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7/25/2019 Corruption in Nigeria Economy System
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Corruption in Nigeria: Review, Causes,
Effects and Solutions January 6, 2016
Introduction
Corruption is Nigeria's biggest challenge. It is clear to every citizen that the level of corruption in
the country is high. It's found in every sector of society. Be it a small or big sector, there is every
possibility of observing corrupt practices when critically examined.
hat is corruption! It's the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically
involving bribery. It is the illegitimate use of power to benefit a private interest "#orris $%%$&.
Corruption is the giving of a bribe to an official so that the truth will not be told. It involves the
embezzlement of public fund for personal use and any act which is considered to be criminal act
according to the law of a particular society.
Review on the Corrupt State
Nigeria, which the most populated country in frica, has been ran(ed high in corruption by
)ransparency International and other notable organizations that monitor corrupt practices around
the world. )hey do not have anything good to say about Nigeria at all. *igh corruption ran(ings
affect almost all Nigerians who migrate to foreign countries, as foreigners have the perception
that since Nigeria is corrupt, so are all Nigerians.
In the year +, )ransparency International carried out a survey on the corruption levels of %
countries, including -enya, Cameroon, ngola, Nigeria, Cte/d'Ivoire, 0imbabwe, 1thiopia,
2hana, 3enegal, 0ambia, India, 4enezuela, #oldova, and others. t the end of the ran(ing,
Nigeria was seen as the most corrupt in that ran(ing because the country occupied the %th
position in terms of transparency. Nigeria was the most corrupt country in the year +.
In +$, Nigeria was ran(ed the second/most corrupt nation in the world out of %$ countries,
falling only to Bangladesh. )his shows that corruption in Nigeria improved by one step when
compared with that of +.
3till from the same source, in the year ++, Nigeria was again ran(ed the second/most corrupt
country in the world, after the organization surveyed $+ countries. Nigeria was seen at the
bottom, occupying the $$th position in terms of Confidence Interval "CI&.
In +5, Nigeria received the same ran(ing, ma(ing no improvements from +5.
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+6's ran(ing showed a little improvement when compared to the past four years. Nigeria was
ran(ed the third most corrupt country in the world, performing better than Bangladesh and *aiti.
)hat year, $67 nations were surveyed.
)he record on the corruption in Nigeria really improved in +7. )he number of countries
surveyed by the )ransparency International was $78. Nigeria was ran(ed sixth most corrupt.
#ore countries were surveyed by )ransparency International in +9. $95 countries were
surveyed that year. )he results showed some improvement, and Nigeria was ran(ed the $8th
most corrupt country in the world. *aiti was the world's most corrupt nation that year.
mong the $8 countries surveyed in +:, Nigeria ran(ed $68. )his result shows that Nigeria
was 5+nd most corrupt country in the world.
n analysis of the anti/graft;anti/corruption laws in Nigeria shows that corruption will continue
in spite of the law, because the perpetrators do not fear any consezochu(wu +$5&. In that year, the country ran(ed $5%th out of the $:9 surveyed
countries, ma(ing Nigeria the 5:th most corrupt nation.
In +$5, Nigeria ran(ed $66 out of $:: surveyed countries in terms of transparency. )he score
made Nigeria 55rd most corrupt country in the world that year. )he result published by the
organization also showed that Nigeria scored +7? out of $ in terms of transparency.
In the +$6 ran(ing, Nigeria is ran(ed $59 out $:6 surveyed countries ")ransparency
International +$6&. )he result shows that there is improvement, though things are still bad.
Nigeria was the 58th most corrupt country in the world in +$6.
Nigeria failed when it came to transparency in the country. By contrast, in +$5, @enmar( and
New 0ealand scored highest at %$? each, meaning the countries are clean and have higher
Confidence Intervals than Nigeria. In the other words, Nigeria is highly corrupt.
Facets of Corruption
Corruption ta(es many forms and can be interpreted by many people in many ways. It is hard to
enter any sector in Nigeria without observing one corrupt practice or the other. )he areas where
corruption is observed are not only in the public sector or in politics
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Political Corruption
Boo(s have been written, people have tal(ed, and press companies have been writing on the high
level of corruption in Nigeria politics, yet the political perpetrators pretend as if they are not the
people being tal(ed about. )hey feel they are above the law.
Corruption ta(es many shapes, starting with embezzlement, bribery, rituals, rigging in elections
and so on. In fact, corruption is highest in the political system. In both the 3enate and the *ouse
of Aepresentatives, corruption is seen as normal. here do we start among politicians! It is
because of the wic(ed level of corruption that ma(es both the youths and the old struggle to
find themselves in one political party or the other. )hey believe that once they occupy any
position in politics, even the smallest, they will use corrupt tric(s to fill their poc(ets with public
funds.
1mbezzlement of public funds is common. #any leaders have helped boost the economies of
other nations by depositing embezzled money in foreign ban(s. Dacts and figures have shown
that on many occasions, the men who rule the country have embezzled funds into foreign ban(s.
Eolitical corruption is persistent in the Nigerian state. 3ince the creation of modern public
administration in the country, there have been cases of official misuse of resources for personal
enrichment "3torey Aeport +$6&. fter the death of the former president, Eresident 3ani bacha,
an investigation was carried out to detect the amount of money he embezzled in gas plant
construction in the country. )he investigations led to the freezing of accounts containing about
F$ million >nited 3tates dollars "*ector +6& that he stole. )he bacha administration in the
$%%s notoriously looted upwards of F5 billion ">zochu(wu +$5&.
s of a few years bac(, whenever it was time for election in Nigeria, small children in the
country began to go missing. Child/missing during that period was rampant and parents were
usually advised to guide and guard their children from ritualists. But why was it li(e that and
what were the children used for! )his is another face of corruption that brea(s the hearts of
mothers. )he missing children were used by contesting politicians to perform ritual (illings in
order to get protections and other devilish powers that will enable them win elections. )his is
corruption and wic(edness in the highest order because it involves the termination of human life.
)hose who ta(e part in that practice have their children at home and went on capturing and
(illing the children of others. It is not as if this has stopped, but it has slowed down.
1lection rigging is not an unheard/of phenomenon. @uring elections, the contestants hire thugs
who go round the election polling stations to highGac( the ballot boxes. hen they steal these
boxes, they then use their hands to vote for their candidate. In the recent times, the new tactics
that the contestants have adopted is buying voterHs cards so that they can manipulate and use the
cards for their own advantages.
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=n many occasions politicians have bribed some top officials to do wrong things to their favour.
3ome political leaders, including governors and presidents, have been sued by opponents, but the
sued followed the bac( door, bribing barristers and Gudges. t the end of the Gudgement, the
leader who bribed won in the case.
Corruption in Universities and CollegesIt is not new to any real Nigerian to hear that corruption parades itself in universities,
polytechnics and colleges. )here are certain things that lecturers do that deserve hot
punishment. #ost lecturers use the opportunity they have to ta(e advantage of others.
*arassment of women by lecturers and pressure to sleep with them is common. )he most painful
part of it is that some of them are married, yet they are not satisfied. fter some of the female
undergraduates submit to the lecturers reniversities have been crying about the amount of funds allocated to them. lecturer in a
university located in nambra 3tate on the nature of the poor standard of the foundry in the
department of #etallurgical and #aterials 1ngineering has this to say hat ma(es our foundry
to be of low standard is...corruption. n organization gave the department some money that
would have been more than enough to upgrade and standardize the foundry, but I do not (now
what the management of the department did with the money. Corruption is one of the biggest
challenges faced by the education system.
*ow do some students find their ways into the universities! 3ome are there not by merit, but
through a (ind of bribery called sorting. 3ome rich men in the country bribe vice/chancellors and
heads of departments to secure admission for their children. hen this (ind of dirty practice is
conducted, those who would have made it on merit are cheated, as no admission will be offeredto them. 1very university in Nigeria has a
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F.5$& or twenty naira " + K F.$+&. )he police are now turning to gods that receive money
from the worshipper as offering.
3ome women prison inmates went into prisons singled to come out doubled. hat this implies is
that the policemen use the opportunity they have to assault women who are imprisoned. )he
women may say no, but because the policemen have guns, the women could not do anything.
)hey were impregnated before they were granted bail. hat (ind of prayer will erase this (ind of
abomination!
Corruption in Football
Corruption is li(e a curse laid upon us by an un(nown person. 1ven in football has corruption.
Elayers are not chosen by merit. It is all about who you (now in top political offices or society.
In the Nigerian Dootball Dederation "NDD&, corruption is the reason why #r. is elected as the
leader of the group today and tomorrow the election is nullified and #r. B chosen. 1verybody
wants to be at the head so that he will fill his bag with the national ca(e. Eeople do not fight to
wor( because it is stressful, so whenever people fight for a particular position, there is every
possibility that they are there to clean out the organization.
Aeports and evidence have shown that there are corrupt practices in Nigerian football. BBC
news report said this senior football official and a club administrator have been banned for
$ years following their involvement in corruption, the football authority has announced "BBC
3port News +$5&. #atch/fixing and corruption is a problem in Nigerian football and has lead to
sanctions against a number of clubs, referees and officials "=luwashina +$5&.
referee "name withdrawn& who is currently a Catholic priest serving in a parish in nambra,
once gave his experience on the level of corruption in football. ccording to priest, he said that
he narrowly escaped death when he officiated a match in the local league. *e stated fter the
first half of the match, none of the two sides scored any goal. Before the beginning of the second
half, some officials and young youths who were supporting the club at home side came and said
to me if you want to leave this pitch alive, ma(e sure that you do anything possible to see that
our club win this match. )he young referee was scared of the treat and finally the home side
won the match with a lone goal. )he inability of 3uper 1agles of Nigeria to
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decorates it, and convinces people to Goin him, that he has been given powers to summon signs
and miracles from 2od.
Imagine how a man that have been dying of hunger for years claim that you should come to him
that he has been called and can transform you financial status. It is the common thing they
usually say that ma(e hungry Nigerians yield to their deceptions. )he people come and the so/
called pastors use their tric(s to collect the money that is remaining in the poc(ets of the poor
ones in the country.
3ome of the pastors go to the extent of using magical and devilish powers in running their church
business in the name of 2odHs power. )hey give the congregations what they want without them
(nowing the source of their so/called power. If it is for women who are in search of babies, the
babies may be given to them through devilish powers but continue to cause headaches to the
childrenHs parents till death. )oday, one of the children will steal money from a ban( through
armed robbery and tomorrow (ill an innocent person, operating under the influence of the devil.
Eastors have on many occasions been caught in adultery and fornication. It is not new and it is
certain that you as a reader have heard about such shameful acts. )hrough newspapers,
televisions, and other channels, the immoral acts committed by Nigerian pastors have been
observed. In early November of +$6, there was a radio program from Blaze D#, =rifite, on a
pastor that impregnated an $$/year/old girl. ccording to the report, the girl was impregnated by
the pastor when her mother too( her to the pastorHs place for prayers, and left for her own
business.
Internet FraudDraudulent Internet activity is another face of corruption. 2raduates and non/graduates who lac(sthe (nowledge and s(ills to help them earn money find Goy in Internet fraud. It is a criminal act
and deserves serious punishment. mong the classes of offences committed in Nigeria, both the
3enate and members of *ouse of Aepresentative are wor(ing hard to see that those caught in
such fraud act face the punishments they deserve without any favour.
3ome Nigerians, who are mainly youths, have been scamming their fellow citizens using illegal
means. 3ome host websites online and claim to be giving Gobs to Gob see(ers and scam any who
fall prey to their tric(s. )hey tell Gob see(ers to ma(e certain payments for processing documents
without them (nowing that they will not be issued any Gob. 3ome Nigerians have been stolenfrom by cyber criminals.
)he level of corruption in Nigeria has made many citizens of the country show no respect to holy
and 2odly affairs. )his is seen in the report given by the spiritual director of doration #inistry
1nugu Nigeria, #1N, news report on @ecember +$6. ccording to the spiritual director, Aev.
Dather 1Gi(e #ba(a, some Nigerians impersonated him through websites and social media sites,
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specifically Daceboo(. *e lamented that the bad guys used his picture to deceive people and
collect money from them while claiming they were Dr. #ba(a. )he notable reverend father made
it clear that he is not on Daceboo( and neither does he own a website with his name. *e went
further to say that anyone caught in that act will dance ti the music that he or she deserves and
the police have been involved to find those criminals out.
Corruption in the Customs Service
re Nigerian customs really doing the wor( they are called to do correctly! )he customs service
of Nigeria is the organization that is authorized to clear goods that are imported into the country.
)his group is not free from the menace of corruption.
In most occasions, you must pay bribes to customs before your goods are cleared. #any
containers that are being held captive by customs because the owners are not willing to pay the
large amount of money being demanded.
Causes of Corruption
number of things cause corruption, and among them are
Greed
Poor youth empowerment
Poverty
Unemployment
Greed
2reed has caused a lot of crises in the world, including in Nigeria. It is because of greed that
political leaders embezzle from the funds they are supposed to use for national development for
their own selfish needs.
Poor Youth Empowerment
Eoor moral youth empowerment is a contributor to corruption. Internet fraud, sexual harassment
by male C1=s, and other bad acts are because Nigerians lac( understanding on the importance of
youth empowerment. hen parents and governments empower youths both financially and
morally, the level of corruption among them will diminish.
Povert
ccording to international standards of poverty, a person is said to be poor when he lives under
F$.+7 " +$, though it varies& per day. )here are many poor people in Nigeria, and poverty
pushes them into corruption. ccording to orld Ban( 2roup, in +6, 95.$? of Nigerians were
poor. )he poverty level increased in +$. In +$, 98? of the Nigerian population were
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estimated to be poor. person can ta(e bribes to commit crime because he is poor. It is one of
the reasons why the poor youths in the country collect bribes to wor( as thugs for Nigerian
politicians.
Unemploment
>nemployment is one of the maGor challenges in Nigeria and does not need much explanation
because it has bro(en the hearts of many citizens. Eeople are pushed into corrupt practice
because of high unemployment. n unemployed citizen can indulge in corruption to ma(e
money and live better.
E!ects of Corruption
)he negative consenemployment in Nigeria would have been eradicated to some extent if only investors were
attracted to it. Companies that would have invested in Nigeria are afraid because they do not
(now if the corrupt practice will ruin their industries in time. Because of this, they refuse toinvest in Nigeria.
Rise in Poverty
hen the heads of public service are busy laundering the money that is supposed to be used to
create employment for the masses and reduce poverty, what happens is that there will be a rise in
the poverty level of the country. Lust li(e the rise in poverty as statistically shown between +6
and +8. 3ince the government is selfish and does not want to help the poor, poverty continues
to rise in Nigeria.
Poor National Development
ny country with high corruption is li(ely to experience developmental ban(ruptcy. situation
where some C1=s indulge in corrupt practices to ma(e their money means that economic
development will suffer. hen Nigerians (eep on shifting the countryHs currency to foreign
countries, there will be less economic development in Nigeria.
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National Crises
3o many crises in Nigeria today are as a result of corruption. )he insecurity in Nigeria brought
about by Bo(o *aram is a conse
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Proper !overnment "unding of Sc#ools
>nderstanding the importance of s(ill ac
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orld :an3 Group) +2018-, Poverty and $'uity)
http;CChupa#es)comCeducationC.orruption!in!Ni#eria
http://hubpages.com/education/Corruption-in-Nigeriahttp://hubpages.com/education/Corruption-in-Nigeria7/25/2019 Corruption in Nigeria Economy System
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C"USES "#$ EFFEC%S &F C&RRUP%I S&CIE%Y $E'E(&P)E#%
.US$S N* $@@$.%S 7@ .7RRUP%"7N 7N S7."$%D *$?$7P($N%
:D
(uEa&u (ohammed Dusi
*epartment o Political science,
:ayero University, =ano
Presented at a seminar 7r#ani&ed y the code o conduct :ureau, held in Ji#awa 8
Star or3shopCseminar is Fcomatin#
corruption and moral *ecadence in the ocal Government dministration) Since the
country is now operatin# under a democratic constitution, with hu#e Hnancial
resources accruin# to the ocal Government dministrations, and so hi#h
e/pectation rom the people, and yet no visile development can e seen in the
ocal Government reas, at least in Ji#awa state, it is most appropriate to discuss
this issue)
%he little contriution " am #oin# to ma3e in this seminar is on the suIect o,
corruption and its eects and how it can e controlled in Ni#eria)
"n recent years, with the introduction o Structural dIustment Pro#ramme, (athew
Parris has oserved that Fcorruption has ecome an rican epidemic) "t is
impossile to overstate the poisonin# o human relations and the paraly&in# o
initiative that the corruption on the rican scale rin#)
recent report y the "nternational
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%his contriution is aimed at drawin# the attention o the participant at this seminar
on conse'uences o corruption and how to control it)
:ut, eore #oin# into all these we need to clariy what is corruption and the types
o corruption) %his is very essential ecause, in order to H#ht corruption we must
understand what it is and what are its maniestations)
.orruption
%he word corruption has varied meanin#s deendin# on the political culture and
civili&ation o the people) "n many Ni#erian communities a man or community o
men can #ive or sent a #it to an o9cer, in appreciation o his #ood perormance)
%his is called #aisuwa in
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or#ani&er o this seminar, " need not mention speciHcally these cases) "nstead " will
attempt to hi#hli#ht types o corruption, which the :ureau may wish to #ive
attention, i the prolem is to e uprooted rom Ni#eriaEs society)
*o#on!yaro posited two typesCcourses o corruption in the usiness world) $ach
corresponds to the #roup or or#anisation involved) %he Hrst is in tradin# anddistriution o #oods) %his involves and perpetuates corruption y protectin#,
hoardin# and also speculation o commodities) %he second involves #eneral
contractors who operate throu#h lar#e Hnancial conspiracy with power holders,
dictatin# policies or states and ederal #overnment) %hat is corruption in usiness
relationship, which is now very common even in international usiness)
@emi de3unle, on the other hand, identiHes other orms o corruption) t one level
it is the misuse o pulic o9ce or pulic responsiility or private +personal or
sectional- #ains) t another level it involves the use o pulic or private unds in
order to ac'uire and return political power or to #et #overnment policies passed and
accepted) %he second is called commercialCeconomic corruption) %hese are acts y
those transactin# usiness with various level o Government L @ederal, State and
ocal Government, y oerin# 3ic3ac3 or commissions to #overnment o9cials or
pulic wor3 contract) %he third is called administrative proessional corruption which
involves the casual ut delierate and lar#ely criminal action y top administrative
and proessional personnel who ause their position and their proessional statuses
or private material and social, political #ains) %hey operate via alsiHcation o
accounts, eme&&lement o corporate or #overnment unds throu#h milea#e and
other claims, raudulent ta/ returns, and cover!up o proessional misdeeds)
%he ourth orm o corruption is the or#anised corruption) (ostly common incountries o >estern $urope and merica, it is a relatively lar#e!scale and comple/
criminal activity carried on y #roups o (aHa, mostly elites and their control a#ents
who are loosely as ti#htly or#ani&ed or the enrichment o those participatin# or or
Hnancin# o proIects o the #roup, or political or usiness purposes) %he memers
o these #roups are inKuential, connected to inormation sources and control)
%heir methods o operations include either violent attac3 or 'uite manipulation o
#overnment treasury, i# usiness centres or i# private individuals) %he Hth one is
a mere petty corruption o lower ran3ed wor3ers li3e messen#ers, cler3, security
men etc) who receive some returns or services oered, especially in #overnmentestalishments)
.orruption and the *evelopment #enda
s " ar#ued at the e#innin# o this paper corruption in Ni#eria is a normal aair)
:orrowin# rom e?ine, there is in particular Ma culture o political corruptionE in
which corruption is the normal stu o politics) "ndeed, in Ni#eria, hardly an
uncorrupt person will e anythin# in the scheme o thin#s in runnin# the
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#overnment) " you were not corrupt, you would e mar#inali&ed i not #ot rid o)
nd i you are corrupt, you must e prepared to ollow anythin# without personal
initiative or ideas o an alternative policy)
$specially, o recent, political corruption has ecome an increasin#ly, important
issue, such that other types o corruption is allowed to thrive unchec3ed or is evenencoura#ed) %he noise a#ainst corruption y the >orld :an3 and other "nternational
a#encies and #overnment o >estern $urope and merica is only reerrin# to
political corruption) %he others are condoned y the same a#encies and
#overnments)
%hus, political corruption will e our maIor attention in relation to *evelopment
#enda) @irst, what is development %here are many deHnitions o development)
Petit Roert dictionary contains the ollowin# entry as meanin# o development)
%hese are #rowth lossomin#, pro#ress, e/tension, e/pansion) %hese words imply
that orward advancement o anythin# is development) >hether economic, political,
or social) %hen the report o the south commission, under the chairmanship o the
ormer %an&anian President late Julius Nyerere, while summin# up the aspirations
and policies o developin# countries, deHned development as Fa process which
enales human ein#s to reali&e their potential, uild sel!conHdence, and lead lives
o di#nity and ulHlment) "t is a process, which rees people rom the ear o want
and e/ploitation) "t is a movement away rom political, economic and social
oppression) @urthermore, the
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Set a#ainst corruption on hi#h scale, the "(@ and the >orld :an3 have even
promoted the H#ht a#ainst political corruption as a condition or und acilities to
implement Structural dIustment Pro#ramme) :ut the reality is ased on the
assumption that political corruption is caused y interventionist state and in order
to wipe out corruption a neo!lieral state should e put in place) %hat is a state
which will withdraw all services e)#) education, health, withdrawal o all sorts osusidies, commerciali&ation and privati&ation o pulic enterprises, etc)
%he Ni#eriaEs state has already ecome the so!called neo!lieral state pursuin# the
neo!lieral a#enda) :ut, does that eliminate corruption rom Ni#eriaEs society)
%he reality is that under the present economic development a#enda, corruption and
political corruption in particular has increased and ecome wide spread more than
any moment in the past history o Ni#eria)
Undoutedly, corruption has a ne#ative impact on all indicators o economic
development) .orruption, especially political corruption reeds lac3 o productivity,
lac3 o initiative and creativity to put sound policies, which could #enerate urther
development) %hus, the rate o economic #rowth, domestic and orei#n investment,
employment and air income distriution all suered and retarded as a result o
corruption) "n act, the prolems o corruption have increasin#ly pushed Ni#eriaEs
society and economy to the ric3s o disaster, as the current lac3 o pro#ress and
the political crisis etween the le#islature and the e/ecutive shows) %his political
crisis is a #reat revelation o people in the leadership o Ni#eria, overwhelmed y
corruption o o9ce can #o to any e/tent includin# the #eneration o trial, re#ional,
and reli#ious support to protect their loot)
"t is the same scenario o similar or dierent dimensions o political conKict we can
Hnd in states and local #overnment area) s one 3een oserver has noted, wherever
there is relative peace and understandin# etween the various o9cials is where the
loot o political corruption spreads to every ody in the team)
(echanisms o .ontrollin# .orruption
$very #overnment in Ni#eria reco#ni&ed corruption as a maIor ostacle to easy
development) Sometimes #overnment is chan#ed y the rmed orces ecause o
corruption) nd there are many approaches to stem the tides o, indiscipline,
corruption and moral decay in Ni#eria) %he approaches to address corruption ran#esrom the estalishment o code o conduct ureau +the or#ani&ers o this seminar-
y *ecree, as an enorcement, investi#ative and detective ody to trace corrupt
practices and cause punishment y the law) 7thers include the pulic complaint
commission, the various Judicial dministrative %riunals o in'uiry into scandals y
pulic o9cers) %he ethical revolution committee initiated y President Shehu
Sha#ari in 158 as well as the >ar #ainst "ndiscipline y General :uhari and
"dia#on in 15 all into the same a#enda o H#htin# corruption in Ni#eria)
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%he aove eorts y various #overnments to tac3le the prolem o corruption has
indicated the e/tent to which corruption has #one deep in the lives o Ni#erians) "n
his amous JaIi declaration in 1 General 7asanIo emoaned the indiscipline,
corruption, moral decay and lac3 o patriotism, which characteri&ed various acet o
Ni#eriaEs lie) Dou would recall that 7asanIo, in the JaIi *eclaration e/alted allNi#erians to e more discipline, more humane and more considerate towards the
welare o their ellow citi&ens, and to eschew materialism, Kamoyant display o
wealth, and unnecessary ac'uisitive tendencies)
President 7asanIo made that statement in 1 when he was the (ilitary
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corruption that #overnment unds are deposited in personal Savin# ccounts which
accrue interests not to the #overnment ut to the person)
lso some #overnors and local #overnment chairmen are the sole contractors o all
proIects and purchases y their #overnments) Some #o and do it directly while
some put their riends and rothers as middlemen to do the purchases)
ll these happen either ecause o personal a##randi&ement, sectional purposes,
asence o clear pro#ramme and le#al ramewor3 to deal ruthlessly with the
prolem or it may e ecause o poor pay to some cate#ories o pulic servants)
"ndeed, it is ecause o the corrupt practices o Ni#eriaEs pulic service unctionaries
that, neither the landscape o Ni#eria not the standard o livin# o its citi&ens has
si#niHcantly improve since independence, despite the hu#e monetary resources
which the #overnment has een ale to accumulate over the years) lso, at level o
political development, Ni#eria remains perpetually incapale o resolvin# its political
crisis, includin# the present crisis etween the le#islature and the e/ecutive)
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Corruption in #igeria* " #ew Paradigm for E!ective Control
By Victor E. Dike
%here are many unresolved prolems in Ni#eria, ut the issue o the upsur#e o
corruption is troulin#) nd the dama#es it has done to the polity are astronomical)
%he menace o corruption leads to slow movement o Hles in o9ces, police e/tortion
toll#ates and slow tra9cs on the hi#hways, port con#estion, 'ueues at passport
o9ces and #as stations, #host wor3ers syndrome, election irre#ularities, amon#
others) $ven the mad people on the street reco#ni&e the havoc caused y
corruption ! the unds allocated or their welare disappear into the thin air) %hus, it
is elieved y many in the society that corruption is the ane o Ni#eria)
.onse'uently, the issue 3eeps reoccurrin# in every academic and inormal
discussion in Ni#eria) nd the issue will hardly #o awayQ
Some writers say that corruption is endemic in all #overnments, and that it is notpeculiar to any continent, re#ion and ethnic #roup) "t cuts across aiths, reli#ious
denominations and political systems and aects oth youn# and old, man and
woman ali3e) .orruption is ound in democratic and dictatorial politicsO feudal,
capitalist and socialisteconomies) Christian, Muslim, Hindu,and Buddhist cultures
are e'ually edeviled y corruption) nd corrupt practices did not e#in todayO the
history is as old as the world) ncient civili&ations have traces o widespread
ille#ality and corruption) %hus, corruption has een ui'uitous in comple/ societies
rom ancient Egypt,Israel, Rome,and Greecedown to the present +ipset and en&
2000, pp)112!118-) %his does not, however, mean that the ma#nitude o corruption
is e'ual in every society Some countries are more corrupt than othersQ s GeorgeOrwellnotes in his widely read oo3,Animal arm; ll animals are e'ual, ut some
animals are more e'ual than others +June 16, p)10-)
Since corruption is not new, and since it is a #loal phenomenon, it is not peculiar to
Ni#eria)
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Perhaps, ecause corruption has received an e/tensive attention in the
communities, and perhaps, due to the act that it has een over!Ko##ed in the
academic circles, corruption has received varied deHnitions) .orruption has roadly
een deHned as a perversion or a chan#e rom #ood to ad) SpeciHcally, corruption
or corrupt ehavior involves the violation o estalished rules or personal #ain and
proHt +Sen 1, p)2-) .orruption is eorts to secure wealth or power throu#hille#al means private #ain at pulic e/penseO or a misuse o pulic power or private
eneHt +ipset en&, 2000, p)112!114-)
"n addition, corruption is a ehavior which deviates rom the ormal duties o a
pulic role, ecause o private #ainsT ! re#ardin# +personal, close amily, private
cli'ue, pecuniary or status #ains) "t is a ehavior which violates rules a#ainst the
e/ercise o certain types o dutiesT or private #ainsT ! re#ardin# inKuence +Nye,
16-) %his deHnition includes such ehavior as riery +use o a reward to pervert
the Iud#ment o a person in a position o trust-O nepotism +estowal o patrona#e y
reason o ascripti$e relationship rather than merit-O and misappropriation +ille#al
appropriation o pulic resources or private uses +:anHeld 161-) %o the already
crowded landscape +7soa 16-, adds that corruption is an anti!social ehaviour
conerrin# improper eneHts contrary to le#al and moral norms, and which
undermine the authorities to improve the livin# conditions o the people)
$ven thou#h some o these deHnitions o corruption have een around or over
decades, the recent development in Ni#eria where discoveries o stolen pulic unds
run into illions o %& 'ollars and Ni#eria !aira, ma3e these deHnitions very
ade'uate and appropriate) .orruption is proaly the main means to accumulate
'uic3 wealth in Ni#eria) .orruption occurs in many forms,and it has contriuted
immensely to thepo$ertyand miseryo a lar#e se#ment o the Ni#erian population)
%he #ature and Characteristics of Corruption
Some studies have ta3en a holistic +roader- approach in the discussion o
corruption y dividin# it into many orms and su!divisions) %hese are;
i- Political .orruption +grand-O
ii- :ureaucratic .orruption +petty-O and
iii- $lectoral .orruption)
Political corruption ta3es place at the hi#hest levels o political authority) "t occurs
when the politicians and political decision!ma3ers, who are entitled to ormulate,
estalish and implement the laws in the name o the people, are themselves
corrupt) "t also ta3es place when policy ormulation and le#islation is tailored to
eneHt politicians and le#islators) Political corruption is sometimes seen as similar
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to corruption o #reed as it aects the manner in which decisions are made, as it
manipulates political institutions, rules o procedure, and distorts the institutions o
#overnment +!ORA', ch)4, Jan) 2000O "he Encyclopedia Americana, ()))-)
:ureaucratic corruption occurs in the pulic administration or the implementation
end o politics) %his 3ind o corruption has een randed low level and street level) "tis the 3ind o corruption the citi&ens encounter daily at places li3e the hospitals,
schools, local licensin# o9ces, police, ta/in# o9ces and on and on) :ureaucratic
petty corruption, which is seen as similar to corruption o need, occurs when one
otains a usiness rom the pulic sector throu#h inappropriate procedure +see
N7R*, ch)4, 2000-)
$lectoral corruption includes purchase o votes with money, promises o o9ce or
special avors, coercion, intimidation, and intererence with reedom o election
Ni#eria is a #ood e/ample where this practice is common) ?otes are ou#ht, people
are 3illed or maimed in the name o election, losers end up as the winners in
elections, and votes turn up in areas where votes were not castT) .orruption in o9ce
involves sales o le#islative votes, administrative, or Iudicial decision, or
#overnmental appointment) *is#uised payment in the orm o #its, le#al ees,
employment, avors to relatives, social inKuence, or any relationship that sacriHces
the pulic interest and welare, with or without the implied payment o money, is
usually considered corrupt +"he Encyclopedia Americana, ()))-)
7ther orms o corruption include;
- Bri*ery; %he payment +in money or 3ind- that is ta3en or #iven in a corrupt
relationship) %hese include +ic+*ac+s, gratuities, payo-, sweeteners, greasingpalms, etc) +:ayart et) al 1, p)11-)
:- raud. "t involves some 3ind o tric3ery, swindle and deceit, countereitin#,
rac3etin#, smu##lin# and or#ery +"id) p)11-)
.- Em*e//lement; %his is thet o pulic resources y pulic o9cials) "t is when a
state o9cial steals rom the pulic institution in which heCshe is employed) "n
Ni#eria the eme&&lement o pulic unds is one o the most common ways o
economic accumulation, perhaps, due to lac3 o strict re#ulatory systems)
*- E0tortion; %his is money and other resources e/tracted y the use o coercion,
violence or threats to use orce) "t is oten seen as e/traction from *elow%he police
and custom o9cers are the main culprits in Ni#eriaT +:ayart et) al 1, p)11-)
$- a$oritism. %his is a mechanism o power ause implyin# a hi#hly iased
distriution o state resources)
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@- !epotism; %his is a special orm o avoritism in which an o9ce holder preers
hisCher +infol+and amily memers) !epotism, which is also common in Ni#eriaT,
occurs when one is e/empted rom the application o certain laws or re#ulations or
#iven undue preerence in the allocation o scarce resources +!ORA', ch1(, ch12
ch13, Jan) 2000OAmundsen, 1O Girling1O also see air*an+s, Jr) 1-)
@or e-ecti$e controlo corruption in Ni#eria, the society must develop a culture o
relative openness, in contrast to the current ureaucratic climate o secrecy) nd a
merit system +instead o the trial ias, state o ori#in and nepotism or avoritism,
which have colored the landscape- should e adopted in employment and
distriution o national resources, etc) (ore importantly, the leadership must muster
the political will to tac3le the prolem head!on +see report on &econd Glo*al orum
on ighting and &afeguarding Integrity, (ay 25!81, 1-) Re#ardless o where it
occurs, what causes corruption or the orm it ta3es, the simple act remains that
corruption is li3ely to have a more proound and dierent eects in less developed
countries, than in wealthy and developed societies) %his is due to a variety o
conditions, which cannot deviate si#niHcantly rom the nature o their
underdevelopment +Nye 16-) :ecause o the corrosive eects o corruption in
national development, and #iven the relative limited resources or poverty in the
re#ion, rica, and indeed Ni#eria, can least aord to e corrupt)
%he Causes of Corruption
Recently, the International Olympic Committee +"7.-, had to relieve some o its
o9cials o their posts ecause they had ta3en ries) nd all the commissioners o
the European %nion+$U-, resi#ned ecause they, too, had een ound to e corrupt
eyond acceptale limits) "n the United States, Enron Corporation, an ener#y #iantand 4orldCom, a telecommunication company, were char#ed with raud) %he
companies manipulated their alanced sheets, proHt and loss account and ta/
liailities) $nrons accountant, Arthur Andersen,collapsed or #reed and raud as it
was char#ed with ostruction o Iustice in connection to the $nron proe +Reuters
June 2, 2002O "he O*ser$er+U=-, June , 2002-) %hese are tip o the iceer#Q
Det, analysts tend to elieve that developed countries are less corruption than
developin# nations) 7ne o them points out that throu#hout the aric o pulic lie
in newly "ndependent Stateruns the scarlet thread o riery and corruption +>raith
and Simp3ins 168-) nother writer notes that it will pro*a*lye Vdi9cult to secure
y honest meansT a visa to a developin# country that would e the suIect o a
corruption study +Nye 16-)
>hy is corruption a viale enterprise in the "hird 4orld, nay, Ni#eria %he causes o
corruption are myriadO and they havepoliticaland culturalvariales) Some evidence
points to a lin3 etween corruption and social diversity, ethnolinguistic
fractionali/ation, and the proportions o countrys population adherin# to dierent
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reli#ious traditions +ipset and en&, 2000-) nd studies note also that corruption is
widespread in most non!democratic countries, and particularly, in countries that
have een randed neo!patrimonial, +leptocratic and pre*endal +!ORA' 2000-)
%hus, the political system and the culture o a society could ma3e the citi&ens more
prone to corrupt activities)
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position) $ven as corrupt practices are #oin# o the roo, little attention, i any, is
ein# #iven to this ideal)
7ther actors are poor reward system and #reedO Ni#erias reward system is,
perhaps, the poorest in the world) Ni#eria is a society where national priorities are
turned upside downO hard wor3 is not rewarded, ut ro#ues are oten #loriHed inNi#eria) s Authur &chlesingersaid o merica in the 60s, 7ur theT troule with
Ni#eriaT is not that our capailities are inade'uate) "t is that our priorities ! which
means our values are wron# +
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resources) %hey note that cultures that stress economic success as an important
#oal ut nevertheless stron#ly restricts access to opportunities will have hi#her
levels o corruption +2000, pp) 112!11-) %his proaly e/plains the hi#h incidence
o corrupt ehaviors in Ni#eria) (any Ni#erians are hi#hly achievement oriented,
ut they have relatively low access to economic opportunities1 @or e/amplemany
civil servants wor3 or months without #ettin# paid +"his'ay, July , 2002O 'aily"rust, July , 2002-) Det, the society e/pects them to e honest and productive)
(any o those civil servants wor3in# without pay are parents, who are e/pected to
train their children in schools with empty wallet) cials, which they are unale to e/plain the
source, points to how ad corruption has reached in the society) (any o these
o9cials eore ein# elected or appointed into o9ces had little or modest income)
:ut now, they are owners o many properties around the world + "his'ay Online,
June 24, 2002-) "n contrast with the %nited &tates, many o the elected o9cials are
3nown to e modest in livin# +%here are some ad e##s in their midst, ut they ace
the laws when they are ound wantin#-) %he 2000 Hnancial disclosure orms
released in 2001, which is re'uired annually or all ?8? memers o Congress
+
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%he eects o corruption on a nations socio!political and economic development are
myriad) %he ne#ative eects impact economic #rowth as it, amon# other thin#s,
reduces pulic spendin# on education +(auro, 1O and 1-) ipset and en&
note that the eect on #rowth, is in part, a result o reduced level o investment, as
it adds to investment ris3 +2000-) %he eect o corruption on education comes rom
the act that the #overnment spends relatively more on items to ma3e room orgraft +Shleier ?ishny, 18O ipset en&, 2002-) nd corrupt #overnment
o9cials would shit #overnment e/penditures to areas in which they can collect
ries easily) ar#e and hard!to!mana#e proIects, such as airports or hi#hways,
ma3e raud easy) "n addition, poverty and income ine'ualities are tied to corruption
+ipset en& 2000-) *evelopment proIects are oten made unnecessarily comple/
in Ni#eria to Iustiy the corrupt and hu#e e/pense on it) %he new national stadium in
uIa, which is said to have #ulped millions o !airamore than necessary, is a case
in point)
*espite the immoral aspect and pernicious eects o corruption, some scholars
have ar#ued that corruption can e eneHcial to political development or Vpolitical
moderni&ationV +Pye, (arch 16-) Political moderni&ation or development means
#rowth in the capacity o a societys #overnmental structures and processes to
maintain their le#itimacy over time +presumaly in time o social chan#e- y
contriutin# to economic development, national inte#ration and administrative
capacity, and so on +Nye 16-) >e would not #et entan#led with the dierent
scales used or measurin# political development) Nevertheless, Ma0 Gluc+man
opined that scandals associated with corruption sometimes have the eect o
stren#thenin# a value system o a society as a whole +1-) %his is proaly true in
relation to Ni#eria) %he scandals associated with the A*acha era +lootin# o the
treasury and human ri#hts violations- have #iven the nation some ood or thou#ht)Ni#eria is still perple/ed and reoccupied with the issues o how to stren#then the
nations essential #overnmental structures to avoid the reoccurrence o these 3inds
o lootin# and atrocities in uture)
"n addition, some writers have noted that corruption may help to ease the transition
rom traditional lie to a modern political lie) Some have ar#ued that the vast #ap
etween literate o9cial and illiterate peasant, which is oten characteristic o the
countryside, may e rid#ed i the peasant approaches the o9cial earin#
traditional #its or their +corrupt- money e'uivalent) "n this respect, McMullanpoints
out that Va de#ree o low!level corruptionV can soten relations o o9cials andpeople +July 161-) nd &hilsnotes that corruption can humani&e #overnment and
ma3e it less awesome +162-) %hese oservations are common occurrences in
Ni#eria where communities pay political visits to their Go$ernors, Commissioners
and top ci$il ser$antswith cows, wines, cola nutsand money stued in Ghana must
go+a#s- in other to #et them attend to their local prolems)
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%he apparent eneHts o corruption notwithstandin#, we are here mainly concerned
with the evils o corruption) ny ri#ht thin3in# person in Ni#eria where ui'uitous
corruption has rava#ed the society will Hnd it impossile to a#ree that corruption is
eneHcial, no matter how plausile it may e)
%he Evils of Corruption
(any studies have een conducted that show the evils or conse'uences o
corruption) nd corruption has tau#ht the Ni#eria a dan#erous and wron# lesson
that it does not pay to e honest, hardwor3in# and law!aidin#) %hrou#h corrupt
means many political o9ce holders ac'uire wealth and properties in and outside
Ni#eriaO and many display their wealth +which is eyond the means-, ut the society
does not lin3) %his has made politics a i# usiness in Ni#eria, ecause anythin#
spent to secure a political o9ce is re#arded as an investment, which matures
immediately one #ets into o9ce +"he Guardian, July 14, 2002-)
.orruption wastes s3ills as precious time is oten wasted to set up unendin#
committees to H#ht corruption, and to monitor pulic proIects) "t also leads to aid
or#one) Some orei#n donors do not #ive aid to corrupt nations) @or instance, the
International Monetary und+"(@- has withdrawn development support rom some
nations that are notoriously corrupt) nd the 4orld Ban+has introduced tou#her
anti!corruption standards into its lendin# policies to corrupt countries) Similarly,
other or#ani&ations such as the Council of Europeand the Organi/ation of American
&tates are ta3in# tou#h measures a#ainst international corruption +OEC',
*ecemer 1-) .orruption is politically destaili&in#, as it leads to social
revolution and military ta3eovers) (ost Vpost!coup rationali&ationsV in less
developed worlds point to corruption) %he General Buhari9s post!coup roadcast toNi#erians in 158 is a case in point +>elch, Jr), 15-) :ut hidin# under the e/cuse o
corruption to topple a le#itimate #overnment in Ni#eria will sei&e to e a credile
reason or the involvement o the military in Ni#erian politics in uture) %his is
ecause many o the previous military leaders in Ni#eria were as corrupt, i not
more corrupt than the civilian politicians they replaced) .orruption was even lamed
or the Hrst 166 military coup in Ni#eria +and that in Ghana too-) estern re#ion and the ear o northern domination o the
aairs o Ni#eria were other reasons +>allerstein, (arch 14, 166O =ilson, Jan) 81,
166-)
.orruption causes a reduction in 'uality o #oods and services availale to the
pulic, as some companies could cut corners to increase proHt mar#ins) .orruption
eects investment, economic #rowth, and #overn!ment e/penditure choicesO it also
reduces private investment +(auro 1-) :riery and corruption, the culture o late
payment, delays or reusal o payment or services already done, are accordin# to
the ord :ishop o Guilord, *avid Pec3, scarin# away :ritish investors rom Ni#eria)
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the lie lood o any company is its cash Kow) nd ri#htly points out that the price o
corruption is poverty +'aily "rust, July , 2002-) :ecause o the widespread o
VpettyV and V#randV the international usiness community re#ard the whole o rica
as a Vsin3hole that swallows their money with little or no returnV +.alla#hy 14-)
>ith the recent chan#es in the political economy o East Europe, the attention o
the usiness world has een turned to this area where they may reap 'uic3erresults rom their investments)
7ne rican diplomat could not say it any etter; V$astern $urope is nowT the most
se/y eautiul #irl, and we ricaT are an old tattered lady) People are tired o rica)
So many countries, so many warsV +!ewswee+ Education #rogram ! @allC14,
conKict in rica-) s we have seen, what is happenin# in rica is a lueprint o the
prolem acin# Ni#eria) %he nations Vunwor3ale economic policies, latant
corruptionV in act, the Vossili&ed systemV o #overnment has rou#ht almost
everythin# to a halt +dams, (ayCJune, 1-) %hus, corruption discoura#es honest
eort and valuale economic activitiesO and it reeds ine9ciency and nepotism)
.orruption leads to possile inormation distortion as it coo3s the oo3sO and a hi#h
level o corruption can ma3e pulic policies ineective +Sen 1, p)18O also see
ReutersJessica
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COUNTR
Y
RAN
KCOUNTRY RAN
K
COUNTRY RAN
K
Denmark 1 Finland 1
Finland
1
Finland 2 Denmark 2Iceland
2
Sweden 3 NewZealand
3 Denmark 3
NewZealand
4 Iceland 4 New Zealand 4
Iceland 5 Sina!"re 5Sina!"re
5
Canada # Sweden #Sweden
#
Sina!"re $ Canada $Ne%&erland'
$
T&eNe%&erland'
( T&eNe%&erland'
( A)'%ralia (
N"rwa* + ,)-em.")r +N"rwa*
+
Swi%/erland 10 N"rwa* 10Swi%/erland
10
ie%nam $5 R)''ia An"la
124
R)''ia $# Tan/ania (2A/er.aian
c)ad"r $$ Ukraine (3Camer""n
7/25/2019 Corruption in Nigeria Economy System
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ene/)ela $( A/er.aian (4e"ria
C"l"m.ia $+ "li6iaTaiki'%an
Ind"ne'ia (0 Camer""n7*anmar
Nigeria 81 Ken*a8ara)a*
Tan/ania (2 Ind"ne'ia ((9ai%i 131
9"nd)ra' (3 UandaNieria 132
8ara)a* (4 Nigeria 90anlade'& 133
Camer""n (5 anlade'& +1
Source (s):
The Transparency International Corruption Index,1++(: and
,i!'e%; Se*m")r < Salman ,en/; "Corruption, Culture, and Markets,"+2000-,"n CultureMatters,
7/25/2019 Corruption in Nigeria Economy System
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.orruption is also destructive o #overnmental structures and capacity) "he!E4&, in
its July 11, 1 issue "he ace of a ;iar, ro3e the news o or#ery and perIury
committed y the ormer &pea+ero the House of Representati$es, Alha@i I*rahim
&alisu Buhari1%hrou#h corrupt means, Alha@i I*rahim &alisu Buhari amassed wealth
+he made millions wor3in# or !E#A-, and ried his way to the ourth hi#hest
position in the land) %his scandal dominated the political a#enda o Ni#eria or sometime) "t is a national shame that a croo3 was in!char#e o the House of
Representati$esthe ody that ma3es the laws o the land) >hat type o laws could
he have made or Ni#eria #resident Olusegun O*asan@odisappointed the world y
#rantin# Alha@i &alisu Buhari a state pardon, despite his apparent campai#n to
transorm Ni#eria into a corruption!ree society +O*asan@o9s Inaugural &peech, (ay
2, 1-) %he Buharigate, as the scandal was later called, nearly destroyed
Ni#erias democracy!e/periment)
.orruption can destroy the le#itimacy o a #overnment) %he &hehu &hagari
administration was written o as inept ecause o the ma#nitude o corruption in
the administration, and its lac3 o policy direction +Sueru 14-) .orruption may
alienate modern!oriented civil servants and may cause them to reduce or withdraw
their service or to leave the country) .orruption is one the reasons or the 9*rain
drain9phenomenon in Ni#eria +talented proessionals leavin# the country in search
o employment some where else-) "n Ni#eria, you can hardly enter an o9ce and #et
your Hle si#ned e/cept you drop some money) $ven the security personnel at the
door o every o9ce will as3 or +rie- tips "n other words, corruption leads to slow
movin# Hles that #et throu#h the des3 o o9cers once the interested parties have
compromised themselves) "t also leads to missin# Hles that wouldT resurace
immediately the des3 o9cer is settled, unnecessary ureaucracy and delays until
ees are paid +7loIaO "he Guardian,pril 21, 2002-)
:y dollin# out money to politicians, General A*acha #ot many o the nations
political class to commit political suicide in 15) (any o them lined up en masse
to proclaim him as a dynamic leader and the only person 'ualiHed to lead Ni#eria)
Similarly, recently many politicians rom the rulin# #eoples 'emocratic #arty+P*P-
recently trooped to President O*asan@osOta armin Ogun &tateto e# him to run
or a second term) $ven GeneralA*u*a+ar9svisile timidity to address the issue o
corruption in Ni#eria was alarmin# and discoura#in#, as he retained the military
o9cers o accused o lootin# the national treasury with GeneralA*acha)
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o corruption in Ni#eria) ".-, without success) Now the current
civilian administration o President Olusegun O*asan@o has instituted an
Independent Corrupt #ractices Commission+".P.-, which seems to have power only
over the corrupt poor)
ny society aced with the challen#es o corruption will continue to Hnd ways to
rea3 the circle) %his author has ar#ued elsewhere that Ni#eria cannot eectively
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control the menace o corruption in the nation y merely institutin# proe panels) "t
was su##ested that the to tame the sur#e o corruption in Ni#eria, the #eneral
population should e re!orientated to a etter value system) %his is ecause
Ni#erians have or lon# een livin# on the sur$i$al of the 5ttestand gra*whate$er
comesyourwaymentality +*i3e, 7ctoer 6, 1O *i3e, @eruary , 2002-) %he re!
orientation o the youth in Ni#eria to a #ood value system could help in the wara#ainst corruption) %he 4orld
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%o win the war on corruption, adherence to ethical standards in decision!ma3in#
must e the oundation o the nations policies) >ithout ethics +set o moral
principles or values or principles o conducts #overnin# an individual or a #roup- !
4e*sters !ew Collegiate 'ictionary, 150, p)85, in the conduct o the aairs o the
nation +pulic and usiness-, the apparent wars on corruption in Ni#eria will not e
successul) "n other words, without ethics, any money ud#eted toward H#htin#corruption in Ni#eria is a thin# cast to the wild cat1Ni#eria has to ma3e laws and
implement them to the letters) sAristotleinsists, the aim o ethical philosophy is
practical ! to ma3e us etter men ! +"he #hilosophy of Aristotle, Bam*rough +ed)-,
p)250O "his'ay,(ay 26, 2002-) nd to win the war on corruption Ni#eria has to
ortiy the institutional chec3s and alances amon# the countrys maIor social orces
and the separation o powers within the #overnment +*ahl 15-) %he nation has to
ma3e sure that those entrusted to e/ecute the war on corruption are men and
women o $irtue! those who reco#ni&e and always do what is ri#ht) @or MacIntyre,
virtue is an ac'uired human 'uality, the possession and e/ercise o which enales
us to achieve those #oods which are internal to practices, and the lac3 o which
eectively prevents us rom achievin# any o such #oods) ?irtuous leaders in
#overnment and usinessT are persons o honesty, inte#rity and trust +(ac"ntyre
151O iei# 10O @ran3ena 168O *i3e 2001, pp)108!104-)
rmed with ethics and virtue, the nation should then set out to reduce personal
#ains to corrupt ehavior with tou#h penalties on the culprits) (a3in# tou#h rules
with vi#orous enorcement can deter corrupt ehavior) %he nation should not #rant
too much discretionary powers to o9cers who are in position to #rant avor to
others +usinessmen in particular-, such as o9cer who issue out licenses and
passports +%hese o9cers oten create artiHcial scarcity to attract ries rom the
desperate pulic-) %here is the temptation to e corrupt when the o9cials who havea lot o power are themselves poor +Sen 2000, pp) 2!26-)
7ne o the reasons or the upsur#e o corrupt activities in Ni#eria is that many
Ni#erians have not had the chance to live under the rule law, as the society has
since independence rom :ritain in 160, een under the claws o the military) s
Edward 'e Bononotes in his oo3, uture #ositi$e, aw and order are a asic part o
the aric o society) Society needs to #ive a hi#h priority to this aspect o lie,
ecause poor 'uality here down#rades everythin# elseV +10-) %he Ni#erian police
should e up#raded in status, and e well trained, well e'uipped and well paid +and
on time too-) %he police should ecome an elite profession, which would e openonly to those with #ood moral character) " the police and other security a#ents +or
instance, customs and the military-, will learn and understand their limits +not to
harass and 3ill innocent citi&ens- and ollow the rules, thin#s mi#ht improve in
Ni#eria)
%his is not to su##est that upper level o9cers could not e corrupt) %op ureaucrats
with e/cessive powers could ause them) .ases aound, ut the cases o Generals
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I*rahim Ba*angidaand &ani A*achaare well documented) %he eects o power on
those who wield it are well stated in 155 y ;ord Acton, who noted that Power
tends to corruptO asolute power corrupts asolutely +*ahl 15, p) 8-) :eore this
time a :ritish statesman, 4illiam #itt, oserved in a speech that %nlimited power, is
apt to corrupt the minds o those who possess it +"id) p) 8-)
%he mass mediahas a crucial role to play in the campai#n to educate the people o
their ri#hts as citi&ens, and in e/posin# the ro#ues) Nothin# chills nonsensemore
than e/posure to thin air) %he nation should erect permanent structures in the
society to constantly tac3le corruption, instead o settin# up adhoc corruption!
panels here and there) %he citi&ens have a role to play in the war a#ainst corruption;
they should always try to resist the temptation to oer ries to corrupt
#overnment o9cials, as it ta3es two to tan#o)
%o deal with corruption in ancient, many ureaucrats were paid a corruption!
preventin# allowance yang lien as incentive to remain clean and law!aidin#
+latas, 150O =lit#aard, 155-) %o Amartya &ena payment system o this 3ind
can help reduce corruption throu#h what he calls its income eect, as the o9cer
who #ets this payment may e less in need o ma3in# a 'uic3 uc3) %his type o
payment will also have what he calls sustitution eect) %he o9cer receivin# the
payment would 3now that corrupt ehavior may involve serious loss o a hi#h!salary
employment i thin#s were to #o ad +that is, i he or she is cau#ht with his or her
hand in the coo+ie @ar- +Sen 2000-) "n some cases, how people ehave in a society
depends on how they see and perceive others ehave) " the prevailin# ehavior in
a country is ad, others could imitate the ehavior)
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hands were tainted while in o9ce in the society) (emers o the .ommission
include,Alha@i u*airu Mohammed, Hairat Ade Balogun, #ro1 &ayeed Ham/at Mali+,
Alha@i Muhammed Mahmud Maishanu, Alphonso Olufunmilayo ada+a, Mrs1 &alome
Audu a+anda, Re$1 r1 Moses Orshio Adasu, #rof1 :Mrs1D %che Modum, 'r1 Asi+po
EssienI*o+, Ms1 Adeline Elemechi %wana+a, Ga*riel "aimu Aduda, with #eter
Eyiamen+ue Odilias secretary +"hisday !ews, June 24, 2002-) Now the commissionhas its *ait in the water, ut so ar it has not landed any *ig 5sh) 7r, has it cau#ht
any Hsh at all
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procurement contracts, accept such clauses and the penalties associated
with their violation)
5- "ntroduce similar anti!riery clauses into contracts relatin# to privati&ation
o #overnment enterprises, and the development o natural resources)
- $nsure that enorcement is predictale and orceulO and
10-%o criminali&e the acts o rieryO prohiit the deduction o ries or ta/
purposesO and erect arriers to transer to western Hnancial institutions o
Hnancial #ains derived rom corrupt practices +%nited &tates Information
Agency, Nov 1, 1-)
7ther steps authorities could ta3e to control corruption include;
11- 'eclaration of Assets; %he state should re'uire that all hi#h!level Ni#erian
o9cials +Presidents, (inisters, e#islative o9cers, .entral an3 #overnors,
Police and .ustoms .hies, (ilitary Generals-, si#n a statement #rantin#
permission to an3s +oth local and orei#n-, real estate or investment house
to disclose any personal assets they may hold) :rea3in# this veil o secrecy, it
has een ar#ued, is crucial i assets declarations are to e veriHed and
accountaility enorced +*iamond, 12-O
12- 4ithholding of Aid. "nternational donors +the IM and 4orld Ban+- can e
helpul y cuttin# o completely distriution o assistance to any country
mar3ed or hi#h!level corruptionO
18- &crutiny for sources of income. s was pointed out aove, scrutini&in#
individual depositors o hu#e sum o money, y Hnancial institutions or
sources, would #o alon# way to curin# lootin# o national treasury y civil
servants)
"t has een reported that the Commonwealth of !ationshave started wor3 on a
pro#ram that would ma3e it di9cult, i not impossile, or an3s and other Hnancial
institutions to accept monies looted rom the national treasury o a Commonwealth
memer nations) %he ormer scrie o the Commonwealth of !ations, Chief Eme+a
Anyao+u, disclosed this at O*osi+Anam*ra &tate- in January 1 +"he Guardian,
Jan) 2, 1-) %he Organi/ation of African %nity+7U-, which recently chan#ed its
name toAfrican %nion+U-, should emulate other international or#ani&ations to
wor3 toward stampin# out corrupt and dictatorship rom its midst) (erely chan#in#
its name without a change in ideologyis Iust li3e puttin# an old wineinto a new
cala*ash)
Conclusion
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(any laws are already on the oo3 to H#ht corruption in Ni#eria +includin# those
crated y the international or#ani&ations-) :ut what is important now, as #eter
Eigen, chairman o the watchdog #roup, "ransparency Internationalhas noted, is
the political will to H#ht corruption at home countries) nd as Ro*ert Mc!amara
remar3ed at the end o the &econd Glo*al orum on ighting Corruption and
&afeguarding Integrity at "he Hague (ay 81, 2001, $very country has to determineit own priorities on the war a#ainst corruption) :ut each society should ocus on
concrete actions that can yield measurale results, and pulicly report whether
results are ein# achieved +see Odessey, 4ashington ile &ta- 4riter, (ay 81,
2001-)
ove all, Ni#eria cannot e seen as secure and ree until the peoples human ri#hts
are respected and protected y the #overnment) s Mi+hail Gor*ache$points out,
Vthe world cannot e considered secure i human ri#hts are ein# violated)V nd
more importantly, the world cannot e considered secure i a many people lac3 the
elementary condition or lie worthy o man) Similarly, Ni#eria cannot e considered
secure i millions o people #o hun#ry, do not have a roo over their heads and to e
Ioless and sic3 indeHnitely, with the most asic human ri#ht, the ri#ht to lie is
disre#ardedV +(orrison 155-) %hrou#h it all, to tame corruption, Ni#eria has to use
words as well as actions a multiaceted approach)
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latas, Syed 'ussein,The Sociology of Corruption, 3ingapore, Times Book,$%8
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#emocracy in Africa">npublished Eh.@. )hesis, Institute of Eolitical 3cience, >niversity of
)romso, $%%:
mundsen, Inge,3ee ch.$, ch.+, and ch.6 corruption @efinitions and Concepts. )he report was
commissioned by the Nor%egian Agency for &e$elopment Cooperation "N=A@&, by was
prepared bynge Amun#sen, Chr.'ichelsen nstitute"C#I&, Lanuary +.
(anfield, Edward,The 'oral Basis of a Back%ar# Society"Chicago Dree Eress, $%78&
Bayart, Lean/DrancoisJ 1llis, 3tephen and *ibou, Beatrice (a criminalisation #e l)tat enAfri*ue" Paris, +-, )#itions Complexe The Criminalisation of the State in Africa, =xford,
$%%%, Lames Curry.
C" '" .oo#house. "New Mor( Elume *arcourt Brace Boo(, $%%9&, p. $%
(ivere, !odfrey,Ban on importation of o$er / years ol# $ehicles: 'inistry of 0inance urge# to
exten# #ea#line. The 1anguar# 2nline, Lune 6, ++
(owman, )ames Sntro#uction: )thical Theory an# practice in Pu3lic 'anagement, in)thical
0rontier in Pu3lic 'anagement: Seeking Ne% Strategies for Resol$ing )thical &ilemmasJ Lames
3. Bowman, editor, 3an Drancisco Lossey Base, $%%$
(ryce, )ames,'o#ern &emocracies,New Mor(, $%+$
Da#l, Ro*ert, 2n &emocracy"New *aven and ondon Male >niversity Eress, $%%8&, p.:5J
p.$$+
De (ono, Edward,0uture Positi$e, Eenguin Boo(s, $%%, p.+8
Callag#y, $#omas,Africa: falling off the 'ap4Current 5istory, Lanuary $%%6, pp.5$/59
CNN News, Tom &aschle: A man of mo#est means,ashington "E&,Lune $6, +$
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Di+e, ictor E,(ea#ership, &emocracy an# the Nigerian )conomy: (essons from the Past an#
&irections for the 0uture"O3acramento, C )he ightning EressP $%%%
Di+e, ictor E,The philosophy of Transforming Nigeria into a Corruption!free Society: Are the
pro3es the Solution? 2nline Pu3lication Nigeriaworld.com;feature;article;corruption.html,
=ctober 9, $%%%
Di+e, ictor E, &emocracy an# Political (ife in Nigeria O0aria, Nigeria hmadu Bello
>niversity EressP +$, pp. %:/$$5
Di+e, ictor E,The State of e#ucation in Nigeria an# the health of the nation in the Nigeria
1conomic 3ummit 2roup "N132& periodical, Lune ++. lso see 2nline Pu3lication, Africa
)conomic Analysis, at www.afbis.com;analysis;education$+6+56:5:.htm
Ewulu, (rig#t,.hy British in$estors shun Nigeria, &aily Trust, Luly %, ++
E%ema, .alac#y, 6lo3al 0inancial institutions options for po$erty re#uction, The 6uar#ian
2nline,Luly $, ++
"air*an+s )r C#arles ', The 0eu#ali7ation of the State in 8ournal of &emocracy4 vol. $,
no.+, $%%%, pp.6:/75
"ran+ena, /illiams 0,)thics,+nd1dition, Erentice *all, Inc., 1nglewood Cliff, NL, $%95
!irling, )o#n,Corruption: Capitalism an# &emocracy,ondon, $%%:, Aoutledge
!luc+man, .a1,Custom an# Conflicts in Africa, =xford, $%77
'all, )essica,.orl#Com 0aces 0rau# Charge,Reuters"Ehiladelphia&, Lune +:, ++.
'arrison, 2awrence E, 9n#er#e$elopment s a State of 'in#: The (atin American Case
"Cambridge Center for International ffairs, *arvard >niv.J anham, #d., >niversity Eress of
merica, $%87&, p.:
0ilson, .artin,Behin# Nigerias Re$olts,New eader, Lanuary $%99, pp.%/$+
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0litgaard, Ro*ert,Controlling Corruption"Ber(eley >niversity of California Eress, $%88&, p.:
2ewis, Peter, The Politics of )conomics,frican Aeport, #ay;Lune, $%%6, p.6:
2ie*ig, )ames E, Business )thics!Profiles in Ci$ic 1irtue4 Dulcrum Eublication, 2olden,Colorado, $%%
2ipset, Seymour .artin, and !a*riel Salman 2en%, Corruption, Culture, an# 'arkets, in
Culture 'atters, (a%rence )" 5arrison, an# Samuel P" 5untington, eds., "New Mor( Basic
Boo(s, +&, p.$$+.
2otterman, Edward,Ba# rules 3ree# corruption,Pioneer Press, pril +7, ++
.acIntyre, lasdair C.,After 1irtue, >niversity of Notre @ame Eress, Lune $%8$
.adue+we, 34o,Corruption an# The Nigerian Proect!ssues,This&ay Sun#ay 2nline, #ay +9,
++
.auro, Paolo,Corruption an# 6ro%th,;uarterly 8ournal of )conomics, $$, no. 5, $%%7.
#auro, Eaolo, The effects of Corruption on 6ro%th, n$estment, an# 6o$ernment )xpen#iture: A
Cross! Country Analysis, in Corruption an# the 6lo3al )conomy, ed., -imberly nn 1lliot
"ashington, @.C. Institute for International 1conomics, $%%:&.
.auro, Paolo, .hy .orry A3out Corruption,editor,'0 Pu3lications: )conomic ssues, No. 9,
$%%:
.erton, Ro*ert 0,Social Theory an# Social Structure"New Mor( Dree Eress, $%98&, pp.+69/
+68
.oore, Step#en,Po%er an# Corruption,4isions Eaperbac(, $%%:
.omodu, S#a+a, Sacke# A$iation 2fficials to 0ace Akan3i Commission"This&ay Ne%s=nline,
Lune +5, +&
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.orrison, Donald, 'ikhail 6or3ache$: An ntimate BiographyJ )ime Boo(, $%88, p.+7
.c.ullan, .,A Theory of Corruption,The Sociological Re$ie%"-eele&, %, Luly $%9$, p.$%9$
Ndiulor, $onyPrice Nigeria is paying for Corruption, The 6uar#ian 2nline, #arch $:, $%%%
Newswee+ Education Program/ Dall;$%%6J see 'conflict in frica'
Nye, ) S, Corruption an# Political &e$elopment: A Case!Benefit Analysis, )he merican
Eolitical 3cience Aeview, $%9:, pp. 6$:/6+:
3ditta, C#i+a,mo .orkers Begin Strike Action4 This&ay Ne%s, Luly 8, ++
3dessey, (ruce, ".ashington 0ile Staff .riter&, &elegates at 6lo3al 0orum on Corruption
9rge# to Take Action No%" 9"S" &ept" of State: nternational nformation Program , #ay 5$,
$%%%.
3g*odo, *ra#am,Primaries 2f Bloo# The 6uar#ian 2nline, Luly $6, ++
3gug*ua4a, C#arles, 1iolent protests in mo o$er allege# ritual killing, The 6uar#ian 2nline ,
#ay $9, ++
3+powo, (lessyn,A6AB: Reformist at %ar, 1anguar# 2nline, 5th#arch, ++
3lo4a, .artins,5o% Ci$il Ser$ants )ngage n Corruption, By )xperts4The 6uar#ian 2nline,
pril +$, ++
3*asan4o, 3*asan4onaugural A##ress#ay +%, $%%%
3rwell, !eorge,Animal 0arm"with a New preface byRussell Baker and introduction by
3nala4a, $aiwo 5 0e#inde 3nala4a,5o% Polygamy .recks Nigeria, frica. CAP.2NA
Boo(s, >-, $%%:
Pye, 2ucian,The Concept of Political &e$elopment,)he nnals, 578, #arch $%97, pp.$/$%
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Sc#lesinger, ut#ur, The Ne% 'oo# in Politics in The Sixties, 2erald *oward "editor&,
ashington 3
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/allerstein, Immanuel,Autopsy of Nkrumas 6hana,New eader, #arch $6, $%99, pp.5/7
/e*sters New Collegiate Dictionary,2. Q C. #erriam Company, 3pringfield, #ass, >3,
$%8
/elc#, Claude )r The 'ilitary an# the States in Africa: Pro3lems of Political Transition in
0a(i 1rgas, editor, The African States in Transition,3t. #artins Eress, New Mor(, $%8:
/orld alues Study !roup, .orl# 1alues Sur$ey Co#e Book,ICE3A 9$9 "nn rbor, #ich.,
ugust $%%6&.
/rait#, Ronald and Edgar Simp+ins, Corruption in &e$eloping Countries, ondon, $%95,
pp.$$/$+
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.auses nd .onse'uences 7 .orruption; %he Ni#erian $/perience
Eosted by olasope$inN13, =EINI=N,E=I)IC3, EA133 3))1#1N)on Luly +5, +$5
$+ am ; $ comment
By Kayode Oladele
=ne of the reasons why we are meeting here this evening is to exchange ideas on our
experiences, challenges, progress so far made in our fight against corruption and discuss current
developments in corruption prevention in relation to institutional techni
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)o this extent and with a focus on the activities of the 1conomic and Dinancial Crimes
Commission "1DCC& in Nigeria, this presentation engages two
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internal revenue agents, and other institutions including the Gudiciary have comprehensive codes
of conduct to regulate their behaviours which also prohibit the receiving or accepting of bribes,
gifts, gratifications etc. *owever, in a political economy that is laced with corruption, such
formal rules are usually supplanted by informal rules or customs that allow corruption to
flourish. Dor instance, the law may criminalize the giving and ta(ing of bribes but in practice,
one can hardly get anything done without gratification or in Nigerian parlance, settling
someone. In Nigeria until the establishment of the 1DCC, the laws were hardly enforced and the
informal rules prevailed. )he 1DCC was thus established to strengthen the institutions and to
shift emphasis bac( to the recognition and enforcement of formal rules. In addition to the
formation of the 1DCC, the government of Nigeria, recognizing the need to have a strong formal
rules, had also enacted various other laws such as )he #oney aundering ct, the dvance Dree
Draud Aelated =ffences ct and the Dailed Ban(s "Aecovery of @ebts& and Dinancial
#alpractices in Ban(s ct and several other appropriate legal framewor(s to control corruption
and strengthen the legal and economic institutions including the criminal Gustice administration.
)he ct also made the 1DCC the designated Dinancial Intelligence >nit "DI>& in Nigeria, whichis charged with the responsibility of co/coordinating the various institutions involved in the fight
against money laundering and enforcement of all laws dealing with economic and financial
crimes in Nigeria. 1ssentially however, the incentive to engage in corruption and corrupt
practice is stronger where the probability of being discovered or prosecuted is remote or non/
existent.
nother cause of corruption is public perception. Corruption is supported when some;few
societal culture promotes corruption. hy should a convicted corrupt individual be offered a
chieftaincy title by traditional rulers! hy do governors, some of whom have been fingered in
corruption be given awards or be elected into the senate! )here are also other instances wherereligious institutions have ordained corrupt public officials and sometimes organized
than(sgiving services for corrupt ex/convicts who are Gust being release from prisons.
)he nature of the economy is also a crucial factor. It has been argued that rent/see(ing or rent/
based systems tend to promote corruption. If this view holds, then, because the Nigerian
economy is based on rents from crude oil and gas, it follows that there would be a number of
lea(ages that would allow for the easy flow of cash and favours, sometimes in illegal ways.
>ntil recently in Nigeria, public officers would deliberately delay the implementation of national
budget with the hope that at the end of the financial year, any unspent budget would become
largesse to be shared by the senior civil servants. )his is why it is often said by experts that for
corruption in public sector to flourish, public officials must possess the authority to design or
administer regulations and policies in a discretionary manner. *owever, with the passage of
new government policies which have made it mandatory for any unspent budget heads at the end
of the financial year to be returned to the federation account and the passage of the Dreedom of
Information ct which is aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in government
finance among others, this practice has also become a thing of the past in Nigeria.
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=ther identified causes of corruption in Nigeria include poverty, poor remuneration or incentive
system.
Conse&uences of Corruption in Nigeria
)he conse
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Dive, corruption also has other social costs apart from poverty. s rightly noted by #yint "+
7&, in any society, there are laws and regulations to serve social obGectives and to protect the
public interest, such as building codes, environmental controls, traffic laws and prudential
ban(ing regulations. 4iolating these laws for economic gain through corrupt means can cause
serious social harm. )he fre
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In +$+ for instance, a total of :,:5: petitions were received and processed by the Commission.
)his represents 9? increase over petitions received in the preceding year. =ut of these, +,99
were assigned for investigation, +,587 were referred to other security agencies for necessary
action and +,:69 were reGected for lac( of merit. total of %: criminal convictions bordering on
money laundering, illegal oil bun(ering, pipeline vandalism, ban( fraud, forgery and criminal
breach of trust, etc. were also secured.
In the same way, a combined total asset worth N %,:77,%+6,957.9% was also recovered and
forfeited to various victims of crimes which included government agencies and departments,
private individuals, institutions and organisations. )his is besides the recovery of a total of the
over F$:million between +$ and +$$ made through settlements "Gointly with the *onourable
ttorney 2eneral of the Dederation and #inister of Lustice& from foreign multinationals involved
in the *alliburton bribery scandal and custom duty violation, etc.
In addition, in the first - authorities
with critical assistance during the course of the investigation. )he 1DCCHs partnership with the
>- authorities in these cases represents best practices in international cooperation as provided
by the >nited Nations Convention against Corruption ">NCC&.
)he criminal prosecution of top Eolitically 1xposed Eerson "E1Es& also continues to receive
priority attention of the Commission. )his is consistent with its top S down approach to
combating corruption. )o this effect, five former state governors and a former spea(er of *ouse
of Aepresentatives including a cabinet #inister were accordingly charged to court between +$$
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and +$+ for corrupt practices bordering on contract fraud and;or abuse of office. )he trials of
these cases are pending and will be concluded soon.
i(ewise, in what perhaps can be described as one of the biggest public sector frauds in Nigerian
history, some dishonest mar(eters of petroleum products swindled the Dederal government of
over N$.:$ trillion under the petroleum 3upport Dund "E31& 3cheme. )he sheer magnitude of
this monumental fraud ignited and fuelled national protests led by labour unions and civil society
organization in Lanuary +$+ against the federal governmentHs proposal to completely remove
the fuel subsidy scheme. 1ven though, further investigation continues, the 1DCC has so far
investigated and arraigned $5 companies including their management staff and directors in court
with a combined sum of N$+.6 billion involved. =f this amount, the Commission has so far
recovered over N5 billion.
ith the efforts of the Commission and its partners, Nigeria was delisted from the infamous list
of non cooperative nations in the fight against corruption and money laundering by the Dinancial
ction )as( Dorce "D)D&, the organization responsible for combating money laundering and
financing of terrorism.
*owever, while the 1DCC does not have all the powers to eliminate all the conditions that cause
corruption, it has been involved in activities that would help eliminate some of the conditions for
causing corruption. part from its declared goal of arresting and prosecuting corrupt individuals,
the current leadership of the Commission aims to expand the fight against corruption beyond the
1DCC to what can be described as the pri$ate sphere, though with normal interface with the
pu3lic sphere.
)hree such areas are worth mentioning. Dirst are the Commission efforts at public enlightenment
of youths and young adults. Considering that one of the focal principles of the current leadership
of the 1DCC is that the fight against corruption can only be won when the society becomes a
partner, the Commission has become active in schools to encourage youths to shun corrupt
activities. 3econd is a periodic engagement with the media with the aim of publicising some of
the achievements of the 1DCC and its challenges. )he Commission, with the help of its
@irectorate for #edia and Eublic ffairs, is currently in the process of fine/tuning a system that
would encourage a continuous reportage of corruption and its manifestations in the Nigerian
Eress. good number of Gournalists have been (ey to the fight against corruption and have been
agents of anti/corruption beyond the rituals of reporting the activities of the Commission alone.)hird is its partnership with other (ey actors in society such the bureaucracy, religious
institutions and other private organisations.
t this Guncture however, I would li(e to use this opportunity to discuss a fallacy that has
continued to be a feature of the criti
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should be located only in terms of the number of individuals serving Gail terms. )his is true and
logical but it assumes that the 1DCC is the only agency that would determine the incarceration of
corrupt individuals. Dor instance, in spite of the fact that the 1DCC did all in its powers to
prosecute a former governor of @elta 3tate in Nigeria, #r. Lames Ibori in a Nigerian Court, the
CommissionHs efforts were frustrated by the inherent wea(ness in the Nigerian criminal Gustice
administration and the Nigerian legal system Dortunately, the 1DCC shares the victory with the
ondon court in the prosecution and imprisonment of #r. Ibori who is now serving Gail term in
>- owing to the partnership of the Commission with the >- authorities in the case within the
context of the best practices espoused in international cooperation provided for by the >nited
Nations Convention against Corruption ">NCC&. Ipso facto, even when the Commission would
have preferred to Gail corrupt individuals to long prison terms for their crimes against humanity,
in the final analysis, it is t