I predicted that the future is corrupt for first time on 27 May, 1996 at the launch of the Exam Ethics Marshals Movement. I have said it in many other occasions and feel compelled to say so again. The future will continue to be corrupt unless and until the criminal commercialization of admission, training, examination, certification, registration and regulation processes of education is stopped; unless the systemic examination malpractice, academic dishonesty and corruption in education are replaced with best practices. To do this, the anti- corruption campaign, in addition to focusing on recovery of looted fund, must pay special attention on rebuilding the moral infrastructure of education. Because education is the source code that determines the character and competences of leaders, professionals, workers and citizens. And when the source code is corrupt, everything flowing from it including human resource assets will also be corrupt. That is why the current anti-campaign can only make short term impact like earlier campaigns if it is focused exclusively recovery of stolen funds.
The architectural blueprint of the campaign should be designed or re-designed to highlight the 4 “i” components that guarantees long term success and sustainability: ideology, induction, identity and institutionalization through the education system.
The ideology of the campaign, as currently being implemented, appears to be encapsulated in Mr. President’s “body language” and the universally acknowledged fact he is a man of integrity. These attributes are very important but not sufficient. The ideology should be articulated, positioned and promoted as a mass revolutionary crusade in view of the fact almost everybody and every system, coming through the same corrupt source code, has been corrupted. It is a collective challenge that must be resolved in the spirit of collective responsibility.
The blueprint must outline a process of public induction for re-orientation, orientation and training of critical stakeholders on the basic ideological framework of the campaign. The strategic plans, key performance indicators, and measureable goals should be known. Government media houses are providing support in terms of content, programming and airtime. But they should be more effectively and holistically mobilized by government to serve the public induction objectives of campaign.
What is the identity of authentic anti corruption activist? Corruption is powerful and influential because it is very rich. It has enough money to enlist competent and effective “charge and report journalists”; to morph into and pretend to be the anti corruption activist; to turn genuine anti-corruption activists from hunters to the hunted. Is it not amazing how corrupt people enter as defense the suggestion that they are being prosecuted because they are fighting corruption! How do we separate the hunters from the hunted?
Institutionalization, in a broad sense, involves ensuring that the campaign is driven by strong anti-corruption agencies irrespective of the fact that strong leadership with strong political will is imperative as recent political history shows. It also involves making the anti-corruption campaign an integral part of the education process. It is against this background that I dedicated the past 20 years of my life to efforts to rebuild the moral infrastructure of education.
The fact that Nigeria has the highest examination Malpractice index in the world is in the public domain. The result is that many educational institutions are factories for production of ready recruits for corruption with proprietors, administrators and parents joining in the spirit of “if you can’t beat them, join them’’. The scale and scope of exam malpractice, academic dishonesty and corruption in education in Nigeria are mind blogging.
There are many ethics-friendly education stakeholders for sure. But they are over whelmed by the number of those involved in malpractices. Officials of education ministries, departments and agencies are paid off to register exam magic centers as schools, and to compromise, refuse or neglect to do their oversight functions. Principals, teachers, exam administrators and staff of exam boards extort money from students to leak question papers and facilitate mass cheating. Exam boards blatantly refuse to release names of compromised exam administrators who are recycled every year to continue to perpetrate malpractices. Lecturers sell marks, grades and degrees to students for cash and sex. Professors sell favorable course accreditation reports and favorable inspection reports for new institutions. Honourary degrees are auctioned off to highest bidders in the guise of IGR.
The evidence is everywhere and in public domain including the widely publicized investigative report of corruption in tertiary institutions by ICPC; the annual reports of public examination boards; the Need Assessment Report on Nigerian Public Universities presented by the Federal Ministry of Education to the National Economic Council on November 1, 2012; the white paper on a State University serialized by Source Magazine of 10th, 17th, and 14th August 2009; etc, etc.
Corruption in education has contaminated all categories of professionals in Nigeria. Again reports abound of Medical Doctors that harvest and sell off the body parts of patients and operate baby factory and human trafficking rings; of Pharmacists who make, import, and distribute fake drugs; of Medical Laboratory Scientists that cook fake lab results for patients; of Architects and Building Engineers who build houses that collapse and kill their occupants; of Auditors who produce three sets of accounts from the same records; of corruption in the judiciary ; of religious leaders who hypnotize and fleece congregations to live like royalty; of charge and report journalists and media houses; of cheating traders, petrol attendants, waiters, cashiers and market women.
Corruption in our security and law enforcement systems is a notorious matter of international concern. Civil servants connive with elected and appointed political leaders to loot the commonwealth. Yes, everything and everybody is corrupt because we are indoctrinated through the same corrupt educational source code. Because schools have become factories for corruption. That is why it is necessary to first fight corruption in education in order for sanity to return in other sectors.
The story of Exam Ethics Marshal Movement underscores the points being made and provides lessons for up- and -coming anti-corruption activists. It all started in 1995 when I wrote the then Minister of Education, the Late Dr. M.T. Liman to support the effort to launch the Exam Ethics Campaign (PCL/3002/0018/15 of October 18, 1995). With his support (ADF/160/S.59/1/73/T/70 of January 26, 1996) the Exam Ethics Marshals Movement was launched on May 27, 1996 at the Gateway hotel, Otta to inspire ethics friendly education stakeholders to bond and act together to promote best practices and eradicate malpractices in education.
The project was approved by the National Council of Education in 2003 (FME/S./C25/2003/1/45 of December 3, 2003) after passing rigorous review processes by the Joint Consultative Committees on Education (Technical and Plenary). The Presidency endorsed the project in 2005 and facilitated the inauguration of the Joint Action Committee of Education Stakeholders on Examination Ethics (SAP/NOPE/EEP/001 of May 22, 2005). The movement has since been adopted by other African countries with membership profile of hundreds of thousands.
Many projects have been implemented in collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders including education ministries, agencies and institutions. But I will highlight three that bring this discussion into sharp focus: the Dimman case; the blacklist initiative; and the FGGC Mungono intervention. The story involves encounters at Federal Ministry of Education and Plateau State Ministry of Education. Let me first say that there are many patriotic, honest, committed and ethics friendly Nigerians in the two Ministries. The stories only highlight how a few corrupt and selfish individuals can seize the levers of important institutions and hide under them to sponsor, perpetrate, sustain and cover-up corruption to the detriment of the nation.
The Dimman Case: In 1997 we received a letter from the West African Examination Council (Ref L/EC/Sup/C/144/3 of 12th May, 1997) recommending Ramman Bako Dimman, a school Principal employed by Plateau State Ministry of Education, for that year’s Exam Ethics Award. Dimman was engaged by WAEC to supervise its May/June 1994 SSCE examinations at Government College Jengre (Center No 30156). He reported wide spread malpractices at the Centre. The Principal and teachers of the school openly aided and abetted the malpractices. WAEC confirmed Dimman’s report as true because all the candidates in the school entered the same answers in almost all subjects including english language essays where every student’s father was ebony black, tall, strong and the village wrestling champion. WAEC proceeded to cancel the result and suspended the school as WAEC examination center. Plateau State Ministry of Education became enraged with Dimman for ‘’embarrassing the government’’ with his “unauthorized” report to WAEC. The Ministry terminated Dimman’s appointment without benefits and promoted the Principal of the school who facilitated the malpractice to a Deputy Inspector of Education!
Meanwhile, Dimman became a jobless, penniless destitute and was unable to feed his family and pay his children’s school fees. In the process, one of his six children died. In its letter introducing Dimman to Exam Ethics, WAEC wrote ‘’Bearer is Mr. R.B. Dimman, the Supervisor of center 30156 – Government College Jengre in Plateau State at the May/June 1994 SSC examination. He was a very honest and diligent man who in spite of pressure did not cover the examination malpractice that occurred at the centre with collusion of some persons. The report he made was useful in taking just decisions in the examination at the center. We respect and commend him for his courage.”
Exam Ethics took up Dimman’s case in addition to giving him the award. But the syndicate in the Plateau State Ministry of Education blocked every effort to reinstate him. Luckily, the Federal Government stepped in and provided him with alternative employment at the Administrative staff college of Nigeria in Badagry where he is still working. 20 year’s later the Plateau State Government is still holding on to Dimman’s benefits and compensation.
The Dimman story was widely reported by the media. (See special reports in Guardian Newspaper of 13th and 14th June, 1997). What happened to Dimman is still happening to education friendly stakeholders in education ministries, agencies and institutions across the country. Exam Ethics have identified and engaged many Dimmans as Exam Ethics Marshals in education ministries, agencies and institutions in Nigeria and Africa. There are many potential Dimmans. All they need is space, encouragement, protection, support and leadership.
The Blacklist initiative: In 2006, I led the Task Team set up by indefatigable and courageous Oby Ezekwesili as Education Minister, to compile and publish a two volume examination malpractice blacklist for the Federal Ministry of Education. The first volume profiled the names of 324 schools being used as exam magic centers. The second volume profiled the names of 232 Principals Teachers, and Exam Administrators who aided and abated malpractices in the schools. (magic centres)
The blacklists were widely advertised in national newspapers including Vanguard Newspaper of March 1, 2007; Punch Newspaper of March 1, 2007; Champion Newspaper of March 27, 2007; New Nigeria Newspaper of March 29, 2007; and Vanguard of March 29, 2007. The 324 blacklisted schools included those operated by the State Ministries of Education, Christian (Churches!) and Islamic organizations, the Police, NGOs, and private proprietors. The sanctions included banning the schools from serving as examination centres for five years.
The blacklist of individuals who aided and abetted malpractices in the schools included 14 officials of Federal Ministry of Education, 10 from National Examination Council, 10 from National Business and Technical Education Board and 2 from National Teachers Institute. The sanctions included ban in participation in administration of public exams in Nigeria and back loading to Head of Service for further disciplinary actions. The lists were forwarded to Anti- corruption agencies for further action.
One of the blacklisted officers from the Federal Ministry of Education is a teacher in Federal Government College Monguno who put two under aged sisters from the same mother in the family way at the same time in the course of exam malpractice related sexual abuse and harassment.
When we finished the assignment and disengaged in 2007 the blacklisted individuals found their way back to the Ministry. The sanctions imposed on the blacklisted individuals and schools were swept under the carpet and never implemented despite the massive publicity. Using their vantage leadership positions in the Ministry and its parastatals, they frustrated all efforts by ethics friendly officers of the Ministry to implement the sanctions. Not only that they frustrated the sanctions, they made sure that the blacklist exercise remained the first and only examination malpractice blacklist in Nigeria up till today. As I write this article, more schools have joined as exam magic centres and more exam administrators have enlisted as members of the syndicates in line with the dictum of joining them if you cannot beat them.
The 2007 blacklist was a brilliant and effective by Mrs. Ezekwesili. It sent shivers down the spines of exam malpractice syndicates and their godfathers. The exam malpractice index dropped from an annual average of 21 to less than 5 for 2007, the lowest since the launch of Exam Ethics Campaign in 1996. The index ballooned to more than 30 in 2008 after the initiative was successfully thwarted. And has since remained high. The initiative should be resuscitated and sustained as part of the current anti-corruption campaign.
Corruption fights back: The blacklisted individuals did not rest after thwarting the exercise. They launched a ferocious fight to kill off the Exam Ethics Marshals Movement in order to permanently bury any hope of resuscitating the subject of the blacklist.
They circulated a secret and unauthorized letter (FME/S/1342/C51/1/190 of 6th April 2009) to the effect that the Federal Ministry of Education has embargoed dealings with Exam Ethics. The letter was seen by Stakeholders across the country for what it was: a continuation of revenge and personal vendetta by blacklisted staff of the Ministry. The letter was neglected as Exam Ethics continued to receive support from the Presidency, Ministers, Ministries, Parastatals and education stakeholders uninterrupted. President Jonathan launched the Exam Ethics Centenary Project through the SGF at Transcorp Hilton Hotel on 17th November, 2011. The Minister of State Education launched the Safe School Empowerment Project, another initiative of Exam Ethics, on 1st August, 2014 at the National Universities Commission. United Nations, the National Assembly, the Police, Civil Defence, other Security Agencies, 77 institutions and 339 delegates attended and supported the event. The counter attack failed woefully.
When my name was announced as one of the recipients of the National Honors Award in the rank of Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR), they wrote a petition to President Yar’Adua (may his gentle soul rest in peace) that I did not deserve the award on grounds that I embezzled sixty million naira meant for blacklist initiative. President Yar’ Adua, who had been an ardent follower and supporter of the Exam Ethics since his days as Governor, asked for my side of the story.
I reported that sixty million was budgeted for the project. The task team was able to source thirty nine million from outside the Ministry for the project which was successfully delivered with N24 million, (40percent of the budget) because we negotiated and secured generous discounts from suppliers in addition to getting resource persons on self recruited volunteer basis, saving N15 million. The cabal proposed that I share the saving of N15 million with them as “honorarium’’ and “sitting allowances”. I refused. Instead I refunded the N15 million savings directly to the Federal Ministry of Education through Zenith Bank Maitama Branch cheque No. 001 of 14th May 2007. The petitioners were only aware that I refused to share N15 million as honorarium and thought that I pocketed the money. They were not aware that I refunded the money to the Ministry through a cheque. Mr. President verified my story as correct. Their counter-attack failed again and I received my award. Many other attempts to scuttle the campaign have also failed.
The lesson for up and coming anti-corruption activists is this: as you confront corruption, be prepared to be confronted because corruption will always fight back and because those who live in glass houses cannot successfully throw stones at corruption.
The FGGC Munguno intervention: On 19th April 2010, I wrote a letter to the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan requesting special Presidential intervention in the case of the male teacher in Federal Government Girls College, Munguno who was involved in exam malpractice related sexual abuse of two under-aged sisters from the same mother. The two sisters, both in SS1, became pregnant and were expelled from school. But the teacher who used his quarters in the school as sex camp, remained in his post despite the fact that he was one of those blacklisted in 2007. Mr. President directed the Honorable Minister to deal with the issue through a memo SH/AP/44 of 29th August 2010 copy of which was made available to Exam Ethics for follow-up. The Minister passed the letter down for action. When the letter got to the desk officer who happened to be championing the cause of blacklisted officers, she promptly filed it away and boasted that nothing will come out of the directive. The matter lingered until the Minister left office. And so it has remained up to the time of writing this article. To the best of my knowledge.
I end by telling every citizen reading this letter to put himself in the shoes of the FGGC Munguno parent and imagine this scenario: ‘’You are a parent with two loving daughters. You are poor, but you manage to scratch and send them to a Federal Government College hoping to give them the best preparation for life. After four years the government sends your daughters back to you, one mid-afternoon. Reason: they have been expelled from school, because they are carrying the babies of their teacher (Federal Government Employee) who serially forced them into intercourse as condition for passing them in his tests. Many years after, the teacher is still in school, beating his chest, abusing other underage female students and adding salt to injury. The attempt to blacklist the teacher was thwarted. When contacted, the Ministry of Education prevaricates with excuses about having lost his file and the need to follow administrative due process.(Guardian, September 26, 2007, page 5; Punch February 12, 2007, page7; Daily Trust, January 14, 2008; Vanguard, March 28, 2007, page 16.) The mother becomes a psychological wreck. One of the girls commits suicide. Your family is in tatters. You are asking questions in your mind: where is the Federal Ministry of Education in whose care I entrusted my children? Where is the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and National Council for Women Affairs to whom petitions were sent? Why did a civil servant refuse to react to a Presidential directive? Why are some civil servants above the law? Where are the anti-corruption activists? Where are all the women NGOs? Where is investigative journalism, the last hope of the common man and women?
Close your eyes and think about what you have just read not just as one isolated incident but as one example of the happenings in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across Nigeria. Open your eyes and welcome to the higher dynamics of corruption.
* Ike Onyechere, MFR, is Founding Chairman, Exam Ethics Marshal International; National Coordinator, Joint Education Stakeholders Action Coalition and National Task Team Leader, Safe School Empowerment Project.
