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The task of combating corruption in a country like Nigeria requires exceptional morality and rare bravery. It demands a willpower that surpasses the challenges of everyday work. Fighting corruption is a risk endeavour because you are not only dealing with corrupt individuals but also their destructive ideologies, inflated self-entitlements, ruthless manoeuvres, and moral decay. You are confronting a menace that has become ingrained in our collective consciousness.

Since President Ahmed Bola Tinubu appointed Mr Ola Olukoyede, precisely two years ago, as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, he has brought with him an untamed courage, not only to dare the corrupt elements but to unclutter the bureaucratic bottlenecks that embolden corruption and everything that pushes the ideology of corruption. Corruption in Nigeria transcends stealing of public funds; it is a social aberration and a retrogressive menace that has permeated every aspect of our lives – social, economic, political, and even religious.

Perennially, the big question has been whether Nigeria can upturn this devastating trend and build a true nation where the principles of accountability, stewardship and morality in service delivery become an integral part of our existence. So many will answer “NO”, while most, especially those who have taken time to understand the journey of true nationhood, believe it is achievable. To achieve this tall order, Nigerians need to understand that a true change is mostly self-induced. A change comes when we reflect on our collective consciousness.

Without this self-introspection and self-awareness, no angel can effect the needed change we desperately desire. Nigerians have realised the dangers of corruption. We have understood the many great things and opportunities we have lost as a result of untamed corruption in Nigeria. Now is the time to re-engage our minds and choose the greater good. True change comes when we are ready and willing to do the right thing. Change comes with self-reformation. The moment we stir our collective consciousness to act on the greater right, change will come.

Talking about self-reformation, a story about America’s early days towards greater nation-building comes to mind. It was said that an agency of the American government once put out an advert that read ‘Reformers Wanted”. Within days, countless applications flooded the agency. Many applicants copiously quoted their qualifications and why they believed they were the best fit for the job as nation-reformers. Days and months went by, and there was no response from the agency that placed the advert.

The applicants, tired of waiting for a response, besieged the agency’s office to enquire why there was no response from it, many months after it posted an advert for an appointment. The agency pacified them with the assurance that the official response would be released in a matter of days.  A few days afterwards, as promised, the agency released another advert. This time, the tone of the message changed from “Reformers Wanted” to “Reformers of Selves Wanted.” To its surprise, the agency did not receive one single application.

The import of this story is that we all want a society that is reformed. We want politicians who are reformed. We want leaders who will be as flawless as angels, but we are not ready to introspect on our own weaknesses as individual citizens. We hype frivolity over virtue. There is no conscious effort towards creative statecraft. We act like tuna fish, flowing with the waves of the social media frenzies. We criticise others even when we have the tendency to act worse than they do if allowed to occupy the positions that those we criticise occupy.

I always ask myself, would I have done better than those I accuse today? Would I have had the courage to stand out and do better for the sake of greater nation-building, or am I just screaming corruption because I have not had the opportunity to be in a position that is morally demanding?

Not digressing, every keen observer who has been following the activities of Mr. Ola Olukoyede-led EFCC will understand the enormous load on the shoulders of one man against countless Nigerians. From those in elective and appointive positions to the yahoo-boys; from the civil servants to ordinary Nigerian business owners, corruption has nearly become our new normal. Unlike what we were used to in the past, Mr. Ola Olukoyede seems more concerned with ridding Nigeria of corruption and rebranding the battered image of the country within the polity of nations. His approach to the fight against corruption seems more subtle, incisive, and result oriented.

He does not seem to be a fan of media frenzies. In Nigeria, the loudest is assumed to be the toughest. Media toughness has not reduced corruption. The corrupt elements, too, are louder in the media. This seems to have prompted Mr. Olukoyede’s subtle approach to getting the job. This is by far a better approach, and it is expected that with more Nigerians understanding their roles in the anti-corruption fight, Nigeria can and will become the country of our collective dream.

Light Shedrack light is a life-skill coach, an ideation specialist and a public issues manager. He resides in Abuja and can be reached via mclightlogistics@gmail.com