Etimologically, the word ‘corruption’ is derived from the Latin word “corruptus” which means ‘to break’ or ‘destroy, or “the breaking of normal or social norms or practices”. The World Bank defines corruption as “the abuse of public office for private gains. Public office is abused for private gain when an official accepts, solicits or extorts a bribe. It is also abused when private agents offer bribes to circumvent public policies and processes for competitive advantage and profit. Public office can also be abused for personal benefit even if no bribery occurs through patronage, nepotism, the theft of state assets or the diversion of state revenue”.
Another scholar, Nye, points out that corruption is “the behaviour which deviates from the formal duties of a public role (elective or appointive) because of private gain regarding personal, close family, private clique) wealth or status gains; or violates rule against the exercising of certain private issues regarding influence”.
The Transparency International simply sees corruptions as “the dishonest, or preferential use of power or position which has the result of one person or organization being advantaged over another” while the Vision 2010 committee (1997) essentially termed corruption to be “all those improper actions or transactions aimed at changing the moral course of events, judgement and position of trust”. However, section 2 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 (Nigeria) sees corruption ·to include, “bribery, fraud and other related offences”.
From the foregoing, one can deduce that corruption is that which is morally unacceptable; an act intentionally meant to place one or an organisation at an advantaged position over others in a system. It is essentially an act that perverts the social norms, laws and moral ethos of a given society.
Based on the above, it is obvious that the monster of corruption pervades every stratum of Nigerian society. It reveals itself as bribery, tri balism, nepotism, electoral fraud, embezzlement,’ kick-back or ten percent!, money laundering and fraud (419), examination malpractice, child abuse, child trafficking, patronage, graft, extortion, tax extortion, tax evasion, perversion of justice among the police, the judiciary etc, and falsification of certificates, just to mention but these corruption in Nigeria is akin to a public-liability company, which one may call “Corruption lnc.,” operated by the ruling class and the comprador bourgeoisie. It is a prosperous company where most Nigerians own shares that yield appreciable dividends. In fact, corruption in Nigeria takes various forms in which only a specialist in the subject can adequately explain.
However, for the purpose of our discourse, we will dwell on political corruption. According to Adeleye, political corruption “is ‘corruptocracy’, a government of the corrupt by the corrupt and for the corrupt. And in that kind of government, there are no rules because anything goes”.
Aiyede defines political corruption as “the abuse of public or governmental power for illegitimate private advantage”. Gyekye conceptualises political corruption as “the illegal, unethical and unauthorised exploitation of one’s political or official position for personal gain or advantage. Political corruption is thus an act of corruption perpetrated against a state or its agencies by a person holding an official position in pursuit of his or her own private profit”.
For Upset and Lenz, political corruption, “is an effort to secure wealth or power through illegal means for private benefit at public expense”. Political corruption, simply put, is the use of legislative power by politicians or decision makers i.e. government officials for illegitimate private gain. This entails the use of civil servants or bureaucracy to misuse ‘and abuse governmental power that exists in a state for other purposes. It also involves an illegal act by an office holder which is directly related to their official duties. So, political corruption and corruption will be used interchangeably.
From the 1980s and 1990s, the concept sustainable development started to gain currency in the international circle so as to suit contemporary realities and aspirations. The World Commission on Environment and Development, (WCED), in 1987 defines sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs”.
Adeyemo perceptibly says that sustainable development basically deals with present and future needs in the process of resource exploitation in addition to environmental protection. Koroma and Bwala believe that the concept of sustainable development is geared towards ‘the proper management of national and human resources, the environment, energy, waste, transportation, and development based on pattern of production on and consumption that can be pursued into the future without degrading the human or natural environment.
Fundamental to the above conceptualisation of sustainable development is what Okowa describes as the achievement of tripod of empowerment that is, economic empowerment, political empowerment and social empowerment. This tripod of empowerment is the ultimate objective of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals and Targets.
On the attainment of independence on 1st October, 1960, hopes and aspirations were high in the country. At least, Nigerians were to pilot their own affairs. They were to use their God-given resources to better their lots. In any cases, the new Nigerian leaders were to redeem their pledges made to Nigerians to put an end to capitalist exploitation, dehumanization, degradation, unemployment, the non-guarantee of basic freedom and liberty, and the maintenance of egalitarian principles and sustainable development.
What have Nigerians got then from their leaders since independence was achieved? Did Nigerian leaders fulfill the aspirations and expectations of the masses? Have the poor Nigerians, who are in the majority, benefited from Nigerian leaders since independence? The answers to the posers listed above are emphatic, no.
Nigerian masses have now become a metaphorical representation of a woman that was consistently raped, and was crying for help, behold a helper came and elbowed out the rapist but continued the action from where the rapist stopped. Interestingly, history, which is benevolent and generous to a fault, has it that the track record of Nigeria from 1960 has been the accounts of misappropriation of funds, embezzlement or looting of treasury, and “settlements” through grafts and contracts as well as jumbo or fabulous emoluments for law makers, among others.
Samuel resides in Port Harcourt.