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Pervasive Corruption in Nigeria: a Holistic Approach

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Pervasive Corruption in Nigeria: a Holistic Approach KIU Journal of Social Sciences KIU Journal of Social Sciences Copyright©2017 Kampala International University ISSN: 1996902-3; 3(1): 199–207 Pervasive Corruption in Nigeria: A Holistic Approach S.M. ABDULMALIK Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria. L.A. AYINLA University of Ilorin, Nigeria Abstract. “Our strange romance with corruption constitutes the major political agenda of began with the enthronement of a kleptomaniac President Mohammadu Buhari led Federal leadership at the exits of the military from our Government of Nigeria as manifested in his on- polity. The biggest mistake of the electorates is going fight against the malaise. To this end, this the sale of its franchise to greedy ruling elites paper therefore sets out to examine the varying who captured power and cornered our resources avalanches of corrupt practices by political and to the extent that it is now adept at the tricks of public office holders in Nigeria coupled with its self-perpetuation---We now have corruption attendant negative consequences with a view to sharing the spotlight with terrorism as our proffer workable and viable remedies to this biggest and most common problem. They are clog in wheel of the Nigeria progress. Emphasis like Siamese twins who have an embryonic will be placed on the on-going crusade, activities relationship”. Going by international rating as /actions of the Buhari led Federal Government regard corrupt practices, Nigeria has consistently of Nigeria in the fight against the menace. been rated as either the most corrupt or one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Keywords: Corruption, Pervasive Corruption, Corrupt Practices, Democracy and Nigeria. The foregoing submissions gives an insight as to the root cause of this endemic problem called “corruption” in Nigeria, the extent of its 1. Introduction germination, survival and development in our society such that it has totally permeated all When Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was president, aspects of our national life and has therefore his body language was the thermostat that eaten deep into our national fabric from socio- regulated the various agencies that prosecuted economic, political, academic, industrial, corruption. When he left, things fell apart partly religious, diplomatic and even commercial because his successor, Umaru Yar’Adua, had a fabric and in addition its attendant consequences different moral temperature. As for Jonathan, for on the generality of the Nigerians masses. It is the most part, he simply left the goats with therefore in view of the increasing and alarming yams. This corroborate the earlier assertion that rate of this menace that informed the idea to the root cause of the problem of corruption in write on this topical issue of corruption more Nigeria is the corrupt attitude of our political importantly when anti-corruption crusade leaders particularly the stance and the political 199 KIU Journal of Social Sciences agenda of the man at the center. Thus, unfolding democratically elected President of Federal his political agenda during the inauguration of Republic of Nigeria on 29th May, 2015 was President Mohammad Buhari on the 29th May, greeted with many suggestions by opinion 2015, the president poised to fight the menace writers in Nigerian dailies, most of the and therefore posited thus: suggestions also border on probe and recovery “If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will of what past government officials have stolen, kill us, because the survival and continued and ensuring persons of proven integrity are put existence of the nation-state is hinged on the at the helm of affairs in the new government. In decapitation of hydra-headed monsters like this, tandem with the latter suggestion, President and its sister anomaly-insurgency” Mohammad Buhari said public officers will be Over three decades when President Mohammad required to declare their assets. Buhari left office as military head of state, his return as civilian President has continued to send In accomplishing his political manifesto, jitters down the spines of corrupt public officers, President Mohammad Buhari acceded to the owing to his well known zero tolerance for forgoing suggestions, hence the on-going probe corruption, hence among his political agendas is and trial of public office holders for various his on-going crusade against this political offences such as money laundering, monster. Just as we have resistance to the battle misappropriation of public funds and false against insurgency and militancy in North East declaration of assets being handles by Economic and South South parts of Nigeria, it is the Buhari and Financial Crime Commission, some of insistence on curbing corruption during his whom are currently standing criminal charges tenure as military head of state that led to his before different courts in Nigeria. Corruption dethronement in 1985, after about eighteen has become a cankerworm affecting the months in office and also because of his resolve economic life of the Nigerian masses, hence it is to put an end to this problem that further resulted associated with dire social, economic and to the on-going criticism by political opponents political implications on the survival of the against him for fighting this endemic problem. citizenry. Some of such negative effects include But the corruption vice has eaten deeply into the the act or attitude of the politicians and leaders fabric of the nation. That is why, with the benefit systematically eroding the economic strength of of hindsight and his appreciation of the the masses, making them indigent, the limitations of powers as a civilian president, impoverished masses seize any opportunity to Buhari’s second opportunity to wrestle the grab the crumbs they offer, because survival and monster must be complete and unencumbered by subsistence under economic hardship has dulled the political subterfuge of opposing forces. their resistance among others negative effects of corruption. Although there is no gainsaying the fact that preceding governments in the past have also It is against this backdrop that President taken steps to combat this endemic problem of Mohammad Buhari Civilian led administrations corruption in form of probes, using of task is poised at weeding and rid off of the Nigerian forces to recover government property in which society of this disturbing political monster as case some people were caught, tried, indicted manifested in his actions, activities and public and thrown into jails, but notwithstanding these utterances since the inauguration of his actions, the menace not only that it persisted but presidency. Substantiating this stance, the actually thrived amidst legal machineries put in President while hosting members of the place by the government, hence solving this Diplomatic Corps to a cocktail at the ugly trend should not be a rocket science but Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday 18th rather looking for a handle on the causes of the February, 2016 said as follows: problem will pave way for solving the problem “We are resolved to build a stable and easily. It is therefore in view of disturbing trend prosperous Nigeria, a country that is inclusive of corruption in Nigeria that the inauguration of of all its diverse peoples and a country that is President Mohammed Buhari as the at ease with itself. Building such a country will 200 KIU Journal of Social Sciences not be possible where corruption is pervasive. I shall be persons of proven integrity and of will leave no stone unturned in the efforts to rid unimpeachable character without blemish. Nigeria of corruption. I must, however, add that in doing this, we shall operate within the ambit 2. The Definition and Meaning of of the law. In a similar fight in the past and Corruption armed with the might of military muscle, I led a Corrupt practices are manifested in various government that required persons presumed to forms and therefore multi-faceted in character be corrupt to prove their innocence. Today, as involving all stakeholders in governance and committed democrats and in a culture of private sector inclusive having negative and deepening democracy, we respect the law that multiplier effects on our socio-economic and presumes all persons innocent until they are political life, hence the three organs of proven to be guilty”. government, the private sector as well as the In accomplishing this laudable objective, the civil society in general are involved in the act of President set up a Presidential Advisory corruption. It is therefore as a result of this Committee on Anti-corruption chaired by multidimensional manifestations of this monster Professor Itse Sagay. The committee that informed writers on this subject to assert recommended that there should be in existence that corruption like any other terms, legal, special court to try only corruption cases for social, political or otherwise has no universally speedy administration of justice considering the acceptable and all embracing definition, hence fact that justice is not only being delayed in the definition ascribable to the term depends largely regular courts but also that same is not even on the perspective and understanding of being achieved by that courts, hence rendering individual scholar on the subject. For this the legal machineries in place to toothless purpose therefore, a view of such definitions bulldogs. The reason is not far-fetched being will be offered in this paper from the available predicated also on same monster by members of literatures on the issue. Thus, Richard Amaechi the Bench. Underscoring the dismal level of Onuigbo & Or quoting Nye Neidenheimer, 1970 corruption in Nigeria in particular in the judicial defined the term as behavior, which deviates arm of government, the learned author submitted from the normal duties of a public role because that it is the politicians that corrupted the of private relationship. This according to this judiciary especially after the 2015 general scholar includes such behavior as bribery, i.e., election.
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