1. BEING TEXT OF LECTURE DELIVERED
BY
ONIKE RAHAMAN
DURING A SEMINAR ORGANISED BY GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE AGENDA FOR YOUTHS IN IBARAPA LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON
THURSDAY, 15TH MAY, 2014
THEME: BUILDING A CORRUPTION FREE SOCIETY
INTRODUCTION
Corruption is one of the serious challenges confronting Nigeria as at
today. It has permeated every stratum of the society. With its current
prevalent rate, the Country’s image abroad is seriously smeared. Every
Nigerian by the prevailing culture of corruption has the tendency to be
corrupt. Also, the nation’s foreign direct investment is obviously affected
by our stigmatization as a corrupt nation. Nigeria with her abundant
resources still faces problem of youth unemployment, high poverty rate,
mass illiteracy and security challenges due to problem of corruption.

2. Even with the recent rebasing of the Country’s Gross Domestic product
(GDP) which has catapulted Nigeria to the new status of the biggest
economy in Africa, the corruption stigmatization is likely to make it an
illusion for Nigeria to achieve the growth rates which are associated with
robust GDP. Ironically, the Nigeria’s sudden emergence as the biggest
economy in Africa is a direct contradiction to the recent pronouncement
by the World Bank few days before the figure of the rebased GDP was
made public to be one of the extremely poor nations in the world.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The word corruption can be defined with flexibility using sociological,
psychological and philosophical dimensions. A lot of scholars have
variously defined the concept of corruption with ethical touch and from
legal prospective.
Corruption involves offer and acceptance of bribe or other forms of
gratification. When anything is offered to induce or influence another
person’s decision, choices and action such thing fits to be described as
corruption.

3. Corruption is also any act, conduct or behaviour capable of enriching the doer
at the expense of the society or government. Given its wider implications,
corrupt practices are observable in both private and public spheres of life.
From religious perspective, both Islam and Christianity abhor corruption.
When the concept of corruption is examined from psychological perspective,
it is regarded as unethical behaviour.
Bribery is also said to be an act of corruption. The elements that must be
observed or present to make an action to be considered as act of bribery are:
intent to influence the other; the offer should be something capable to alter
or induce the receiver of either gift, money or any valuable with an
expectation to a reward in return for the offer. Nigeria has a lot of legal
control and instruments which clearly listed acts and offences that constitute
corruption, the punishment for each act of corruption, the enforcement
procedure and prosecution guidelines. The ICPS Act, EFCC Act, Criminal
code/penal code among other extant regulations are in force to checkmate
corrupt practices in Nigeria.

4. Corruption is also described as prohibitive acts whose violation attracts
sanctions. In addition, corruption is believed to be an act of indiscipline
and the culpability of the doer depends on the nature and the form it
takes. In some social contexts, corruption is destructive and it is
becoming a perennial social problem in Nigeria. In my own way, I define
corruption as any unethical and condemnable act from social context,
religious perspective and legal standpoint.
CLASSIFICATION OF CORRUPTION
The classification of corruption depends on the nature, characteristics
and manifestation of the various behaviours and conducts constituting
the act. For the purpose of this presentation, I classify corruption into
four as analysed below:
i. Academic Corruption:- This relates to the various corrupt
practices that usually occurred in educational institutions or within the
school system. For ease of reference, academic corruption includes
sexual harassment by the lectures, examination malpractice, falsification
of results, perjury of age declaration, impersonation, leaking of
examination questions to students before the day of exam, admission
racketeering etc.

5. ii. Economic and Financial Corruption:- This relates to offer and
acceptance of either monetary or asset values to induce the receiver.
Indeed, the law stipulates that both the giver and the receiver are liable
under the law. Specifically, economic / financial related acts of corruption
include capital flight, money laundry, contract inflation, misappropriation,
mismanagement of fund, outright stealing of public fund, violation of
principle of due process in the award of contract by public office holders.
iii. Political related corruption:- There are political acts, behaviours
and conducts that are unethical and in this category are election rigging,
stuffing of ballot boxes during election, voters’ inducement, stealing of
ballot papers, falsification of election results etc. By extension, acts of
political corruption include favouritism, nepotism, imposition of candidates
etc.
iv. Judicial and law enforcement related corruption: While
acknowledging the role of judiciary as the last hope of the common man,
there are areas where the judiciary are involved in acts of corruption.

6. Without missing words, delay in giving judgement, wrong judgement of
cases, wilful and arbitrary grant of orders, leave and injunctions are some of
the examples of judicial corruption. Worse still, the law enforcement
Agencies most especially custom and police are guilty and liable of aiding
and abetting crimes and criminals and many of the officers live on bribe.
SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF CORRUPTION
The problem requires a holistic approach and the following ideas are put
forward as a panacea towards making Nigeria to be a corruption free
society:
i. Curriculum Related Solution: Curriculum deals with programmes of
instruction, programmes of activity and programmes of guidance under the
school supervision. The war against corruption needs to be incorporated and
needs to be part of school programme of instruction, activity and guidance.
In essence, the Nigeria’s educational institutions are to include issues
relating to corruption in the curriculum of studies particularly in civics, social
studies, citizenship education etc.

7. ii. Media Enlightment: With the trends in digital cum information and
communication technology, the media has a lot of roles to play in inculcating
the right norms and values unto the citizens. For more clarity, print media,
electronic media, social media and new media are all relevant and potent
tools in waging war against corruption. In this respect, youths as agents of
social change are expected to deploy the opportunities provided by social
media and new media in waging war against the menace of corruption.
iii. Home and Family Responsibility: The first teachers are the parents.
In broad terms, families help the children a lot in the area of character
formation and in shaping child’s personality. The cherished societal values
are obviously imbibed from home. Hence, the need for the parents to teach
the children ethical conducts to achieve the end of making Nigeria a
corruption free society.
iv. Strengthening the institution of judiciary : The judiciary remains a
major instrument to rid the nation of corruption. To achieve the desire of
building a corruption free nation, the extant laws are to be made functional
and obsolete ones be repealed or reviewed. Also, the judiciary and other law
enforcement agencies are to be purged of corrupt officers/personnel before
contemplating on winning the war against corruption.

8. v. Value re-orientation of the youths and public servants: Apparently,
wrong value orientation is one of the causes of prevalence of corruption in
Nigeria. Except there is value re-orientation against quick rich syndrome,
individualism, greed and selfishness, it may be difficult to win the war
against corruption. Of course, we must all change our attitude, perception
and orientation to life to successfully combat corruption.
vii. Ethical teachings by the religious institutions: While appreciating
the various areas our churches and mosques contribute to the menace of
corruption when one looks at the activities of fake pastors, soothsayers and
dubious Imams /Alfas, these religious institutions still owe the society the
responsibility of teaching morals. The war against corruption cannot succeed
except it is fought from various places of worship including shrines.
v. Leadership by example: Every one of us is a potential leader. And
when anyone is opportune to get to leadership position, there should be
urge to lead by example. It is my candid opinion that war to free Nigeria of
corruption stigma requires attitudinal change on the part of both the leaders
and followers. The slogan- leadership by example –should be popularised
such that no one is allowed to act as if he/she is above the law or create an
impression that some people are immune against the extant legal provisions
on corruption and other related offences.

9. vi. Volunteering works/activities: The Non-Governmental bodies and
volunteers also have responsibilities in the war against corruption. Through
volunteering activities, constant seminars, conferences, workshops and
campaign may be organised for the youth in an efforts to address the
problem of corruption in the society.