Corruption A Deep-Rooted Problem In Nigeria
By Abdullahi Ahmad Bamalli
Corruption became a cankerworm that had eaten deep into the fabric of Nigeria and affected every sector, from the leaders to the followers, the majority have their hands deep and stained in corruption and it has become part of the lives of almost everyone in Nigeria which can be hardly eradicated.
Corruption is Nigeria’s biggest challenge, it’s clear to every citizen that Nigeria has an extremely high level of corruption. Corruption is found in every sector of our societies. It is quite obvious both small and large sectors reveal corrupt practices at every level. The challenge of corruption in Nigeria became worse to the extent that the government is showing ill-concern in eradicating the problem.
However, it has become quite obvious that Nigerians believe that the Nigerian government is very slow when it comes to development and unable to move the country forward as corruption has crippled the economy. For instance, corruption among security agencies that ought to act as the custodians of the law is quite worrying and horrifying, because police officers have made those who owned vehicles to view corruption as something that was designed to be part of their lives.
In this case, it is normal for drivers to bribe traffic police officers every time they are made to pull over even if they did not break any traffic law. This kind of corruption is deeply rooted and has become a problem that can be hardly eradicated in Nigeria. The high level of corruption in Nigeria is one of the reasons why it is still ranking among the most underdeveloped countries in the world.
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Sequel to that, Political bribery and economic corruption are the two major ways in which public resources in Nigeria are abused by individuals who are influential and have power and the highest positions in public offices. The problem of deep-rooted corruption in Nigeria is likely to deepen if the government and other relevant social institutions fail to take serious action. Many people are in a state of fear that the country might eventually reach a level where people have to pay bribes in order for their lives to be safe.
Moreover, the challenge of corruption in Nigeria has become worse to the extent that many people are doubting the seriousness of the government in eradicating the problem. Corruption in Nigeria affects everyone both the people of the higher and lower levels in public offices. This signifies that corruption defines social, economic, political, and development structures in the country.
Moreso, the people in power who are in a position to make laws and deprive bribery and corruption are hiding behind the mask of the law and violating the law itself, it is not possible to implement policies in a governance system where the custodians of law are the biggest violators.
Most cases of corruption in Nigeria are linked to politicians, police officers, and other powerful individuals in influential positions. The same perception applies to Nigeria’s police force, which ranks among the most corrupt public institutions in the country. Corruption when it comes to the police force can take the form of misconduct in which law enforcement officers end up breaking their political contract and abusing their power for personal gain.
Police corruption is a challenge to public trust, human rights and legal violations involving serious consequences. Police corruption can take many forms, such as bribery and the like. As long as the police force will not discourage bribery and corruption then every society will be in a state of dilemma and other social problems will not cease to exist.
Likewise, if people are responsible for encouraging corruption when they agree to pay for services they should be getting for free then there’s no way corruption will be eradicated. Other notable causative factors of corruption in Nigeria include low wages, lack of legislation to fight corruption, poverty, scramble for resources, ineffective political processes, as well as lack of transparency and accountability in the public sectors. Very little progress has been made in the fight against corruption because the government is not showing absolute effort to stop the problem from spreading further, and it’s quite obvious there are a lot of government officials who enjoy and benefit from the existence of corruption and in that case, they will never make any effort to get rid of the vice.
Furthermore, some of the reasons as to why the fight against corruption is weak and unsuccessful in Nigeria include insecurity of whistleblowers, lack of social movements to pressure the government, and lack of transparency in the government. Other reasons include nepotism and lack of good leadership and the like.
Conclusively, some of the possible ways to eradicate corruption in the minds of Nigerians can be followed by the creation of public education programs towards awareness and enlightening the general public on the challenges of corruption, its effects, and the best eradication methods. The use of strategies such as advertisements in print and electronic media, billboards, as well as handbills can be very effective in enlightening Nigerians about corruption. In addition, this kind of strategy should have supporting legislation that should push people into reporting cases of corruption without fear.
Another vital way in which the government can fight corruption is by increasing levels of accountability and transparency, people’s involvement in governance, improving pay incentives, as well as fighting nepotism. The government has a huge task of ensuring that people change their attitude and belief about corruption because it is their right to receive services in accordance with the country’s constitution. In line with that, equitable distribution of resources can play a crucial role in addressing the challenges of corruption. The reason for this is that people will not be forced to scramble for the few available resources by paying bribes. When everyone has enough, no one will be in a position to ask for bribes.
Corruption is a deep-rooted problem that has compromised the development policy in Nigeria for a long time. The situation in the country is quite worrying, as people seem to have accepted the vice as part of their lives, and at the same time compromising the future of subsequent generations. The political, social, economic, and development structures of Nigeria are currently dependent on corruption. There is an urgent need for the government to develop effective strategies that will identify, eliminate and eradicate various causative factors of the crime.
