I found this article on the Nigerians in America website, thought it quite interesting and wanted to share. I actually agree with most of the sentiments expressed and wanted to see what the general thought was here on NairaLand where there are a substantial amount of people who are actually based in Nigeria.

http://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/articles/2276/1/Nigerian-Corruption-We-Are-All-Guilty/Page1.html


Nigerian Corruption: We Are All Guilty by Max Siollun

Nigeria is internationally famous for three things: oil, its Super Eagles football team, and its spectacular government corruption.  However, contrary to popular belief it is quite simply a myth that corruption is perpetrated mostly by the government.  Most Nigerians are paradoxically and simultaneously, accomplices, active participants, victims and agents provocateurs of corruption in their society. 

LEGAL IMPEDIMENTS



Section 308 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution

The first step to understanding corruption in Nigeria is the acknowledgment that corruption is the norm rather than the exception.  Corruption is part of the system and has even been inadvertently sanctioned by the Constitution.  Section 308 of the Constitution shields the President, Vice-President, Governors and Deputy Governors from civil or criminal proceedings, arrest and imprisonment during their term of office.  This Section was intended to prevent frivolous lawsuits from being brought against public officers which might impede their management of their official duties.  However in a country as notoriously corrupt as Nigeria, it has been a legal cloak for embezzlement, and has placed many public officers above the law.  The result has been that several Governors have been able to loot state treasuries at will with no fear of arrest or prosecution.

However, corruption is not the exclusive preserve of the government.  Although most Nigerians condemn corruption as a practice of the “Big Men” and government officials, most of the population are willing accomplices.  There is an inherent hypocrisy among Nigerians about corruption.  Most citizens acknowledge that corruption is an impediment to Nigeria’s economic development and reputation, yet the ordinary Nigerian’s unquenchable thirst for the acquisition of material wealth, possessions, fame and power fuels corruption by others.  Even those that disapprove of corruption by government officials freely admit that they would do the same if they were in government, and they simultaneously participate in practices that are inappropriate.  The fuel industry is an excellent illustrative example of how corruption and dishonesty flows from the top all the way down to the lower rungs of Nigerian society.  The oil industry is rightly or wrongly perceived as the epicentre of government corruption and abuse in Nigeria.  Is the government alone in its abuse of the oil industry?  During fuel strikes and shortages petrol stations have frequently been accused of surreptitiously hoarding fuel in order to deliberately amplify shortages and drive prices even higher.  In other words they exploit and deteriorate the misery of the already hyper-extended fuel consumer.  Malpractice is not limited to petrol station proprietors.  Black market street sellers of fuel in such circumstances are also distrusted by some motorists.  Motorists often accuse them of diluting the petrol they sell with other chemicals.  In the “food chain” of the oil industry, private citizens also dangerously “tap” oil from pipelines in order to sell on the black market.  We should avoid using benign words like “tap” and call the practice what it is: theft.  This theft is carried out with no remorse for the fact that the oil being stolen is a national resource, or any thought of the explosive danger caused by damage to pipelines.  Thousands of lives have been lost in pipeline fires caused by “tapping”.

SOCIETAL PRESSURE

Once an individual lands a government job, (s)he will be inundated with near irresistible requests for ‘assistance’, finance, contracts and material benefits from members of his or her society.  To resist such requests would be to risk being ostracised by their own kinfolk.  The community expects and encourages the selective and disproportionate distribution of the “benefits” of government finances to the relatives and community of the government official.  The African extended family and patronage system ensures that a government official finds it culturally difficult to resist.  If a government official condemns corruption and refuses to use government finances to enrich them self and their community, such an official would be denounced as foolish and would be derided for having nothing to show for their time in government.  Negative comparisons would be drawn with other officials who (corruptly) enriched themselves, and the official would be asked why he was still living in the same one house while his colleagues in government have acquired ostentatious status symbols of their time in government such as cars and expensive houses at home and abroad. 

The current generation of Nigerians do not desire governments or institutions which seek to inhibit their ability to illegally acquire wealth.  Nigerians have become accustomed to the culture of corruption around them, and are very quick to condemn and dispense with governments that push the elimination of corruption as a major policy platform.  The regime of Major-Generals Buhari and Idiagbon launched a severe and unprecedented anti-corruption campaign for over a year and a half between January 1984 and August 1985.  They tried and imprisoned politicians that embezzled state funds.  Before long, Nigerians were unhappy with the duo.  Disapproval of their anti-corruption campaign was not explicit, but was subtly cotton wooled into ostensibly academic and sober critiques of their “high handed” and “repressive” nature.

  Nigerians celebrated when Buhari and Idiagbon were overthrown and replaced by a gap toothed armoured corps General from Minna named Ibrahim Babangida.  Readers should not delude themselves into believing that General Abacha ran the most corrupt regime in Nigeria’s history.  Abacha was the most openly and brazenly corrupt, but before him came his mentor and role model Babangida.  Nigeria’s moral fibre was destroyed under the regime of General Babangida.  That is not to say that corruption was non-existent before him, but under Babangida, corruption was systematised, institutionalised and brought home as a fact of life to the doorstep of every Nigerian.  Babangida allowed Nigerians to see the ugly mirror reflection of their morality.  He recognized many Nigerians for what they are: commodities whose loyalty and soul is on sale to the highest bidder.  Many “pro democracy activists” denounced the corruption that took place under military rulers but were silenced by the financial “settlement” culture that was so pervasive under Generals Babangida and Abacha.   

The current anti-corruption efforts of the EFCC and ICPC are derided for being “selective” and for not catching every corrupt individual.  These unsophisticated criticisms are the moral equivalent of a bank robber objecting to his arrest by the police on the grounds that other bank robbers whom the police have not arrested are still on the loose.  The author is of the opinion that most Nigerians should be grateful for this “selective” prosecution by the EFCC because if every corrupt Nigerian adult was arrested: (i) there would not be enough prisons and detention space to hold them, and (ii) a great deal of the workforce would be behind bars. 

Nigeria has bred something far more sinister and sophisticated than petty graft and bribery.  The still unaccounted $12 billion dollar gulf war oil windfall, the Okigbo report that has never been acted upon and the absence of public outrage at these events is symbolic of the tacit acceptance of corrupt practices as “The Nigerian Way”.  Corruption in Nigeria is not just an offshoot of collapsed social and governmental institutions, nor is it the result of a hostile economic environment.  The roots go much deeper and are symptomatic of the gradual but residual breakdown of Nigerian societal values and morality.  It is the result of Nigerians’ failure to distinguish right from wrong, and of a nationwide refusal to condemn dishonesty.  Nigerians only condemn corruption when they are not the beneficiaries of it.

A WAY FORWARD?


Western nations have lower levels of corruption not only because their law enforcement authorities are more zealous.  The psyche of their citizens is different from that of the Nigerian.  The UK and New Zealand are two countries with the lowest levels of official corruption in the world.  The overwhelming majority of citizens in those countries reflexively obey the law as a matter of their nature and inner will.  They do not have to be coerced into obedience.  This is due to the attitudinal and societal rejection of corruption in these countries.  There is a moral consensus in these countries that corruption is degenerative for their society.


What can be done for Nigeria?  I propose two approaches that might be a god start.  The first step is the elimination of the systemic procedure which inhibits measures aimed at eliminating corruption.   Section 308 of the Constitution should be amended (not deleted) so that the President, Vice-President, Governors and Deputy Governors should be immune from civil, but not criminal proceedings.  The semantic difference is that such officials would be immune from being sued in vexatious civil litigation (with apologies to Gani Fawehinmi) but would not be immune from investigation, arrest or imprisonment for the commission of crimes (including those involving corrupt practices and financial impropriety).  However such a constitutional amendment is unlikely to occur anytime in the near future.  The prerequisites for a constitutional amendment are formidable.  Constitutional amendments in Nigeria require a two-thirds majority approval vote in the federal Senate and House of Representatives, and further approval by two-thirds of the 36 State House of Assemblies in Nigeria.  To reach such a degree of consensus in a country as large and fractious as Nigeria would be near miraculous.  Other methods are required.

Nigeria needs a moral revolution.  That moral revolution cannot be accomplished while the present generation remains.  Many members of the present generation have been so utterly corrupted that they are beyond redemption.  Nigeria cannot and will not progress until they expire.  Hope lies in the young and unborn who have not yet been tainted by the society around them.  By inculcating from a young age, the destructive social effects of corruption, a new more honest generation may emerge in future.  The teaching of values should be compulsorily incorporated into academic syllabi from primary school until the completion of university.  I will not deny that this sounds like a subtle form of indoctrination, but it might be the only way to save Nigeria from itself.  Corruption in Nigeria will be brought down to manageable levels only when a national consensus is reached that corruption is a corrosive impediment, and when it is rejected by the majority of the population.

It is more of systemic corruption.
You may not believe it, but there are still a lot of Nigerians that are not corrupt
But stereotyping Nigerians is wrong.
Make the system work, and you will be amazed, how the typical Nigerian adapts.

In this world their are more Bad people than good people, so the bad ones have overshadowed the good ones

oldie:

It is more of systemic corruption.
You may not believe it, but there are still a lot of Nigerians that are not corrupt
But stereotyping Nigerians is wrong.
Make the system work, and you will be amazed, how the typical Nigerian adapts.

I believe that too but it is easier said than done. It is all very well to say  ‘make the ‘system work’ when at the end of the day the main hurdle is how do we get the man on the street to see that the ‘system’ is working in his favour?

As the article expresses, Nigerians have been led to believe that the only way that they can get something is to look out for themselves and theirs. It is a ‘Dog eat Dog’ way of thinking. Thinking collectively and working together for the benefit of the whole of Nigeria is lost on many Nigerians.

folahann:

In this world their are more Bad people than good people, so the bad ones have overshadowed the good ones

In Nigeria that is definetly the case! The corrupt and selfish ones are plenty and overshadow the few who are not.

Thinking collectively and working together for the benefit of the whole of Nigeria is lost on many Nigerians.

why dont you re-locate back from UK and show/teach Nigerians how to do this?

This could earn you a lifetime achievement award--one you will never get living in UK

EloSela:

As the article expresses, Nigerians have been led to believe that the only way that they can get something is to look out for themselves and theirs. It is a ‘Dog eat Dog’ way of thinking. Thinking collectively and working together for the benefit of the whole of Nigeria is lost on many Nigerians.

Stereotyping again!
I am sure the writer does not stay in Nigeria. I do
A typical Nigerian believes that hard work pays.
And I see it everyday on the streets of Lagos.

babasin:

why don't you re-locate back from UK and show/teach Nigerians how to do this?

This could earn you a lifetime achievement award--one you will never get living in UK

I have already tried this avenue but most of my efforts were thwarted by people who were just too greedy to see the bigger picture. Unfortunately I just don't have it in me to be ruthless to deal with such people. I do believe that we need a Sadaam Hussain type character as the head of state if only for a short while to get the masses to straighten up.

oldie:

Stereotyping again!
I am sure the writer does not stay in Nigeria. I do
A typical Nigerian believes that hard work pays.
And I see it everyday on the streets of Lagos.

They may do but when everyone is trying to stay afloat by any means necessary it is hardly beneficial for a productive forward thinking society as a whole is it?

This is why when you have politicians campaigning for power their first thought is how much money they will collect for their personal use during their reign and not about how to improve the lives of the people who voted them in. The man on the street thinks more or less in the same strain but on a smaller scale. An example of that would be a dodgy Pharmacist who is prepared to sell you fake drugs knowing that they may very well kill you but all he is concerned about is collectiing his payment for the drugs. And then when someone sets up an organisation to combat things such as this they plot to kill her because they say 'Ee dey spoil market!'

EloSela:

I have already tried this avenue but most of my efforts were thwarted by people who were just too greedy to see the bigger picture. Unfortunately I just don't have it in me to be ruthless to deal with such people. I do believe that we need a Sadaam Hussain type character as the head of state if only for a short while to get the masses to straighten up.

You may not find it easy to resettle because of your mindset that every one back home wants to take advantage of you!
Some of you "returnees" still treat some of us with mistrust and out right very condescending and patronising manner.

Many returnees are too "english" or "american" to integrate

In the blood I say, in the blood!!!!!!

A disease without any hope of cure----not even with the second or tenth coming of Christ!!!!  No hope for Nigerians!!!!

oldie:

You may not find it easy to resettle because of your mindset that every one back home wants to take advantage of you!
Some of you "returnees" still treat some of us with mistrust and out right very condescending and patronising manner.

Many returnees are too "english" or "american" to integrate

Well you don’t know me to say what my approach was. Some of the people who took advantage of me and my efforts actually surprised me because I never would have guessed that they were capable of behaving in such a way. I suppose when money all decency and rationale goes flying out of the window.

I remain fully confident that in as little as 3 to 5 hundred years, Nigeria will lose its reputation as a breeding ground for thieves,  con-men and embezzlers.

good one. I absolutely agree!

EloSela:

Well you don’t know me to say what my approach was. Some of the people who took advantage of me and my efforts actually surprised me because I never would have guessed that they were capable of behaving in such a way. I suppose when money all decency and rationale goes flying out of the window.

I was not being personal with my comments. I apologise if it sounded so.
But my observation is the general trend.

EloSela:

Some of the people who took advantage of me and my efforts actually surprised me because I never would have guessed that they were capable of behaving in such a way. I suppose when money all decency and rationale goes flying out of the window.

Because you think some category of people should behave some way, when money/integrity is involved.
No, it does not work that way, even with Nigerians. When you start treating people based on categorisation, then there is a probelm.

, And back to the topic, whatever any one would say, I still believe, this is the best country in the world. We have our problems, so also other countries. These are problems that are solvable. Problems are not solved by running away from them!

In 1961 as young man in lagos, a personnel manager took
10 pounds sterling  from me, to get me a 3 pounds sterling a month job.
1n 2007 i ask a relative to help me sell a car in nigeria,
months later he said arm robber stole it from him.
I have no answer to our problem. God help us

@gmcln that was rampant in Nigerian . You can not trust anyone, because everyone is out for what they can get from you.

Most Nigerians are corrupt, and I think corruption in Nigeria can be attributed to circumstances.

The economy, transportation and just standard of living has effects on why people will do what ever it takes to get paid.

oldie:

I was not being personal with my comments. I apologise if it sounded so.
But my observation is the general trend.

I didn't think you were getting personal but rather making assumptions based on the fact that I am based in the UK.

Because you think some category of people should behave some way, when money/integrity is involved.
No, it does not work that way, even with Nigerians. When you start treating people based on categorisation, then there is a probelm.

, And back to the topic, whatever any one would say, I still believe, this is the best country in the world. We have our problems, so also other countries. These are problems that are solvable. Problems are not solved by running away from them!

I try not to make any grand assumptions when dealing with Nigerians but at times it can be quite difficult. It shouldn’t be too much to ask to simply be able to go into a supposedly government funded rundown primary school to distribute books, shoes and pens and other necessities for the teachers to be happy that the very children they teach are getting some well deserved educational gifts, which will aid their school work without them trying to see what personal gain they can get out of it for themselves.

I was able to do the same thing in The Gambia without any problems but why in Nigeria did I have to bribe the teachers to let me in? I can give you many examples of when people’s good intentions being taken for granted because the people who were able to enable these intentions were too concerned about ‘ de one wey dey go chop for inside’.

While in The Gambia I met a group of African American students who were actively doing great things for the poor children of Banjul. In fact these students had taken it upon themselves to sponsor the education of several children. Would such a feat be achievable in Nigeria without someone trying to pour san san in the gari of these children, in an attempt to get some benefit for themselves? I asked several of these students if they had ever thought about going to Nigeria and their responses left a lot to be desired and I as a Nigerian can’t say that I blamed them. Yes some were ready to go to Ghana or maybe Kenya to do the same but Nigeria? Hell no! And by the way these students had actually been to Nigeria.

Another such example that comes to mind is when a London Stockbroker friend of mine (British Nigerian) wanted to start up a company in Lagos which would have created at least 200 hundred well needed jobs in the city. In order to broker this deal he needed government approval which should have been easy to get. But after having been met with more than enough requests for ‘Chop money’ every step of the way he gave up in frustration.

I can go on and on.

As I said I hate to make assumptions but this behaviour tends to be an innate characteristic. Na condition make crayish bend no be so?

Nigeria has the potential to be great but with the current 'Eat or be eaten' attitude that will not happen anytime soon.

[quote]In 1961 as young man in lagos, a personnel manager took
10 pounds sterling  from me, to get me a 3 pounds sterling a month job.
1n 2007 i ask a relative to help me sell a car in nigeria,
months later he said arm robber stole it from him.
I have no answer to our problem. God help us
[quote][/quote]

What type of answer is this now?
If by 1961 you were old enough to work, then you must be above 60 by now.
And this is the type of answer you give?
Pls stay where you are. The new Nigeria does not need this type of answer.
If you were the best, there was no need to bribe anybody to get employed in 1961.

@EloSela
Dont get me wrong. These things happen. I would be deluding myself if I thought otherwise.
We meet these types of frustrations everyday here.
Some of us are determined to stick with the system and possibly make a positive change
On the other hand, I do not have any probs with "awol Nigerians"

My believe is just that you can impact the system better if you live in the system.

What are your own solutions to these problems?

oldie:

@EloSela
Dont get me wrong. These things happen. I would be deluding myself if I thought otherwise.
We meet these types of frustrations everyday here.
Some of us are determined to stick with the system and possibly make a positive change
On the other hand, I do not have any probs with "awol Nigerians"

My believe is just that you can impact the system better if you live in the system.

What are your own solutions to these problems?

I am a big advocate on education and I think that in order to eradicate such attitudes and nepotism that thrives in the current society in Nigeria we need to start from the roots; and that is with our young children still in Primary school. It surely is a difficult task seen as it would be hard to immunize them from the ones who already have the code of corruption built solidly into their systems but that would be a start.

Another course of action which I have hinted on before and may seem extremist or controversial to some is to get to get a no-nonsense Sadaam Hussein type character to lead the state. This person would obviously be seen as a Dictator in the Western Hemisphere but I am of the firm belief that all these western ideals that the leaders of Nigeria past and current have been practicing do not work well when dealing with Nigerians at all.
We need a leader that will be brutal in his/her approach to corruption. Name and shame and public executions are necessary in order to wipe out this stain on Nigeria’s character.

What are your suggestions? If you have any…

it is human nature for one to be greedy and greediness is directly linked to corruption. therefore it isn't only nigerians that are corrupt. eventhough the system in a country may support or encourage corruption more than the other but do not forget that every country on this planet consist of corrupt people. even in liberia today corruption still dominates our society and ways of life in general. i think it's all depend on your background, spirituality and morals as human being. instead of saying nigerians are inherently corrupt, it will be better or more appropriate to say human beings are inherently corrupt.
so, i disagree with the topic.

let us look at russia, north korea, jamaica, honduras, philippines and many other african countries. corruption also exists in these areas, but nigeria happens to be the only country on the map when it comes to corruption. and i think this is so only because something is being done about corruption, nigerians are ready to reclaim their country.

Depilot:

let us look at russia, north korea, jamaica, honduras, philippines and many other african countries. corruption also exists in these areas, but nigeria happens to be the only country on the map when it comes to corruption. and i think this is so only because something is being done about corruption, nigerians are ready to reclaim their country.

The topic is about Nigeria and not about other countries and what their state and situation is. Why continously compare our state with that of others?? Is that a way to create an atmosphere where we feel we are ok since others are doing same?? How does that help the case of things in the country??

@Poster, I disagree. My point being that we have a culture that gravitates towards the bad and tends to glorify the bad but rarely focuses or gives the same airtime to the good that is happening. Majority of Nigerians who are in the corruption business were lured to it by the fact that they have been innundated from time with stories of how the thieves live large and comfortable and how the good and hardworking folks continue to suffer. These people get fed up and move to the dark side after years of watching the situation in the country continue to crumble while the rich keep getting richer.

Solution: Have Media take some of the focus off the corrupt and place it more on those who actually deserve to get airtime for the good work they do.

EloSela:

What are your suggestions? If you have any…

I am already part of the solution, by living in the system!
I do believe in education too. And in my own little way, I have been able to contribute to my profession, by educating the young graduates, to do it right, professionally and ethically.
It takes the efforts of all to make it work.
No abradacabra solution to these problems, definitely not your extremist option. I abhor violence.
I still believe we can make Nigeria work. I am convinced
Nigeria is not a hopeless case.
Or am I deluded?

The topic is about Nigeria and not about other countries and what their state and situation is. Why continously compare our state with that of others?? Is that a way to create an atmosphere where we feel we are ok since others are doing same?? How does that help the case of things in the country??

hi kobojunkies

i think you did not understand my point. you took it the wrong way. i mentioned these other countries to show that it isn't only nigerian gov that is corrupt. corruption is everywhere, but you only hear about nigeria and this is only because nigerians are ready to restructure their country. i am for africa and i do not support when any african country is being labeled as anything negative.
i'm sorry if i've offended you.

@ Depilot

Thanks for your input.

When several billions of oil revenue go missing regularly and the only thing we have to show for it are a few pot bellied politicians with private jets, children being educated in the most exclusive expensive institutions around the world and several million dollar mansions in the heart of London and NY then something about that culture is inherently corrupt.

When a London court agrees to lift the freeze on assets of a certain Nigerian politician because one of his Nigerian political colleagues wrote a letter saying that there was no case to answer and Nigerian people rejoice even though most are living in squalor and cannot even afford to feed themselves three times a day or send their children to school, a decent one at that, then again yes, without a doubt, something is inherently wrong! Corruption is expected and normal in Nigerian society. I doubt that anyone in the countries you mentioned could get away with pilfering their countries assets while more than half of their citizens lived below the poverty line. But by most accounts, they can in Nigeria.

Depilot:



hi kobojunkies

i think you did not understand my point. you took it the wrong way. i mentioned these other countries to show that it isn't only nigerian gov that is corrupt. corruption is everywhere, but you only hear about nigeria and this is only because nigerians are ready to restructure their country. i am for africa and i do not support when any african country is being labeled as anything negative.
i'm sorry if i've offended you.

Nigeria has been in the news since the 80's.  Restructuring since then and till now?? I do not believe that is the case at all. The reason why Nigeria is more in the news is cause we are a people who seem to relish calling the attention and I believe we should accept the bad attention as well.

Go anywhere you want and you will see Nigerians screaming Nigeria here and there. I do believe and know there are so many other corrupt countries out there but because of the seat we hold in the world today, we do not need to lambaste the world for noticing that we are corrupt in our dealings as well.

419 alone has the world watching us. No other country has as many fraudsters in one localized area than Nigeria seems to. The Justice system which has continually failed people over and over has intensified the watch, as people and companies do their best to be sure they do not get trapped in such as they know they may never get justice on their side in such.

Pointing out facts about Nigeria has nothing to do with one's love or hate of the country.  And one is not necessarily more patriotic if one denies the facts and praises the country instead. Infact, if you ask me, majority of those thieves who steal from the country would consider themselves patriotic Nigerians cause they wear the we love Nigeria Badge on their foreheads.

Kobojunkie:

The topic is about Nigeria and not about other countries and what their state and situation is. Why continously compare our state with that of others?? Is that a way to create an atmosphere where we feel we are ok since others are doing same?? How does that help the case of things in the country??

@Poster, I disagree. My point being that we have a culture that gravitates towards the bad and tends to glorify the bad but rarely focuses or gives the same airtime to the good that is happening. Majority of Nigerians who are in the corruption business were lured to it by the fact that they have been innundated from time with stories of how the thieves live large and comfortable and how the good and hardworking folks continue to suffer. These people get fed up and move to the dark side after years of watching the situation in the country continue to crumble while the rich keep getting richer.

Solution: Have Media take some of the focus off the corrupt and place it more on those who actually deserve to get airtime for the good work they do.

I agree with your assessment and I still conclude that this is the reason why they are inherently corrupt because of all you have mentioned. Maybe we are getting our definition of 'inherently' mixed up.

I do agree that the media could have more of a positive impact on the masses if they were allowed but would the government be for that? It seems that when some want to positive things in Nigeria they are always blocked somewhere by someone who wants their 'benefit' first.

oldie:

I am already part of the solution, by living in the system!
I do believe in education too. And in my own little way, I have been able to contribute to my profession, by educating the young graduates, to do it right, professionally and ethically.
It takes the efforts of all to make it work.
No abradacabra solution to these problems, definitely not your extremist option. I abhor violence.
I still believe we can make Nigeria work. I am convinced
Nigeria is not a hopeless case.
Or am I deluded?

Believe it or not I abhor violence too but at the same time I do genuinely believe that a such a radical extremist option is required given the current circumstances.

Well done for doing your part. If only there were more like you,

Kobojunkie:


Solution: Have Media take some of the focus off the corrupt and place it more on those who actually deserve to get airtime for the good work they do.

The media is part of the problem. They worship mediocrity and glorify corruption.
The media feeds fat from these corrupt people.
One of the solutions is to start talking about corruption in our country, the way we are doing now.

The process of minimising corruption is a long, tedious and frustrating one.
But let us start now!

oldie:

The media is part of the problem. They worship mediocrity and glorify corruption.
The media feeds fat from these corrupt people.
One of the solutions is to start talking about corruption in our country, the way we are doing now.

The process of minimising corruption is a long, tedious and frustrating one.
But let us start now!

I particularly picked out the Nigerian media cause we are more likely to see stories glorifying corruption in the media than we are stories of the victims and how the acts of the corrupt have affected them.

We continually see pictures of Nigerians dressed in flashy attire, spending millions on their birthday bashes and driving great cars more than we do stories of average Nigerians living on the streets cause some big boy decided to defraud the company he worked for or kicked him off his land and what not. Since the media has helped create the problem, I believe using the media in the process of solving the problem would be the reasonable way to go.

Yes, Corruption exists everywhere, even here in the united states but we have more programs glorifying people who worked hard to earn every cent they earned than we do of people who stole to gain fame. Look up the story of most American icons and you will see how the media here continually serves up stories on them, even the bad and the good, sometimes they tend to over do it. But my point is rags to riches stories are all the craze here. Not so many people want to climb the ladder by selling drugs or defrauding others as was the case in the past. More and more people want to work hard to make their money so they can boast about it. Even the rappers and people in the black community here will tell you that they want to make it big but not through crime and corrupt ways.