The State and Political Corruption in Nigeria: An Anatomy of a Perverse Pathology

Abstract

Corruption is a terrible and endemic sickness of developing world; Nigeria inclusive Embezzlement, fraud, bribery, payoff, nepotism and extortion are so common in the activities of Nigerians since from colonial era to post independence, military and civilian regimes. The paper examined the problem of corruption in Nigeria with special reference on corrupt practices by different governments (1960-20013). Secondary source of data was employed in this study. The paper traced the background of corrupt practices in Nigeria which emerged since colonial era, then first indigenous elites as well as the military regimes (1966-1979) and (19831999), second and third republic down to the current democratic dispensation of fourth republic. The paper reveals that political corruption paved the way for the elites to institutionalize other forms of corruption such as bureaucratic, electoral, economic, judiciary and among others which has negative effect on national development. The paper recommended among others that the federal government should make a law for executing corrupt people as in the case of China as well as to strengthen its anti-graft agencies (i.e. EFCC and CPC) with fairness and equity to all tiers of government and private sectors.