Boys On The Side..
Editorial
Corruption - a recipe for disaster
Corruption is an ugly word. But, sad to say, it is a word increasing ly used around the region. Of course, it’s not new. There
have been rumblings before and no doubt will be again but in recent months we have seen shocking evidence of how bad things have become. Corruption is a cancer that gnaws at the very heart of good governance. It wrecks lives as well as whole economies by depriving people of essential services such as health and edu cation while the material wealth of nations is siphoned into off shore real estate and bank accounts.
From the shenanigans in Papua New Guinea to the ombuds man’s battle in Vanuatu to the rumblings in Fiji, the accusations echo around the southern ocean.
And that’s not to forget the goings-on in Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and the Cook Islands.
None of the island nations is free of corruption. None ever will be. For the cancer can never be completely eradicated. But it can be treated and brought under control if enough people of honour are prepared to stand up. That, it seems, is precisely what we lack. And while the majority wring their hands on the politi cal and commercial sidelines, trust in our systems of democratic government erodes.
A recent opinion carried out for The Fiji Times measured the esteem in which the community held various professions and occupations ranging from teachers to churchmen to journalists and politicians. Those surveyed rated politicians, in terms of
trustworthiness, only marginally better than car salesmen, the lowest in the league table. It’s a shock ing indictment of the
behaviour of people in public office. Once seen as a source of hope for the future, our leaders are increasingly regarded as greedy, self-serving and dishonest. The people are punch-drunk with politicians. Many now expect corrupt behaviour as the norm, accepting it with a resigned shrug. No matter, it seems, how many MPs and senior public servants are removed, others appear to take their place and carry on as before. It’s a recipe for disaster. For as people lose faith in the institutions of govern ment, it’s a short step from there to ignoring them completely.
Chaos and lawlessness is the only logical outcome.
It’s time for honesty and transparency in government. And that will only be achieved by honest people banding together to ruthlessly root out the self-servers and the cheats.
The argument that leaders have cultural and traditional rights to wealth won’t wash. None of the cultures of the South Pacific have traditions of corruption and theft. There are, however, a host of traditions of sharing that are in danger of being lost.
There is already very real anger in many of our communities.
It is an anger bom of frustration at people’s apparent inability to find leaders who will act in their interests.
So far it’s still bubbling away under the surface but unless something is done to relieve the pressure there is a future risk of a series of very violent eruptions. ®