Impact of corruption on democratic stability in Nigeria
Officially called the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Nigeria is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa” style=”color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single” href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa”>West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast in the south lies on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean. The three largest and most influential ethnic groups in Nigeria are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. In terms of religion Nigeria is roughly split half and half between Muslims and Christians with a very small minority who practice traditional religion. (Wikipedia)
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, the seventh most populous country in the world, and the most populous country in the world in which the majority of the population is black. It is listed among the “Next Eleven” economies, and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The economy of Nigeria is one of the fastest growing in the world, with the International Monetary Fund projecting a growth of 9% in 2008 and 8.3% in 2009.[7] [8] [9]The IMF further projects an 8% growth in the Nigerian economy in 2011. (Wikipedia)
Nigeria is a Federal Republic modeled after the United States, with executive power exercised by the president and with overtones of the Westminster System model in the composition and management of the upper and lower houses of the bicameral legislature. The current president of Nigeria is Good luck Jonathan, who succeeded Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to the office in 2010. The president presides as both Head of State and head of the national executive and is elected by popular vote to a maximum of two four-year terms. Like in many other African societies, prebendalism and extremely excessive corruption continue to constitute major challenges to Nigeria, as vote rigging and other means of coercion are practiced by all major parties in order to remain competitive. In 1983, it was adjudged by the policy institute at Kuru that only the 1959 and 1979 elections witnessed minimal rigging. (Wikipedia)
The Nigerian State is a victim of high-level corruption, bad governance, political instability and a cyclical legitimacy crisis. Consequently, national development is retarded, and the political environment uncertain. The country’s authoritarian leadership faced a legitimacy crisis, political intrigues, in an ethnically – differentiated polity, where ethnic competition for resources drove much of the pervasive corruption and profligacy. While the political gladiators constantly manipulated the people and the political processes to advance their own selfish agenda, the society remained pauperized, and the people wallowed in abject poverty. This invariably led to weak legitimacy, as the
Citizens lacked faith in their political leaders and by extension, the political system. Participation in government was low because citizens perceived it as irrelevant to their lives. In the absence of support from civil society, the effective power of government was eroded. Patron – client relationships took a prime role over the formal aspects of politics, such as the rule of law, well-functioning political parties, and a credible electoral system. In order to break this cycle and ensure good governance, accountability and transparency must be guaranteed. (Fagbadebo)
Fighting corruption needs to have the entire nations back to eradicate such behavior. One such person is Nuhu Ribadu who is the former head of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development. Nuhu recounts his term of four years at the EFCC in which he won more than 275 convictions and recovered some billion in stolen assets. Nuhu explains the circumstances that led Nigeria to create the EFCC, starting with the 1999 democratic elections, the first in 16 years. The new president, Olusegun Obasanjo, had campaigned on an anti-corruption platform. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks provided an additional push, heightening international awareness of the illicit financial flows that enable terrorist networks and political corruption alike. As a result, in late 2001 Nigeria found itself on an international blacklist of countries that enable money laundering, a list maintained by the independent Financial Action Task Force. It took nearly two years for Nigerian officials to realize they were on this black list and take action to get off of it. When they finally acted, they created the EFCC, a new office charged with cracking down on money laundering. (Mc Donald)
Nuhu lacked a budget, offices, and staff when he became the head of the EFCC. But through his tenacity, he built an institution that stood as a symbol of the capacity for good governance in Africa. By the time he left office, he oversaw a professional staff of 1,600, whom he praises as, “probably the best you could get in the world when it comes to issues of law enforcement.” His unit went after crooked politicians and criminals, often bringing them to justice on money laundering charges, much as FBI nabbed Al Capone on tax evasion. (McDonald)
References:
Fagbadebo, Omololu. Corruption, Governance and Political Instability in Nigeria. Obafemi Awolowo University. Retrieved on 22 June, 2011 from http://www.academicjournals.org/ajpsir/pdf/Pdf2007/Nov/Fagbadebo.pdf
Mc Donald, Lawrence. Fighting Corruption in Nigeria: Nuhu Ribadu. Global Prosperity Wonkcast. 19 April, 2010. Retrieved 22 June, 2011 from http://blogs.cgdev.org/global_prosperity_wonkcast/2010/04/19/fighting-corruption-in-nigeria-nuhu-ribadu/
Nigeria. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 22 June, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria
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