What can you say about corruption in Nigeria today? Is it reducing or increasing?

The truth about assessing corruption is that it is very SUBJECTIVE, unlike roads, stable power, railways,etc that can be SEEN and TOUCHED. Going by accounts in the media, one would think corruption is increasing. Unfortunately, the media is still reinforcing the age-long PERCEPTION of high level of corruption in the country.

But what are the sources/avenues of corruption in Nigeria?

In my opinion, the MAJOR sources/avenue of corruption in Nigeria, based on the structure of the budget, include:

* from the capital side
1 over-inflated contracts
2 poorly executed or abandoned projects

* from the recurrent expenditure side
1 ghost workers/pensioners
2 security votes
3 ambiguous budget sub-heads

There are other avenues(eg subsidies like fuel subsidy, fertilizer subsidy) but these are the ones that readily comes to mind.

Since we know the MAJOR avenues/sources for corruption we can attempt a slightly more OBJECTIVE assessment of whether corruption is increasing or decreasing in Nigeria by working from the KNOWN to the UNKNOWN

First lets assess if the level of over-inflated contracts is increasing or decreasing. If its increasing, it implies corruption is increasing and if its decreasing, it implies corruption is decreasing. In the last 2yrs, it is difficult not to have noticed the practice at the federal level of publishing the contract sums, name of contractor, location of project, project specification,etc of every project awarded for ALL to see and take notice, and complain of over-inflated contract where such is suspected. In the absence of such complaints from any quarter, it is safe to assume most of the projects awarded in the last 2yrs or so were REASONABLY costed. If that is the case, it is an INDICATOR of reducing corruption. Now the challenge is for such practice to trickle down to the states and local govt level.
http://peoplesdailyng.com/fec-approves-n47-8bn-for-13-road-contracts/
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/fed-govt-awards-n28b-contracts/

Next, lets assess the level of project execution in terms of quality and completion in the last few years. If the FG and states are churning out COMPLETED physical projects, of expected quality, it means the funds are indeed WORKING and not entrying private pockets. If the level is increasing, it implies corruption is reducing but if its decreasing (ie more projects are being abandoned or more projects are being poorly executed) it implies corruption is increasing.

For instance, if N20billion was budgeted to complete the Lagos-kano rail line, and when we SEE the Lagos-kano rail line has been completed, it means the N20billion did its WORK, and did not enter private pocket. Again, If N500million was meant to rehabilitate Enugu-Ph road, and we can SEE the work being done and later completed, it means the N500million did its WORK, and did not go into private pocket.

The massive, good QUALITY, projects being completed by federal and state govts nationwide is the MOST IMPORTANT testimony to REDUCTION in corruption in Nigeria.

On the recurrent side of the state and federal budgets, the menace of ghost workers is being tackled frontally. The federal govt for instance, through reforms in the civil service, have so far flushed out a total of 45,000 ghost workers who earned over N100billion had been uncovered from about 251 ministries, directorates and agencies. This singular reform has saved this country about N100billion (more than the annual budget of some states)
http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/thread-830385-1-1.html

Several states have also flushed out thousands of ghost workers in their payroll.

Sadly, on the issue of security votes, not much progress has been made besides isolated media reports(unconfirmed) that governor Rochas Okorocha reduced his security vote by about 70%. The challenge is to pressurise more public officers to give up their bogus security votes.

From all of the above, it is safe and FAIR to conclude that corruption is reducing in Nigeria.

However, this does not mean corruption has been eradicated. There are still several loopholes at particularly the state and local govt level, not exempting the federal govt. Bogus allowances, albeit lawful, should also be drastically reduced.

Therefore, the claim that corruption is increasing in Nigeria is dubious, baseless and fallacious. Corruption can only be increasing in the imagination of some opposition elements and compromised media organisations.

@Moderator, front page pls

It's either the OP wishes for Jonathan to be insulted or he wishes to insult sensible Nigerians....

Getting rid of corruption starts with Jonathan putting IBB, Obasano, Abubakar, Atiku, Patience jonathan, Anenih, Mainna, Alams, and many more on trial for corrupt practices. Anything else is lip service.

@ sincerenigerian what do you think about punishing people caught in the act of corruption?..I think that's the best way our people that corruption is been fought..
Good points raised though

malc619: It's either the OP wishes for Jonathan to be insulted or he wishes to insult me....

Learn to speak for yourself

Sincere 9gerian: I speak for the Aso-Rock ScumBag El-Retardeen!!!

Ok. Thank God for ya life....

malc619:


Ok. I am an ACN internet rat. I speak for ACN or the troubled Tinubu's APC....

Ok. No wahala

Corruption is a complex issue with a vast array of determinants. Based on the latest rating of gallup poll and transparency international, corruption seem to be on the increase especially political corruption and bureaucratic corruption.

Secondly, your post is only centred on the federal level leaving out the state and local government levels where corruption is also institutionalised.
Inflation of contracts and ambiguous overheads still prevails even at the federal level. Can you honestly say that the amount voted for capital expenditure is proportionate to the projects being executed? The performance on capital project for 2012 stood at 40%.

Lastly, the president's cavalier attitude towards the fight against corruption is discouraging especially, the latest "PARDONGATE" and him keeping cabinet members with allegations of financial impropriety hanging on their heads. The judiciary is corrupt with all the two-for-one-kobo and get-out-of-jail card convictions, we have a national assembly of corruption and the anti-graft agencies are toothless. In fact, corruption is the 37th state of the federation.

awodman: @ sincerenigerian what do you think about punishing people caught in the act of corruption?..I think that's the best way our people that corruption is been fought..
Good points raised though

Unfortunately, we have done badly in the aspect of prosecuting corrupt people and securing convictions. Our justice system is painfully slow. That has to change. It should be possible to arraign people for corruption and get judgement within 6months.

Nonetheless, our people have to understand the fact that corruption is not only fought by catching people and throwing them into prison. Prevention of corruption is also an important way of fighting corruption. Remember also that prevention is always better and most times cheaper than cure. It is better to prevent the money from being stolen than allowing the money to be stolen after which we now begin to chase after those who have stolen the money. More over, chasing after looters of the treasury does not come cheap.

It is really difficult to determine like me now i do not even know d name of d local government chairman in my area talkless of assessing deir works for all i care d LG does not exist dat means all d money from abuja each month is squandered by some pot belly people while on d state government most of dem are not transparent is it people who are on d street hustling will have time to exercise d FOI to get information while we only focus on d lagos state government most nairalanders do not know wat deir state governors are doin but can state d lagos budget off-hand wtf also at d federal government level d anti-graft agency are not independent deir fate rest on d presidency so if dey are not really doin deir job i tink its d presidency fault who claim to be fighting corruption but cannot prosecute oil subsidy thieves and implement ribadu's report also d numerous indicted officials in d presidency is another thing now back to d citizen mediocrity is d order of d day deir is no room 4 merit in d civil service and huge corruption in d private sector wat abt d educational sector where some lecturers make undesrerved money from d student for dem to pass wat abt unemployed graduate engaging in cyber crimes,kidnaping,armed robbery,etc wat abt people avoiding tax wat abt state and federal house of assembly making laws for deir own gain e.gDavid mark suppressing bill dat seeks to pay unemployed graduate wat abt religious leaders buying private jet while some church members are homeless while some are brainwashing deir followers into taking arms wat abt d judiciary givin a 23billion thief a fine of 750000naira fine, if i hav all time i can go on and on so d bottom line is nigeria's system is rotten and crippled by corruption and mediocrity aided by ethnic and religious warfare dis can only be solved by our collective effort and not by a messiah dats my advice to nigerians and not to keep waiting on God to come down and help us as we so believe.

Sincere 9gerian:
Unfortunately, we have done badly in the aspect of prosecuting corrupt people and securing convictions. Our justice system is painfully slow. That has to change. It should be possible to arraign people for corruption and get judgement within 6months.

Nonetheless, our people have to understand the fact that corruption is not only fought by catching people and throwing them into prison. Prevention of corruption is also an important way of fighting corruption. Remember also that prevention is always better and most times cheaper than cure. It is better to prevent the money from being stolen than allowing the money to be stolen after which we now begin to chase after those who have stolen the money. More over, chasing after looters of the treasury does not come cheap.

That brings me to this..I thought the president said something about reforming the criminal justice system.I don't know if anything meaningful has been carried out in that respect.If you know something about that can you help and share

The mother of all corruption took place under the watch of the scumbag.

When about 300billion was budgeted for an item and the govt ended up spending over 2trillion on thesame without any suplementary appropriation, what would you say about such a govt??

This govt is the worst there's ever been in terms of fight against corruption. Obj et al performed very poorly but GEJ's goes completely off the charts! That man is inately corrupt! It is either he is stealing or busy pampering known, suspected, and convicted crooks!

I think corruption is on the rise, it is a sad commentary to note that more often than not, probe panels setup to unravel cases of sleaze end up either compromised or discredited. The elumelu power probe;the farouk lawan petroleum subsidy probe, the pension scam brouhaha, to mention a few ended up in a stench of accusations. SMDH.

Declare state of emergency in the northern states and part of the SW (Aregbe Rascal's domain).

Stop all funding for pilgrimage and use the money for visible projects.

Jail Tinubu for his corrupt deals. 3 months after Tinubu is in jail, ensure orji kalu, odili, Atiku, joshua dariye, udenwa, gbenga daniel etc join him in prison.

Ask Ihejirika to declare red state of alert in all army formations.

Deploy the fighter jets to the SE (Enugu).

Secretly fund frigates and warships for the Niger Deltans.

Seize aboki's cow and haul it down to the South for basic consumption.


Everybody would chill

It has shot through the roof! In fact, it looks like corruption is now a native of Nigeria. We breathe it, loathe in it, and have no shame about it anymore. In the past two years, we have started to hear about multi-billions and trillions being stolen. It is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

Everybody living in Nigeria knows that it is seriously increasing.

What happened to farouk lawan and otedola's case?

What happened to the fuel subsidy cabals?

What happened Maina that was accussed of pension fraud?

What happened to Alamaisiegha?

Abeg i don tire jare....I can go on and on and on...

May God have mercy on us in this country and help us all...Amen

Without mincing words,corruption is on the rise,and even overbloated in Nigeria,this is not common to Nigeria alone sha,but most Africa countries,it has really retard our development.
The main issue now,most of the contract are overpriced,and over-inflated. To reduce corruption,I suggest there must be a monitoring team on contract issued,and those whose duty is to analyse the true cost of any project.

When the oil gradually begins to reduce corruption will likewise reduce.

ITS HIGH_CREASING

Getting worse.

Sincere 9gerian: @Moderator, front page pls

Which front page with ds mumu topic

Tusky44: Declare state of emergency in the northern states and part of the SW (Aregbe Rascal's domain).

Stop all funding for pilgrimage and use the money for visible projects.

Jail Tinubu for his corrupt deals. 3 months after Tinubu is in jail, ensure orji kalu, odili, Atiku, joshua dariye, udenwa, gbenga daniel etc join him in prison.

Ask Ihejirika to declare red state of alert in all army formations.

Deploy the fighter jets to the SE (Enugu).

Secretly fund frigates and warships for the Niger Deltans.

Seize aboki's cow and haul it down to the South for basic consumption.


Everybody would chill

This is serious!

Curruption is the only thing striving in nigeria now....the rate of thievery and impunity is unpresidented ... Even obj is scared.

most of u guys are corrupt as well.fornication, cheating in exam,petty thief etc. as long as nigerians are corrupt govt remain corrupt.

payless: Getting rid of corruption starts with Jonathan putting IBB, Obasano, Abubakar, Atiku, Patience jonathan, Anenih, Mainna, Alams, and many more on trial for corrupt practices. Anything else is lip service.

To be candid you are right on this one, but to be sincere here, if you are in Jonathan's shoes can you do exactly what you suggested above?

Tusky44: Declare state of emergency in the northern states and part of the SW (Aregbe Rascal's domain).

Stop all funding for pilgrimage and use the money for visible projects.

Jail Tinubu for his corrupt deals. 3 months after Tinubu is in jail, ensure orji kalu, odili, Atiku, joshua dariye, udenwa, gbenga daniel etc join him in prison.

Ask Ihejirika to declare red state of alert in all army formations.

Deploy the fighter jets to the SE (Enugu).

Secretly fund frigates and warships for the Niger Deltans.

Seize aboki's cow and haul it down to the South for basic consumption.


Everybody would chill

u need brain transplant.

I can't say maybe its increasing or decreasing. What I know is there has never been a convicted corruption case of recent (Yakubu of pension fund can't be said to be a convicted case), Rasheed Maina still one of the president trusted ally, convicted corrupt criminals have being pardon, nothing new no subsidy fraud. Overall, this administration is corruption friendly.

@ op, this is an eye-opener and a thought provoking thread but permit to say that in Nigeria of today, "corruption remains the single largest employer of labour"

It has drastically reduced...infact it has stopped finally...no more curruption in NIGERIA as far as i'm concernd.








No be the same NAIJA you and me dey,wey u cum dey ask dis kind question