Abstract
Corruption is a clog in the wheel of progress in Nigeria and has incessantly frustrated the realization of noble national goals, despite the enormous natural and human resources in Nigeria. The article reviews the concept of corruption in line with its forms and effects on the Nigerian State, as well as corruption in public service from Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa’s era to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The article examines the idealistic, resource curse, two public, low risk–high benefit and anomie theories, and consequently adopts resource curse, low risk–high benefit theories to explain causes of corruption in Nigeria. Also, some personal observations and data from Transparency International are utilized to explain corrupt practices in Nigeria. The article concludes that there is corruption in the Nigerian Public Sector because of societal pressure, tribalism, nepotism, low risk–high benefits of involving in corruption among others. The article recommends some measures to combat corruption in Nigeria.
Highlights
Corruption is the misuse of entrusted power or a dishonest use of one’s office or position for personal gain
The article examines corruption in the Nigerian Public Sector; this is in a view to analyzing forms and effects of corruption, rhetoric in the fight against corruption and emphatically analyzing theoretical underpinning of the causes of kleptomaniac and pervasive corruption in the Nigerian public sector
The article focuses on corruption in Nigerian public service from Tafawa Balewa’s administration to President Goodluck Jonathan’s era, and discovers that corrupt practices have been on an alarming rate
Summary
Corruption is the misuse of entrusted power or a dishonest use of one’s office or position for personal gain. Corruption is Nigeria’s worst problem; it is responsible for all kinds of woes, such as election rigging, failed promises, abandoned projects, poor quality of implemented projects, dilapidated infrastructure, nepotism, instability in the Niger Delta, and impediment to flow of foreign direct investment (Obuah, 2010b) The former Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, claims that the over US$400 billion that had been looted from Nigeria by the leaders is “six times the total value of resources committed to rebuilding Western Europe after the Second World War” These include among others, the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) The institutionalization of these anti-graft agencies, at the inception of Obasanjo’s administration, raised the hope of Nigerians with the expectation that the changes will bring to book corrupt public officials and act as a deterrent on others (Ijewereme, 2013). Some personal observations and data from TI are utilized to explain causes and state of corruption in Nigerian public sector with a view to developing insights to reduce the vices in public service
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