By Kingsley Omonobi
Nigerians have been urged to cultivate resilience and actively combat both individual and societal lawlessness and impunity, which contribute to poor citizenship, corruption, and hinder the nation’s progress toward transparency and development.
Speaking at the 10th Annual Conference on Financial Crime, Cross-Border Crime, and Government Integrity in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr. Tunji Aworinde, Chairman of the Open Africa Foundation, said:
“Lawlessness leads to impunity, and impunity leads to bad citizenship. From our driving habits—jumping red lights, driving against traffic, going to work late or not at all and still expecting full pay—this is impunity.
“Lawlessness has brought insecurity, hunger, and made our nation the poverty capital of the world. Many developed countries where our elites travel for tourism, medical checks, and treatment, and where their families reside, are organized societies because of strict adherence to law and order.”
On the broader picture, Aworinde noted that nations that prosper in all indices of development are those governed by law and order, where leaders and citizens alike respect legal consequences, citing examples such as France, Israel, and South Africa.
“The root of many of Nigeria’s problems is lawlessness and impunity. Corruption, poverty, insecurity, unemployment, epileptic power supply, poor governance, and state capture across the executive, legislature, and judiciary are all rooted in lawlessness,” he emphasized.
Reflecting on the role of the judiciary as the hope of the common man, Aworinde added: “But when the judiciary is compromised, where does hope lie?
“When we end bad citizenship, good citizenship will emerge, and from good citizenship, good leadership will follow, resulting in transparency and accountability—the bigger picture.”
He explained that the conference aims to address widespread suffering and impunity in the country, stressing that individuals and conscientious groups must act to create positive impact.
“In Nigeria, our problems are man-made, and therefore the solutions are within our reach. It demands integrity. You cannot claim ‘good governance’ while your actions contradict it,” Aworinde said.
Guest speaker Engr. Adilah Musa also noted that insecurity and other national challenges are worsened by the mindset that government must provide everything, including jobs, infrastructure, and basic necessities.
“We have always been trapped in the notion that we must wait for government for everything. We are a resilient people. The government is often deaf to our needs, so we must act ourselves. The truth is, we are the ones who must fight poverty and create solutions. We must break free from the mindset of reliance and take responsibility for our own progress,” she said.
The post Lawlessness, impunity drive insecurity and corruption in Nigeria – Aworinde appeared first on Vanguard News.
