Combating Corruption in Nigeria: (a Case Study of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The aim of the research is to appraise Nigeria’s anti-corruption crusade with special focus on the EFCC
- Identify the inherent nature of corruption in Nigerian since independence.
- Assess the effect of corruption on Nigeria’s development.
- Appraise the activities of the EFCC.
- To ascertain if the EFCC has succeeded or failed in its quest to wipe out corruption in Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
THE MEANING AND NATURE OF CORRUPTION
The word ‘corruption’ does not lend itself to a precise definition as Margaret Peil (1976:49) has noted “defining corruption precisely is at least as difficult as determining its effects.
Different writers and commentators on corruption have therefore given divergent, but in most cases similar complementary defining of the concept.
Perhaps, because corruption has received an extensive attention in communities and also due to the fact that it has been greatly discussed in academic circles, corruption has received varied or various definitions.
Tanzi (1998:6) in his definition said that “corruption is not a new phenomenon; it is simply the abuse of public power benefits”.
This definition is used by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, now World Bank.
Otite (1986:12) sees corruption as the perversion of integrity or state of affairs through bribery, favoritism moral depravity.
In another vein, corruption can also be the use of public power for private profit, prestige or for the benefit of a group in such a way that constitutes a breach of law or a standard of high moral conduct, violation of public duty or departure from high moral standards in exchange (or in anticipation of) personal, pecuniary gain, power or prestige.
Corruption is a multidimensional concept that has moral, ethical, religious and legal connotations.
Corruption has been defined by Doherty and Gilman (1978:20) as the process of seeking sordid advantage with little regard for moral and legal bars.
Obasanjo (1994:24) defined corruption as the misuse of public power for private and personal benefit.
Transparency International defined corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.
It is also efforts to secure wealth or power through illegal means for private gain at the expense of the public.
Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 7th edition, defines corruption as illegal or dishonest behaviours especially of people in authority.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH DESIGN
The survey research design method will be used to carry out this study.
It will help to obtain information about variables and it will afford the researchers the opportunity to obtain general assessment of options, attitudes or feelings of respondents about a particular problem.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The method to be employed by the researcher will be helpful in extracting the necessary information for the study
Sources of information shall consist of
- Primary source of information which will consist of information gathered from questions answered by the respondents were administered by with questionnaire to give responses in relation to the research topic.
- The secondary source however will extract relevant information gathered in various available literature materials that are closely related to the topic of research. The relevant information will be extracted from journals, textbooks, newspapers and relevant speech papers that effectively discuss related issues to the combating of corruption in Nigeria especially as spear headed by the economic and financial crimes commission in Nigeria.
- Other sources of information shall be based on the researcher’s personal knowledge and information accumulated over the years.
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
The questionnaire is designed, such that it consisted of well-structured questions.
However, the respondents were given the freedom of responding well to the questions without the undue influence of anybody including the researcher.
They supplied the answers by themselves and made it possible for the simple random sampling method to work as respondents all had equal chance of being selected.
The questioner consists of close ended and open ended questions.
The close ended questions gives the respondents the opportunity to select from list of options such as ‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘Not absolutely’, ‘Not sure’, etc.
The questionnaire is divided into two different sections namely:
Section one: Which consists of the knowledge, Idea, and attitude of the respondents towards corruption and combating of its effects in Nigeria by the economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC)
Section two: Which consists the Socio-economic and Demographic characteristic of the respondents.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population of this study will be drawn from amongst students in the following five (5) facilities social science, Arts, Law, Agriculture, Engineering, of the University of Benin, Ugbowo Campus.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS OF POPULAR PERCEPTION OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA
This chapter deal with the presentation and analysis of data gathered in the course of the work.
The analysis is based on the responses to the questions contained in the questionnaire and were used to validate or invalidate the hypothesis formulated.
It was derived from ninety-nine (99) questionnaire returned out of the one hundred (100) administered.
This shows the age distribution of the respondents.
The above data shows that most of the respondents are in the 18-28 group with 89 respondents, representing 90%.
Those within age group 29-39 were 8, representing 8% of total above age group which were just 2 in number, representing 2% of the total respondents. This shows that the environment within which this research was carried out was occupied by those 18-28 age –group.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The following findings were the results of data analyzed
- The level of corruption being witnessed to lay in Nigeria can be linked to bad governance and corrupt public officials. Therefore hypothesis one was validated: that the corruption level today can be linked to bad governance and corrupt individuals. In fact there is a relationship between the corruption level and bad governance.
- That the Nigerian government by sincerely devoting its resources and powers can truly fight corruption. In short hypothesis two proves that the Nigerian government has the political will to fight corruption.
- The third hypothesis has also been validated that the economic and financial crimes commission is capable of fighting the anti-graft plague currently ravaging the nation-of course back by adequate law. And speedy trial of suspects.
CONCLUSION
Consequent on our findings, we can draw the following conclusion.
The corruption level has really gone up and we have found out that a relationship truly exists between the corruption level and bad governance as exhibited by our public officials who have been very brazen in their quest at acquiring ill-gotten wealth even at the expense of a down trodden society like we have in Nigeria. We have several glaring examples of these public officials, but it seems that politician have been the ones in the for front down to their position. Which give them the access to the nation’s goldmine into which the 4 dop their hands at will.
hat the corruption level can be traced to bad leadership could not have truer in the case of the first speaker of the house of representatives under the 4th republic, Mr. Salish Ahmed Buhari (Abia 2006:466).
To think that the number four citizen could lie about his education from the secondary score level to the tertiary level and claim to be leading others in making laws for 150 million people is unbelievable – he even lied about his age. (the news July 11, 1999).
It has also been found out that the government has the political will to fight corruption. (daily sun 2009:14).
This fact is not far fetched as we can see from cases of former governors, and other high rankers in the Obasanjo era (www.efccng.org).
We have also noted the input of the economic and financial crimes commission as the central figure in the anti-graft war.
This is evident by their dogged determination to investigate, and arrest those found to have abused their office
They currently have many cases in the law courts (www.efccng.org).
RECOMMENDATION
Combating corruption in Nigeria has not been an easy job, but that does not mean that it is a task that cannot be done if there is sincerity of motives, the right people for the job and of course and of course appropriate legislation to back the anti-graft agency.
It is on this bases that the following recommendations were made.
The government:
- The government must as a matter of urgency make sure that the EFCC is backed up in their fight against corruption. More enabling laws have to be made, the defece lawyers will not use such loop roles to delay, and even in some cases deny justice.
- The EFCC should try as much as possible not to be seletvie in discharging t heir duties, no qualms should be had as long as objectivity is the order of the day.
- The judiciary should also help by speeding up trials, and sould in most cases remand suspects in a stead of asking for huge sureties and g ranting bails in ridiculous sum-lessu privileged citizens don’t seem to enjoy such luxuries .
- The EFCC should stretch their dragnet to other sectors, and not only channel their energies at government functionaries alone citizens.
The citizens also have their own role to play in the anti-corruption fight.
- It is not for the government to fight alone, because it is the greater number that really suffers.
- Private citizens should be alert, and report their counter parts and superiors when they notice graft in their workplaces.
- They can also reject bribes (especially public officials) from prospective government clients (Constractors, etc) and should report such cases forthwith
- Public officials have been admonished not to take what does not belong to them, but to be antent with their pay (Luke 3:14)
- With all there recommendations put in place, it is very possible that the anti-graft war by the EFCC will succeed.
REFERENCES
- Abia V. B. E. (2006) understanding Nigerian Government and Politics, Gofaflesh Publications Ltd, Maryland, Lagos.
- Daily Sun (2009), October 28 page 14 Holy Bible, Gideon’s international
- The New, July 11 1999, the face of a liar www.efccng.or.
- Abia V. B. E. (2006) understanding Nigerian Government and Politics, Gofaflesh Publications Ltd, Maryland, Lagos.
- Aboa, B.E Victor. Understanding Nigerian Government and Politics, Gofaflesh Publications Ltd, Marycano Lagos, 2006 Pages 245, 249, 254.
- Adesua, S, “Corruption, it is neurosis that may kill the nation” Sunday Sketch, October 11, 1987, Page 8 and 9, 1987.
- Daily Sun (2009), October 28 page 14
- Dike, V. E. (2003), Corruption in Nigeria. A New Paradigm for Effective Control. On line Publication Tuesday, November 182003. www.africaeconomicanlaysis.org.
- Doherty K. M. and Gillman E. W: The Merriam Webster thesaurus, New York: Porket Books, 1978
