Corruption and governance in Nigeria

The issue of corruption occupies a central burner or place in the issue of governance in the world today. This may be linked with the effect which it has on country's development and good governance.

Similarly, scholars have been trying to conceptualise the term. However, this attempt has continued to grow with increasing topicality of the concept; for instance, some see it in terms of abuse of power or trust on narrow personal reasons; others see it as the acceptance of money or money's worth for something under one's duty.

A holistic conception of corruption can be given as a deliberate violation for gainful ends, the standard of behaviour, legally, professionally and ethically established in private and public affairs.

This definition locates the practice of corruption or corrupt tendencies in both private and public realm. Equally, it consists of corruption as something which goes beyond the use of money but also includes the use of one's office for peculiarity advantages. According to A.O. Balogun, a post-graduate student, University of Ilorin described corruption as a cancerous wound, which perverts justice, undermines development, bastardised culture and subjugates values and trust from our society. He further argued that for any society to celebrate progress and development, corruption in whatever forms must be tackled more honestly and more realistically.

Above all, it must be emphasised that corruption is a phenomenon that profits individual, who indulges in it at the expense of the larger society. It must also be stated that although the issue of corruption may occupy a central place in the world today, it has been existing in a human society for a long time before now. For instance, Edmond Burke has been quoted to have said over two hundred years ago that 'corruption influence' is the perennial spring of all prodigality and disorders. It loads us more than a million of death, it takes away figure from our hand, wisdom from our council and every shadow of authority from the most vulnerable part of our constitution. This quote shows the extent to which corruption has been Endemic in human society, thereby raising concern both at local and international level.

Scholars have identified several forms of corruptions, these include: Round or political corruption, Bureaucratic corruption, and Electoral corruption.

Similarly, several factors have been identified which served as spring bulb of corruption thrives: It has been argued that corruption thrives better in authoritarian regime.

This is because authoritarian regime is not known for being accountable to the citizen because, in most cases, their authority does not derived from the people.

It also thrives better in capitalist system indeed, major characteristics of the capitalist system is exploitation, infinite capacity to take advantage of other people, in searchable oppression and material accumulation. In this context therefore, people strive to get rich even if it means subjugating the interest of others.

Human societies are characterised by unnecessary glorification of materialism. Materialism in the sense as a symbol of success. This feeling in turn, create a kind of situation where people want to get rich no matter what it takes. However, irrespective of the causes of corruption, it is generally believed to affect societal development and good governance.

Among the effects of corruption in Nigeria, are: It breeds social and economic inequality, It jeopardizes administrative reforms, It undermines democratic values, and It threatens the very bases of existence of Nigeria society because it is inimical to the security and engenders globalization.

These negative effects of corruption have gingered countries all over the world to put in place mechanism for its eradication.

In Nigeria, corruption practices dated back to the period of independence when most politicians made use of their offices for peculiarity advantages. Indeed corrupt practice has been the bone of Nigeria malady, as well as one of the causes of political instability. For instance, virtually all the military coups in Nigeria have been seen as necessity to curb corrupt practices of politicians.

Ironically however, even the so called military government usually ends up with worst situation than their civilian counterpart. Unfortunately, despite the fact that previous administrations do claimed or pledged the commitment to eradicating corruption in public life, most of the efforts hardly yielded any meaningful outcome.

The first attempt at institutionalising the war against corruption in Nigeria can therefore be said to have started in the current civilian administration. This is because past attempts like Jaji declaration and war against indiscipline were majorly aimed at re-orienting Nigerians and not necessarily to prescribe punishment for offenders. The initiative under the ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, which is democratically reformed

by the Late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua's administration therefore stand unique among others. Some of the efforts put in place include: The due-process mechanism meant to reform streamline purchases and contract award in the public service.

The establishment of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), and last but not the least, the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The idea was still the same when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan became the Acting-president, at the demise of Late President Musa Yar’Adua. The then chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, was given the marching orders by President Goodluck Jonathan on the renewed fight against corruption and assured of his readiness to fight corruption. She was later replaced by Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde. But it has to be stated that this administration could not achieve much in curbing and eradicating corruption if one look at how the opposition party used this concept to campaign against his re-election bid.

The tenure was rooted deeply in corruption. Evidences abound here and there to buttress the claim. I think one of the major factors that made him lose was bad governance and corruption in high places. Recall that in the past six years that his tenure lasted, nobody has been taken to court or jailed for corruption in spite of the massive outcry of looting.

Nigeria is therefore a top player on the global corrupt pitch. It is even said that should there be a world cup for corruption, the Nigerian nation would always play at the final.

The president elect Muhamadu Buhari was very clever to have made the fight against corruption one of the three major cardinal points during the electioneering campaign.

In the final analysis, the duty of every Nigerian is to co-operate with the incoming administration in the fight to curb corruption. Virtue and truth are the only true sources of happiness. Anybody claiming to be happy as a result of gains gathered through dubious and shady methods is not truly experiencing true happiness but a falsified type of happiness. Happiness is often love, goodness and exhibiting justice and fair-play in the society. I therefore challenge every individual, group and organisation to resist corruption in all its ramifications, like one avoiding a leper's touch, so that our society will be morally upright. May God help Buhari/Osinbajo in this difficult task!

”Balogun is a Political Analyst based in Ilorin.

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