Despite the enactment of the anti-corruption
law by the present civilian administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the
country has won the year 2000 gold medal as the most corrupt nation in the
world. It has won the silver medal in 2001-2003, until now when it
marginally dropped to the third position.
Transparency international, a non-governmental
organization based in Germany, made this adjudication. Before the coming of
this administration, Nigeria was occupying the 27th position on the
corruption chart and within one year in office, Nigeria has moved up to the
first position. This is to say the present democracy rather than help in
curbing corruption, it has increased it.
Corruption is about dishonesty, about
influencing situation or people with or without monetary inducement to gain
an undeserved favour. It is known to have affected virtually all human
activities and all human interactions.
Corruption is retrogessive: It debases people
and at the same time stagnates development. In our dear country Nigeria,
corruption has played a vital role in stunting the growth of the nation.
Though there are some traces of corruption during the colonial era, but it
transcends in the post-colonial era especially during the military regimes
because they are not accountable to anybody.
As earlier mentioned above, that corruption
affects virtually all human activities and interactions such as political,
social, economical etc. This article intends to dwell most on the happening
in the present democratic rule. Though due to the difficulty in proving
corrupt acts, this research will rely mosly on reports and observations
about the various corrupt practices in our society.
In addition, I wish to examine the
effectiveness or otherwise of the anti-corruption law since its conception
by the present administration. It is a known fact that several measures were
taken by previous governments to tackle corruption, but were unsuccessful.
Since the enactment of the anti-corruption act and the establishment of the
commission, one cannot but agree that the performance of the anti-corruption
law so far is below expectation. The selective nature of cases under
investigation potrays a lot of question that need urgent answer. For nay
policy to suceed it needs to be well intentioned and properly implemented.
According to Babalola (2000), a trustee of the
Tranparency International, for over a decade people do not know that one
disease is more devastating than �AIDS.� He was refering to corruption,
which he said because people have learnt to live with it and ascribe its
consequences to other factors. Most people do not know or probably
under-estimate the potency of corruption.
In the light of the above, there is need to
change general attitude. The government and non-govermental organizations
and also the individuals in the society should invest more in the fight
against this monster called corruption. If not it will one day consume all
of us.
Concepts of corruption
Corruption is multi-faceted concept with
different meanings and types depending on the person defining it or the
circumstances involved. What is regarded as corruption in one society may be
an accpeted norm in another society. It is commonly said and believed that
one man�s meat is another man�s poison.
Corruption is more than just collecting or
giving bribes, it inculdes embezzlement, misappropriation, tax evasion,
under cutting business rivals, over and under invoicing, illegal transfer of
foreign currency, inflation of cencus figure, wrong delivery of court
judgement, inflation of contracts, drug tranfficking, printing of fake
currency, "419", sleeping with another man�s wife, mugging, filtering of the
people�s money as mostly done by our local government chairmen and other
public officers, sexual advacement by lecturers to students and vice-versa,
smuggling, racketeering, and rigging of election which characterizes
Nigerian politics etc .
The above are little forms of corruption as
practiced all over the world including our dear nation Nigeria. It is all
above behaviour, which deviates from the normal duties of a public role
because of private gain regarding (family, close private clique) pecuniary
or status gain. Corruption involves the use of official position to project
personal interests contrary to the rules and regulations embodied in the use
of that is contrary to roles, norms and expectations of society for personal
gains.
Possible cause of corruption
Ideally, there should be no reason whatsoever
that should make anybody corrupt. But this is impossible because of the
human complex nature. Left to me, I will say the get-rich- quick syndrome in
Nigeria is the main cause. This is because the society has placed high value
for money, it is known fact that when you have money, people will respect,
cherish, obey and even workship you without minding how you get the money.
This greedy need for money can rightly be linked with the skyrocketing level
of poverty in the country. It is clear that if you don�t have money even
your children don�t have any regard for you.
Another reason why people became corrupt is our
culture of being our brothers� keeper. This is a situation where somebody is
in dear need to satisfy and impress his relations, friends and sychopants,
even if his legal income can not take care of their needs. It is also
believed that inadequate renumerations and negligence over workers' welfare
made public officers to be corrupt. It is impossible in Nigeria of today for
a family of three (husband, wife and a child) to live on the seven thousand
Naira minimum wage. In fact it cannot even conveniently maintain a bachelor
for one month.
Effects of corruption
According to Achebe in his book The Trouble
with Nigeria said: "Corruption in Nigeria has passed an alarming rate and
has passed the fatal stage, and Nigeria will die if we keep pretending that
she is only slightly indisposed".
It is now believed in Nigeria that �nothing
works� unless you have someone or you have something. In the North we have
what is called Alfarma or Cin hanci, in the West egunje or Owo abetele and
in the East iri-ngari or Aka azu or Ndi arurumala. In Tiv it is called Mban
Umimi yol. In Bajju language it is called Vhuk. Corruption is now popularly
know as �public relation� or �brown envelop� and even �Ghana must go�.
Corruption is identified as been responsible
for the instability of successive governments since independence. Corruption
deters away investors; this is because nobody wants to invest in an economy
where you are not sure of its accountability. In addition corruption leads
to moral decadence, stunt development, sycophancy, undermines economic
growth, inefficient allocation of resources, promotes inequalities and
inefficiencies in the private and public sectors. Corruption also raises the
cost and decreases the quality of public sector projects and services.
In fact the effect of corruption is so
numerous, it out across social, political and economic spheres. "Corruption
and cronyism have long haunted Nigeria, the society is an emblem of crass
materialism, the leaders famous for financial excesses and the public
service a symbol of graft.� B.B.C. News (2000).
Positive side of corruption
Corruption is a universal social phenomena,
practiced in various forms in both public and private sector of the society
at large, though its intensity differs from one society to the other. The
spread of corruption in developing countries made some scholars to view
corruption as functional to the effective conduct of administration
especially in developing countries.
Some of these scholars are of the view that
there are certain characteristics of the civil service in developing
countries and the society in which they operate that render them ineffective
without corruption. They claimed that corruption has become a motivator that
sets the machinery of government working. They further argued that bribing
bureaucrats can promote bureaucratic efficiency, innovation and rapid
economic development.
It is a known fact that the civil service in
the developing countries is inefficient because it is so elaborate, hence
the view that provision of strong personal incentive to bureaucrats through
corrupt means to cut excessive red tapism may be the only way of speeding
actions particularly on issues that call for urgent attention.
It is also clear that the salaries of civil
servants in Third World countries are generally low. We are also known for
our tradition in caring for extended family and kinship obligations, which
the meager salaries cannot upset. In this case extra earnings through
corruption saves as incentives.
In addition to the above, the policy makers and
political elites of developing countries could be involved in uncompromising
issues of ideology or interest .
