I learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan during a media chat with journalists said that some members of his cabinet members STEAL, but insists that they are not corrupt.

Is STEALING different from CORRUPTION? In the course of helping my little cousin with her take home assignment, I did a little research on Corruption and decided to contrast it with stealing.

I found out that stealing is a sub set of corruption, with the political landscape of Nigeria in mind, I came to the conclusion that ALL STEALING ACT IS CORRUPTION BUT NOT ALL CORRUPT ACT IS STEALING.

It also became obvious that most Nigerians are corrupt.

I recommend that a retreat on corruption should be held for Public officials and heads of top private organisations. Amongst other things, the retreat should educate them on the meaning of corruption,its consequence and how to repent from the act.

Stealing in its simplest term is to take the property of another without right or permission.

Corruption is defined as the abuse of public office for private gain. Transparency International defines it as "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain".

The methods of Corruption include

BRIBERY
The improper use of gifts and favours in exchange for personal gain. The types of favours given are diverse and include money, gifts, sexual favours, company shares, entertainment, employment and political benefits. The personal gain that is given can be anything from actively giving preferential treatment to having an indiscretion or crime overlooked.

EMBEZZLEMENT, THEFT AND FRAUD
Embezzlement and theft involve someone with access to funds or assets illegally taking control of them. Fraud involves using deception to convince the owner of funds or assets to give them up to an unauthorized party.

Examples include the misdirection of company funds into "shadow companies" (and then into the pockets of corrupt employees), the skimming of foreign aid money, scams and other corrupt activity.

EXTORTION AND BLACKMAIL
While bribery is the use of positive inducements for corrupt aims, extortion and blackmail centre around the use of threats. This can be the threat of violence or false imprisonment as well as exposure of an individual's secrets or prior crimes.

This includes such behavior as an influential person threatening to go to the media if they do not receive speedy medical treatment (at the expense of other patients), threatening a public official with exposure of their secrets if they do not vote in a particular manner, or demanding money in exchange for continued secrecy.

"CORRUPT GAINS" of Corruption.

Abuse of discretion
Favoritism, nepotism and clientelism

Favouritism, nepotism and clientelism involve the favouring of not the perpetrator of corruption but someone related to them, such as a friend, family member or member of an association. Examples would include hiring a family member to a role they are not qualified for or promoting a staff member who belongs to the same political party as you, regardless of merit.

Now that you are done reading this piece, I believe you are in position to convince and not confuse Mr. President, that Stealing is Corruption.

REFERENCES
image credit: www.cisu.dk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption
http://www.corruptie.org/en/corruption/what-is-corruption/
http://www.cisu.dk/Default.aspx?ID=23469

all sin is SIN but all sins are not equal. Yet no sin leads to heaven.

Stealing “simply means to take something that belongs to someone else illegally or without the owner’s permission”.

While “corruption refers to dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain.

macpetrus: Stealing “simply means to take something that belongs to someone else illegally or without the owner’s permission”.

While “corruption refers to dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain.

I hope you can see the connection between the two. when an individual in a position of authority use dishonest means or "exploitation" to steal- what is that called?
Let me add that not all corrupt act is dishonest. people wey de find job go sabi this wan, you go submit CV for office, na security man them say make you give. As you wan commot there you give then security money make e take buy Minerals - what do you call that?

Finally, all bribery related offence na corruption. from offering bribe to police, the person wey they give am and the person wey the collect am they corrupt. Woman wey they take bribe to give sex dey corrupt.................omo d list long tire. Macpetrus no they define corruption as simply o.... The thing long o...