Nigeria Vs. Corruption, Who Wins?
By Okosun Osemudiamen B.ENG

Corruption, as defined by Transparency International “, is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain”. Corruption can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the amounts of money lost and the sector where it occurs.

Grand corruption consists of acts committed at a high level of government that distort policies or the central functioning of the state, enabling leaders to benefit at the expense of the public good.

Petty corruption refers to everyday abuse of entrusted power by low- and mid-level public officials in their interactions with ordinary citizens, who often are trying to access basic goods or services in places like hospitals, schools, police departments and other agencies.
Political corruption is a manipulation of policies, institutions and rules of procedure in the allocation of resources and financing by political decision makers, who abuse their position to sustain their power, status and wealth.

THE COSTS OF CORRUPTION

The costs of corruption are not far fetched,it is visible in our lives,
Corruption impacts societies in a multitude of ways. In the worst cases, it costs lives. Short of this, it costs people their freedom, health or money. The cost of corruption can be divided into four main categories: political, economic, social and environmental.

On the political front, corruption is a major obstacle to democracy and the rule of law. In a democratic system, offices and institutions lose their legitimacy when they’re misused for private advantage. This is harmful in established democracies, but even more so in newly emerging ones like Nigeria. It is extremely challenging to develop accountable political leadership in a corrupt climate.

Economically, corruption depletes national wealth. Corrupt politicians invest scarce public resources in projects that will line their pockets rather than benefit communities and prioritise high-profile projects such as dams, power plants, pipelines and refineries over less spectacular but more urgent infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals and roads. Corruption also hinders the development of fair market structures and distorts competition, which in turn deters investment.
Corruption corrodes the social fabric of society. It undermines people’s trust in the political system, in its institutions and its leadership. A distrustful or apathetic public can then become yet another hurdle to challenging corruption.

Environmental degradation is another consequence of corrupt systems. The lack of, or non-enforcement of, environmental regulations and legislation mean that precious natural resources are carelessly exploited, and entire ecological systems are ravaged. From mining to logging, to carbon offsets, companies across the globe continue to pay bribes in return for unrestricted destruction.

NIGERIA VERSUS CORRUPTION WHO WINS?
Corruption has been the major scourge of our democracy since 1999,Government at various levels across party lines have been involved in one corruption scandal or the other,to this point of writing on the subject matter,most of the high-profile cases has not been resolved,the politicians have over the years hijacked good programmes introduced by successive government like poverty alleviation programme,Sure.P,scholarships etc.Slots meant for the people are given to political friends and associates.There has been high-level fraud in the oil subsidy regime,ill-fated immigration recruitment exercise,privatisation of government-owned institutions.

Corruption in Nigeria cannot be attributed only to the political class,it is very present in our public institutions,government parastatals and ministries,common examples of corrupt practices are..before you can get good service in public offices you are compelled to offer a bribe to the officers there.In our schools the brilliant ones get victimised when the refused to block(same as “sorting” commonly used among university students) their lecturers then they get unjust carryovers.In the examination halls, candidates are mandated to pay cooperation fee(a fee which is like an insurance package for examination malpractice).During job requirement, persons are favoured either by the money they paid to get the jobs or the man-to-man syndrome.In sports talents are overlooked for placement into our national teams and persons who are recommended by Godfathers are considered.In our hospitals, the little quantity of drugs and equipment provided by the government and donors are diverted by medical personnel to their own private hospitals and clinics.

TO WIN CORRUPTION
These three guiding principles which are: build partnerships, proceed step-by-step and stay non-confrontational should be followed.I have learned from experience that corruption can only be kept in check if representatives from government, business and civil society work together to develop standards and procedures they all support. We also know that corruption can’t be rooted out in one big sweep. Rather, fighting it is a step-by-step, project-by-project process. Our non-confrontational approach is necessary to get all relevant parties around the negotiating table.
In conclusion,Transparency is very vital to winning corruption.Transparency is about shedding light on rules, plans, processes and actions. It is knowing why, how, what, and how much. Transparency ensures that public officials, civil servants, managers, board members and businesspeople act visibly and understandably, and report on their activities. And it means that the general public can hold them to account. It is the surest way of guarding against corruption, and helps increase trust in the people and institutions on which our futures depend.
To be continued.

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