This study, “A STUDY OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA FROM 1999 TO 2011” contains concise information that will serve as a framework or guide for your project work. The project study is well-researched for academic purposes and are usually provided in complete chapters with adequate References. Keywords: A STUDY OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA FROM 1999 TO 2011
The term ‘first republic’ in Nigeria was the period when Nigeria became a republic after independence from Great Britain in 1960. The era lasted from 1963 to 1966 because of the military intervention in the governance of the country which brought the first republic to an abrupt end (Akanade and Akanade (2011). The first republic was characterized by ethnicity, nepotism and an unprecedented level of corruption. According to Ogbeidi (2012) “the First Republic under the leadership of Sir Abubakar Tafawl Balewa, the Prime Minister, and Nnamdi Azikwe, the President, was marked by widespread corruption. Government officials looted public funds with impunity. Federal Representatives and Ministers flaunted their wealth with reckless abandon. In fact, it appeared there were no men of good character in the political leadership of the First Republic. Politically, the thinking of the First Republic Nigerian leadership class was based on politics for material gain; making money and living well.” Due to the level of corruption and other reasons best known to the military, it then toppled the government of Sir Abubarka Balewa. The installation of civilian government in 1979 by the military paved way for the second republic in Nigeria. The second republic lasted for only four years because the military accused the politicians of a high level of corruption. Many prominent politicians were jailed for financial corruption by the military junta. The third republic in Nigeria did not last because it was derailed and truncated by the General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration. The fourth republic commenced with the handover of power by the military administration to a democratic elected civilian government on May 29, 1999. The return of democratic governance was greeted with widespread jubilation. However, eleven years of uninterrupted democracy, the country has witnessed a resurgence of corruption which has undermined national development in Nigeria. The worrisome trend in the magnitude of financial corruption by politicians prompted the Obasanjo’s government to introduce two anti-corruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). Taking into cognizance of the history of corruption in Nigeria since independence, the Obasanjo led-federal government introduced two special anti-corruption agencies to checkmate the devastating effect of corruption in the Nigerian economy (Ogbeidi 2012). Ogundiya (2012) asserts that corruption is so rampant in the fourth republic that in every newspaper front page cover always carries news about financial corruption by politicians. It is argued that corruption is the bane to Nigerian development and it retard economic growth. It remains an insurmountable problem (Ayobulu, 2006). It is an impediment to Nigeria economic and political progress (Sachs, 2005). “It is a canker worm that has eaten deep in the fabric of the country and had stunted growth in all sectors” (Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), 2005). It has been the primary reason behind the country’s underdevelopment (Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), 2006). Smith (2007) posits that in all the challenges Nigeria is passing through, corruption remains the main obstacle to Nigerian development that has increased poverty and inequality. Subscribing to this notion, renowned novelist, Chinua Achebe in his epic book, ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’ emphasized that the trouble with the country called Nigeria is that political leaders use the instrument of power to commit and maintain corruption (Achebe 1983, cited by Awojobi 2014).
Certainly, corruption is neither culture specific nor system bound. It is ubiquitous. However, the severity and its devastating impact vary from one system to the other. The impact is undoubtedly more severe and devastating in the developing world with weak economic base, fragile political institutions and inadequate control mechanisms. Nigeria today is at a critical stage since independence. The country faces a severe crisis in its economic, social and political development that is not unconnected to the problem of pandemic corruption. The manifestations of the crises are clear, the remedies much less so. Therefore, for a country awakening to democracy after long years of military authoritarianism, endemic corruption and stupendous wastage pose greater challenges. Since 1999 when the country returned to civil rule, there is no doubt that corruption has been the bane of democratic stability and survival. News about corruption is no longer stunning. This vindicates consistent rating of Nigeria by Transparency International (TI), the global watchdog on corruption, as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. All anticorruption strategies by the various successive governments have had trifling impacts. The pathological effects of corruption are democratic instability, low level of governmental legitimacy, voracious poverty, infrastructural decay, electoral crisis, contract killing, political assassination, insecurity and generally, developmental problems- have been very devastating. Regrettably, those who claim to be the right physicians, as the previous and current revelations have shown, have come out as patients.
The main aim of this study is to study political corruption in Nigeria since 1999 to 2011 i.e. since the beginning of the forth republic, however specifically the study intends to:
The following research question was formulated from the objective to guide this research.
Keywords: A STUDY OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA FROM 1999 TO 2011
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