A social commentator, Akinwumi, has praised High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, for bringing what he described as “some sanity” to the menace of crude oil theft in Nigeria, while raising alarm over the chronic level of corruption across the country and its devastating consequences on citizens.

Akinwumi, in a strongly worded commentary shared on X via the handle @Big_marvis on Friday (August 14), argued that corruption has become deeply entrenched in virtually every sector of Nigerian society, warning that the menace is no longer limited to political officeholders but has spread across public institutions, businesses, schools and everyday interactions.

Using the oil and gas sector as an example, he commended Tompolo for his contribution towards tackling crude oil theft, alleging that before the intensified campaign against the menace, some security personnel charged with protecting the country's critical assets had colluded with criminal elements involved in stealing crude oil.

“Tompolo brought some sanity to stealing of crude oil in Nigeria,” Akinwumi stated, while lamenting that the activities of oil thieves had cost the country enormous resources over the years.

He further alleged that corruption among some officials tasked with enforcing regulations had compromised public safety, citing an incident involving a neighbour who was reportedly apprehended while travelling from Onitsha to Asaba with imported groundnut oil allegedly lacking a NAFDAC registration number.

According to him, the officials initially demanded N250,000 but eventually collected N60,000 before releasing the goods, despite the potential public health implications of allowing an uncertified consumable product into circulation.

Akinwumi also expressed concern over the alleged circulation of imported pharmaceutical products without proper regulatory certification, warning that corruption within regulatory and enforcement systems could expose millions of Nigerians to unsafe products.

He extended his criticism to the education sector, alleging that result racketeering, examination malpractice and other unethical practices are increasingly undermining educational standards. According to him, some lecturers allegedly facilitate result manipulation for financial benefits, while some private school operators assist pupils during examinations in an attempt to record impressive results and attract more enrolment.

The commentator also decried alleged corruption in recruitment exercises, saying qualified Nigerians are sometimes crowded out because employment opportunities are sold or influenced by connections rather than competence and merit.

“Everywhere you turn, it’s a web of corruption,” he lamented.

Akinwumi further argued that the consequences of corruption go beyond the loss of public revenue, stressing that compromised standards in food, medicine, security and other essential sectors could directly threaten human lives.

He also warned against placing the entire responsibility for Nigeria's corruption problem on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or politicians alone, insisting that ordinary citizens who offer or receive bribes, manipulate systems or compromise standards also contribute to perpetuating the problem.

According to him, corruption has become so widespread that it risks becoming an “inheritance crisis” passed from one generation to another unless deliberate steps are taken to confront it.

He therefore called on the Federal Government to establish a specialised research think tank that would undertake long-term studies into the causes, patterns and manifestations of corruption and recommend practical strategies for dismantling the networks sustaining the menace.

“Nigeria’s sophisticated corruption web demands more than the kid-glove treatment it is getting today,” Akinwumi maintained.

He stressed that fighting corruption effectively would require more than targeting politicians, noting that institutional reforms, stronger accountability mechanisms and a change in societal attitudes towards bribery and unethical conduct are necessary to achieve lasting progress.