Corruption: The new cloth we put on -By Lawal Sikira Oluwapejulola

What will be the outcome of a nation whose fabrics have been eaten up by corruption?

Corruption is a criminal offense committed by a person who controls a particular position or organization in order to acquire illegal benefits for his personal gain. Corruption is practiced in activities like; Bribbery, embezzlement, lobbying, nepotism, extortion, tribalism, favoritism e.t.c

Undoubtedly, many underdeveloped countries suffer from the effects of corruption on their economy, as it results in gigantic financial loss, horrible failures of infrastructures, and mass poverty which affects their economical growth tremendously.

Undeniably, corruption is like a cloth we put on in our country, Nigeria. “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral that glorifies it” says Frederic Bastiat . Obviously, occupying positions has become a modus operandi for thefts to practice their corrupt intent. At the end of the day, this results in a failed tenure and the people who elect them into that particular position bear the consequences.

Agreeably, “Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it’s set a rolling, it must increase” says Charles Caleb. It is therefore, not surprising that despite the efforts of the anti-corruption agencies, Nigeria emerged as the second most corrupt in West Africa (#154) out of 180 countries evaluated globally based on statistics from transparency international Corruption perception index for 2021

Furthermore, the missing 20 billion naira oil money in 2013, a former Governor of CBN, Lamido Sanusi, alleged that the NNPC refused to remit billions of Naira in oil proceeds to the state. This caused a huge rift between the CBN governor and the president suspending Mr Sanusi from office. Albert Einstein says “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. Citizens of a corrupt country should exercise their voting responsibilities in order to bring out of power, a failed government that is assumed to be ruled by an unprincipled politician because if we elect the same corrupt politician everytime, it signifies that we do not want change.

It is so bitter that corruption flourishes in sectors like; educational sector, industrial sector, health sector, agricultural sector e.t.c

In Nigeria, the followings are perceived as the most corrupt institution; Nigeria Police, Political Parties, National and State Assemblies, Local & Municipal governments, Federal & State executive councils, traffic police & Federal Road Safety Corps, NEPA. It is filled from the Nigerian Survey and Corruption Survey Study, Final report(June 2003) Institute of development research, Ahmadu Bello University.

Ultimately, I think that Nigeria would become that dream country if monkeys are allowed to rule this nation rather than corrupt traitors, at least monkeys will only steal bananas. If people who are not self centered should rule our country, then their interest will not be on themselves, it would rather be for the benefit of the whole nation. This could be done through voting of responsible and competent leaders, not imposters and thieves, because a person who elects a traitor is not a victim but an accomplice.