the country to irredeemable condition.

The book is get up in two volumes of ten chapters divided into five chapters in volume one while volume two has six chapters but in actual fact, it is five chapters as Chapter One in volume two was a repetition of the introduction. The book has well-resourced references, bibliography and appendixes.

This book presents a departure from the old way of understanding corruption, tracing the foundation of Nigeria and its state structuring and constitutional framework.