i HOW CORRUPTION WORKS IN THE EKEREMOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA SINCE ITS CREATION BY SAPELE, FRANK PG/M.Sc/10/57677 SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.Sc) IN POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA SUPERVISOR: PROF. OBASI IGWE AUGUST, 2011 i TITLE PAGE HOW CORRUPTION WORKS IN THE EKEREMOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA SINCE ITS CREATION ii APPROVAL PAGE This is to certify that this research work titled “How Corruption Works in the Ekeremor Local Government Area. Since its Creation.” has been approved by the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. ------------------------- ---------------------- Prof Obasi Igwe Date (Supervisor) ------------------------ ----------------------- Prof. Obasi Igwe Date (Head of Department) ------------------------- ----------------------- Prof. E. O. Ezeani Date (Dean of Faculty) ------------------------ ----------------------- External Examiner Date iii DEDICATION This research is specially dedicated to the Almighty God. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My special thanks and acknowledgement go to the Almighty God for his sustained guidance and protection throughout my life. I am very much grateful to my erudite academic supervisor Professor Obasi Igwe, whose embracing, critically and rigorous supervision and genuine sense of understanding helped me in diverse ways and improve on the completion of this study. He is an epitome of academia. Also stood beside me and made corrections which made the work easier. The Lord Almighty will continue to bless him abundantly. My thanks and appreciation go to the entire staff of the Department of Political Science who in the course of their duty rendered some help. I acknowledge the contributions of my family members and friends who made significant sacrifices to make sure I completed this programme, especially the effort made by my only dearest Kalama Ebituaemi who assisted me spiritually and financially stood by me, my dad for laying the foundation for my academic success, my uncle Chief Lecturer M.E. Musaka who assists me financially. I must also appreciate the tremendous spiritual blessing given to me by Prophet Afedu Kokon and the servant of God T. Boruta. Finally, I acknowledge the contributions of my respected brothers, sisters, friends like Kennedy Olorogun, Odoko Ekirika, who assisted me financially. My younger sister Sapele Rita, who assisted me financially in the course of my programme and my respected friend and brother Bonga Paul for his encouragements. v I say a big thanks because you all demonstrated tremendous love, understanding and brotherhood, may God continue to bless you abundantly. Sapele Frank Dept. of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. August, 2011. vi ABSTRACT This study focused on How Corruption Works in the Ekeremor Local Government Area Since it Creation. The study is essentially concerned that corruption has become the talk of the day. The consequences of corruption is quite overwhelming as infrastructural development has become a theoretical analysis on the aims of local government establishment. Poverty in the rural areas is no more news but a reality, where few privileged personnel used the opportunity to enrich themselves and their relatives. Worst still, pervasion of public materials and funds to private accounts is no longer a crime but a privilege for self enrichment. The study also intended to unveil the causes, structure, forms, implications of corruption and possible mechanism for curbing it entirely. By so doing, it is hoped that it might help in reassessing, redirection as well as reorientation of the minds of both the entire people and the officials towards becoming a better Nigerians. The study centered on Marxian political paradigm; that argues that corruption is a consequence of peripheral capitalist development system rather than people’s consciousness determining their well-being, it is the way society organizes production and exchange of goods and services that determine their material conditions. The study applied primary and secondary method of data collection and the descriptive method of data analysis. Based on these, we recommended the following: reintroduction of ethics and civics into the curriculum, a need for community/police relations and exposure of corrupt officers and practices. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page - - - - - - - - - i Approval Page - - - - - - - - ii Dedication - - - - - - - - - iii Acknowledgement - - - - - - - - iv Abstract - - - - - - - - - v Table of Contents - - - - - - - - vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study - - - - - - 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem - - - - - - 3 1.3 Objectives of the Study - - - - - - 6 1.4 Significance of the Study - - - - - - 6 1.5 Scope of the Study - - - - - - - 7 1.6 Literature Review - - - - - - - 7 1.7 Theoretical Framework - - - - - - 18 1.8 Hypotheses - - - - - - - - 21 1.9 Methodology/Data Collection and Analysis - - - - 21 1.9.1 Data Collection - - - - - - - 21 1.9.2 Data Analysis - - - - - - - - 22 1.10 Operational Definitions - - - - - - 22 Bibliography - - - - - - - 23-24 CHAPTER TWO: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF THE EKEREMOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA 25-27 viii 2.1 The History of Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State - 27 Bibliography - - - - - - - - 40-41 CHAPTER THREE: THE STRUCTURE, FORMS, AND IMPLICATIONS OF CORRUPTION IN THE EKEREMOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA 3.1 The Structure of Corruption - - - - - - 42 3.2 The Forms of Corruption in Ekeremor Local Government - - 49 3.3 The Implication of Corruption in Ekeremor Local Government Area - 50-57 Bibliography - - - - - - - - 58 CHAPTER FOUR: POSSIBLE MECHANISM FOR FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN THE EKEREMOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA - 59-74 Bibliography - - - - - - - - 75 CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Conclusion - - - - - - - - 76 5.2 Recommendation - - - - - - - 78 Bibliography - - - - - - - - 83-84 Bibliography - - - - - - - - 85-89 ix 1 CHAPTER ONE 1.1 INTRODUCTION Basically, the trend of corruption in the various governmental establishments especially in the Ekeremor Local Government Area since its creation in Bayelsa state has generated a lot of concern to the people of its area also the wider society at large. Since the introduction of Native Authority by the British Administration in Nigeria, corruption in all ramifications has been on the increase. Corruption in local government administration is a topical issue that cannot be fully comprehended without a clearer understanding of its origin. This is because its existence has caused a lot of havoc to the entire people. Corruption with it alarming rate is also traceable to the pre-colonial slave trade era, the obnoxious slave trade was a form of corruption because it climaxed the European exploitation of Nigeria labour force and constituted the agents of destruction and inefficiency within the local government administration. Ekeremor local government council was created in the 1 st of October 1991 out of the old Sagbama local government area from the then Rivers state under Ibrahim Babangida military regime that had official pronouncement on its establishment legally. But because of corruption most of the aims of creating the local government councils have not been achieved. Many scholars observed that corruption is an obstacle in the smooth running of administrative business in governance. According to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of current English, the word corrupt refers to “people especially, with authority or power to act dishonestly or illegally in return for money or personal gains”. Corruption, therefore, is a social phenomenon which manifests itself in various human actions, such as dishonesty, 2 wickedness, selfishness, embezzlement, moral degeneration, bribery, insatiability, covetousness, and so on. Nmom (2003), interpreting social problems and public issues in Nigeria. Sees corruption as the unfortunate realities of greed, lack of integrity, wanton disregard for the rules of law, selfishness, lack of fear of God and lack of taste for good governance are impediments to our national growth. The fact is that successive administrations in Ekeremor Local Government Council since inception have not been able to approach and address the issue of corruption technically. It is as a result of the failure of the personnel and officials being truly interested in the effect of corruption in the socio-economic and political life of Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. More frightening is the fact that those who abuse public offices instead of getting ashamed earn the respect they do not deserve. Corruption leads to non-inculcation of values of a good behaviour in administration and deviation from rules and regulations. This study will go a long want to trace some of the factors responsible for this devilish act since the creation of Ekeremor Local Government Area and proffer some solutions to be used to curb it in the local government area and Bayelsa State in general. Ekeremor Local Government Council has been administered by sole administrators, caretakers’ committee chairmen and elected chairmen. Since it inception but from very close observation, it shows that no tangible project has been executed in the areas, facilities such as portable water, toilet, houses, electricity to the forty seven towns and villages that make up Ekeremor Local Government Areas and a befitting secretariat and a solid landing jetty are yet to be provided to the entire Ekeremor people. 3 The