Corruption And Accountability In Nigeria -By Odoji Oluwafemi Stephen

Corruption Nigeria is one of our biggest challenge as of today. It is clear to every citizen that the level of corruption in the country is high and glaring.

What then is corruption? Corruption according to Wikipedia, is a form of dishonesty or criminal activity undertaken by a person or organization entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire illicit benefit and political corruption occurs when an office-holder or other governmental employee acts in an official capacity for personal gain.

Corruption can also be seen as any fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery. It is the illegitimate use of power to benefit a private interest (Morris 1991). Corruption is the giving of a bribe to an official so that the truth will not be told. It involves the embezzlement of public fund for personal use and any act which is considered to be criminal act according to the law of a particular society.

Nigeria, which is the most populated country in Africa, has been ranked high in corruption by Transparency International and other notable organizations that monitor corrupt practices around the world. They do not have anything good to say about Nigeria at all. High corruption rankings affect almost all Nigerians who migrate to foreign countries, as foreigners have the perception that since Nigeria is corrupt, so are all Nigerians this might not be totally true but that is what we have.

Corruption has eaten deep both into the public and the private sector as we can see corruption in politics, university and colleges, the police force, in religious organizations, in the National football association, in the customs service and the booming one now is the internet fraud.

Causes of Corruption

A number of things cause corruption, and among them are but not limited to:

-Poverty

-Geed

-Poor youth empowerment

-Unemployment

Effects of Corruption

The negative consequences of corruption are many, and among them are:

-Poor national development

-Poor investment

-Rise in poverty

-National crises

Eradicating Corruption

Corruption can be reduced by these possible remedies:

-Institution of strong anti-corruption groups

– Treating all citizens equally

-Self-Satisfaction

-Employment generation

-Proper government funding of schools

Accountability: procedures requiring officials and those who seek to influence

them to follow established rules defining acceptable processes and outcomes, and to demonstrate that they have followed those procedures While the language and some of the ideas in these definitions draw upon the Anglo-Saxon tradition, the fundamental concerns they embody—justice and the search for a good life—are universal concerns. These values must be pursued and protected in different ways in various societies. They are interdependent as well: accountability requires transparency, both function best where laws are sound and widely supported, and the equitable enforcement of those laws raises major questions of accountability and transparency—to cite just a few interconnections. Upholding these values requires a delicate but durable balance between self-interest and cooperation: citizens and officials must see good governance not only as an ideal, but also as improving their own lives.

Accountability. Accountability is partly a matter of institutional design: formal checks and balances can and should be built into any constitutional architecture. But accountability requires political energy too: people, interest groups, civil society, the courts, the press, and opposition parties must insist that those who govern follow legitimate mandates and explain their actions. The same is true within governments: horizontal accountability (Schedler, Diamond, and Plattner, 1999) depends upon the ability of one part of government to find out—and, where necessary, to stop or correct— what other sectors are doing. Those demanding accountability must be confident that they can do so safely, that officials will respond honestly, and that social needs and demands are taken seriously.

In conclusion, corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of our great Nation. But if we can embrace accountability and stay true to the solution provided in this write-up then we should be able to reduced corruption to the barest minimum if not eradicate it totally.