THE FAILURE OF EDUCATION IN COMBATING CORRUPTION IN SUDAN: THE IMPACT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Omer Hashim Ismail a a Educational Foundations and Administration, Faculty of Education a Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. a Corresponding author: [email protected] ©Ontario International Development Agency ISSN: 1923-6654 (print) ISSN 1923-6662 (online). Available at http://www.ssrn.com/link/OIDA-Intl-Journal-Sustainable-Dev.html education programs and raising public awareness are Abstract: The major question this paper addresses is stated as important solutions to the problem. why education has failed in combating corruption in Sudan and, as a consequence, obstructs sustainable Keywords: corruption, education, Sudan, development. Corruption is considered a threat to sustainable development. development in all countries. Education is key factor INTRODUCTION in curbing corruption. However, looking into the situation in the Sudan, corruption has become a orruption has become a worldwide phenomenon characterizing the public sector. It phenomenon. It exists in both rich and poor pervades almost in all aspect of life. In fact, Sudan is Ccountries. Basu (2006) states: “The problem among the five top corrupted countries in the world. of corruption is neither new nor it is restricted to A major role of educational institutions is to provide developing countries only”. Transparency the nation with knowledgeable and skilled manpower International (TI) reports show that corruption is a needed to contribute to the socio-economic and serious challenge to governments in both developed political developments. Educated government and developing countries. A World Bank report officials, who are the graduates of educational estimated that public officials worldwide received institutions, are expected to fight the abuse of public more than $ one trillion in bribe each year. In 2005, office not to exercise it and become corrupted African Government Report identified corruption, themselves. The role and the power of education in poverty and unemployment as one of three topmost shaping the values and building the morale of citizens national problems in the continent. A study are not disagreeable. conducted by African Union in 2002 estimated that corruption costs African countries about $ 150 billion Face-to-face and telephone interviews were a year. (Blunt, 2002). conducted to answer questions raised in this paper. Five Sudanese staff member at Sultan Qaboos Fjeldstad (2003) studied the case of Tanzanian University were interviewed using face-to-face Revenue Authority in fighting corruption. He interviews, and three faculty members at the concluded that salary is one of the causes of University of Khartoum were interviewed using corruptions and thus higher wages can be one of the telephone interviews. The data collected provided factors that contribute to fighting corrupt behavior. answers to what needs to be done to allow education He called for comprehensive administrative system to fight the darkness of corruption for the sake of reform to maintain sustainable development. sustainable development in Sudan. Reforming the education system, developing anti-corruption 44 Omer Hashim Ismail / OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development 02:11 (2011) Klitgaard (1998) identified low level of Ministry of Agriculture and a company without accountability as one of conditions for corruption to bidding. He stressed the follow-up of payment of take place. Hors (2001), investigating cases of compensation to farmers, calling the deal “a great corruption in custom administration and how to fight loss to the economy of Sudan”. it, identified discretionary power and lack of efficient Another form of corruption in Sudan involves control. It is suggested that any anti-corruption payments of GHOST workers. These are payments strategy shall be developed in consideration of type made in the names of people who do not exist. The and level of corruption, economic and political People involved could be children, old people, mere profile of the problem (Heineman and Heimann, fictitious names, dead persons or people working in 2006). different ministries and departments or organizations In Sudan, talks and gossip about, and discussions of, (Barnabas (2007). cases of corruption have become one of the main Some of the conclusions one might draw from the features of the society; corrupt actions have become a present situation in Sudan are: first, people expect common practice in government offices in Sudan. and detect corruption in all aspect of the This fact demonstrates the wide spread recognition of administrative systems in Sudan. Second, corruption corruption as a serious problem that the government has become an outstanding feature of Sudan's public of Sudan need to solve. According to the 2010 sector. However, to be fair, a general statement Transparency International’s Corruption Perception claiming that the entire public sector is corrupt Index, Sudan is one the five most corrupt countries, cannot be made. There are employees who resist and ranks 172 out of 178 countries in the index, corruption and any other form of immoral acts. So it leaving only Iraq, Afghanistan, Myanmar and is important whenever corruption is investigated to Somalia behind. (Transparency International, 2010). remember and salute the incorruptible, honest, God Senior officials are awarded contracts in a corrupt fearing, dedicated, ethical employees who are manner. Few contractors known to senior working hard to contribute to the wellbeing and government officials were awarded the bulk of development of their country. government contracts without due regard to Definition of corruption competitive bidding. Public servants are increasingly unwilling to perform their normal duties without In literature, the definition of corruption has been some form of extra private inducement. And, classified into three groups. First, public-office- unfortunately, those who are corrupt and able to centered definition, which takes form of deviation embezzle public fund are considered as successful from legal and public duty norms for gaining private achievers. benefits (Werner, 1983). The often used definition for this type of corruption "… behavior which deviates The National Assembly, known as “parliament”, from the formal duties of public rule because of announced it has received 65 reports on corruption private-regarding (personal, close family private but considers them as “exaggerated” talks of a clique) pecuniary or status gains; or violates rules rampant government graft. The state’s general auditor against the exercise of certain types of private reported in October 2010 that many government regarding influence (Gaiden, 1977). According to agencies refused to allow him to access their Heidenheimer (1978), public-office-centered financial records. Instead of conducting clear and corruption includes "such behavior as bribery (use of transparent investigation, parliament members and reward to pervert the judgment of a person in a Sudanese government officials usually deny the position of trust); nepotism (bestowal of patronage by existence of widespread government corruption reason of ascriptive relationship rather than merit); despite public perception to the contrary. (Sudan and misappropriation of public resources for private- Tribune, April 9, 2011) regarding uses”. The National Assembly also revealed that it Second, public-duty-centered definition, which possesses documents and evidences of abuses and “emphasizes the betrayal of public interests by corruption in the General Authority for Hajj and preference of particular to common interests (Werner, Umrah. The Assembly, therefor, asked the 1983)”. This type of corruption takes place Ministerial Committee formed by the Ministry of “whenever a power holder … or office holder is by Guidance to be independent and to disclose names of monetary or other rewards not legally provided for, all of those involved. induced to take an action which favors whoever The Deputy of the Parliament asked Parliament's provides the rewards, and there by does damage to Agriculture Committee to investigate and look into the public and its interests (Gaiden, 1977)”. the amount of a financial hit of $ (10) million euros, Third, market-centered definition, which views which is the value of a transaction done between the corruption as a “maximizing unit”. Klaveren states Omer Hashim Ismail / OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development 02:11(2011) 45 that "A corrupt civil servant regards his office as a working definition of corruption for the purpose of business, the income of which he will … seek to this paper will be: the use of power of public office maximize. The office then becomes a maximize unit. for private gain. The size of his income depends on the market Sources of corruption situation and his talent for finding the point of maximal gain on the public demand curve There are three sources of corruption. The first holds (Heidenheimer, 1978). In Addition, Werner (1983) that when a particular political system attaches a describes the market-centered corruption as “a relatively high value to favors, personal loyalty and special type of stock-in-trade by which public private gain; and relatively low value to probity and officials maximize pecuniary gains according to the impersonal efficiency, corruption will take place. supply and demand that exist in the market-place of The second theory holds that “corruption is the result their official