By Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka

Nigeria as a geographical entity is one of the most populated countries of the world, and the most populated in Africa. Accordingly, the country is blessed with some of the most promising resources both natural and man-made, and thus got a name for itself, “the giant of Africa”.

 

However, notwithstanding its numerous and gigantic endowments, the country, Nigeria has in the past years not progressed or moved forward in such a pace as is required of an acclaimed giant of Africa because of the corruption cankerworm that has eaten deep into it fabrics. This is pathetic for the country because it shows that the arms of government are not functional. – https://bscholarly.com/functions-of-the-arms-of-government/

Corruption is defined by the oxford dictionary, 8th edition as the dishonest or illegal behavior, especially of people in authority. Also, Stephen D. Morris, a professor of politics explained political corruption to be the illegitimate use of public power to benefit a private interest. From the foregoing, it can be said that corruption is a dishonest behavior which could be the acquisition of resources which could be from the public for private gains and uses.

This cankerworm runs at varying degrees through all the sectors of the country ranging from public, private, political, social and civil etcetera.

EFFECTS OF CORRUPTON.

There are many consequences of corruption some of which are enlisted in this article:
(1). Stagnant governance: due to the quest for personal aggrandizement and gains, all the resources and allocations which are required for the smooth running of the country are siphoned into individual purses, leaving the country with nothing for its development. Also, all the parastatals or arms of government which should in a corruption free country help in checkmating one another, in order to ensure the smooth running of the government, take bribes and thus overlook the non functionality of one another. For instances, over the years, there have been times when people alleged that the executive arm of government did promise the national assembly some money in order to coerce them into passing into law, executive favorable bills at the detriment of the masses. With this, there is the no way the government will not be stagnant.

(2). Economic meltdown: it is a known fact that it is only a progressive society that goes on to attain a buoyant economic state; and for one to be progressive, it has to be corruption free. A country like Nigeria which has depended on crude oil for years, is expected to have multiple refineries where it would by itself refine its oil in order to enhance production and to reduce the cost of transporting it outside to refine but the reverse is the cases. This is not because there are no allocations for the project but because it perishes on the way without any one asking questions.

Furthermore, a country which is known widely for its corrupt practices cannot attract foreign investors who help in building a nation’s economy.

(3). Civil/political unrest: whenever the masses perceive non transparency in the system, they will definitely look for a way to register their dissatisfaction; and this could come in the forms of bombings, riots, mass protests and civil disobedience. This is seen in the daily happenings in the country as there are increase in the record of riots and death.

(4). Hardship/poverty: poverty is usually the most pronounced consequence of a corrupt society. This is as a result of the prevalent mindset of personal satisfaction as opposed to public benefit. Thus leaving the masses to wallow in abject poverty. Statistics has shown that 95% of corrupt countries of the world, have the highest pronounced numbers of poor people.

(5). Negative perception by the international community: recently, there has been increase in the cases of travel ban placement on some countries on the basis of corruption. This is not a welcome development, because, it limits the tentacles of what those countries can achieve and gain from the international community.

Definitely, there cannot be effects without causes thus, there are various causes of corruption and of its alarming increase in Nigeria and the world.

CAUSES OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA.

(1). Lack of visionary and strong-willed leaders: One of the known causes of corruption in Nigeria is the lack of value oriented, strong willed leaders because, where the vision is not clear, omission sets in the form of corruption. Accordingly, where the Leaders are corrupt, the pillars of democracy will be weakened. – https://bscholarly.com/pillars-of-democracy/

In Nigeria, the national assembly signs billions of naira into budgets on yearly basis but because there are no clearly mapped out ways of expending the money, and clearly mapped out ways of check mating how it is spent, they end up in people’s pockets and we end up where we were at the end of the day. This heading does not only concern government leaders, because this explains why our private sectors suffer this pandemic. Because, if the head is sick, the body will follow suit.

(2). Mass illiteracy: one thing that comes with enlightenment is self awareness. It makes one to be conscious of the happenings around him, thus lightening the spirit and urge to question some things in the society and to try and change them. However, a society where the masses are blinded by illiteracy, they do not even understand what happens not even to question it, and this makes the few educated opportunists in the position of authority to siphon the resources without fear.

(3). High ethnic tendencies:  in a country like Nigeria with ethnic conscious people, it is usually the case that people from the same ethnic group have the urge to share the sense of belonging above and over the national interest of the country. This being the case, they tend to favor their fellow ethnic man over others as is evident in the lopsided political appointments. Also, even when they see their ethnic man perpetuating some corrupt practices, they turn blind eye to the act and this in turn encourages corruption.

(4). Failed judicial system: there is a saying that “the court is the last hope of an ordinary man”. This saying no matter how sweet it sounds has proven to be false and this is glaring in the way judicial officers go about collecting bribes, and turning blind eyes to the different levels of corruption,  while the powerless masses are deprived of their fortune.
Assuming the courts are strict on perpetrators charged with embezzlement and other corrupt practices offences, and at the same time meting out severe and adequate punishments to guilty persons, Nigeria would have been a corruption free society; but the reverse is the case, and people knowing how the system works do go ahead with their unscrupulous activities.

(5). Hunger for personal gains and enrichment has driven many Nigerians into corruption, they are always on the lookout for opportunities to fatten their purses in dishonest ways.

(6). Poverty: poverty seems to be at the same time a cause and an effect of corruption. Nigeria being an underdeveloped nation which comes with its consequential hardship, has made many lives miserable and thus, many people are out on the streets looking for a means of survival. Any opportunity that comes their way is happily welcomed while its moral implication is being thrown to the ground.

In conclusion, Nigeria can never move forward if it continues to thrive in corruption; this cankerworm disorganizes the whole system and leaves it in shambles. Thus, the nation needs to find its causes itself, and then all hands will be on deck to terminate the disease for the betterment of the country.