ABSTRACT
Corruption
has been an accepted cancerous disease that overtime has eaten deep into the
soil of Nigeria. Corruption practices are not longer hidden, as it takes place
in the schools, workplaces, worship centres and the family. Integrity has been
gradually sacrificed for mundane things. Even the status of the country has
been trampled under foot because it has lost both national and international
honor as a result of her records in corrupt practices. Several corruption
ranking organizations have ranked Nigeria high in terms of corruption. The
effect of this is the national dishonor it bestows on the country and her
citizens. However, governmental administrations in one way or the other has
tried to combat this menace by instituting policies and carrying out
anti-corruption crusades. It is based on this implemented anti-corruption
crusades that this study is hinged. This study aims to assess the
anti-corruption crusade by the former administration led by president, Goodluck
Jonathan and the Current administration led by Muhammadu Buhari. Our focus is
not to take sides with any administration but to bring to bare their reactions
to corruption in Nigeria. The study is expository and it is undertaken to
provide enough insight into the anti-corruption crusade carried out by these
administrations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.4 Significance of the Study
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Scope and Limitation
1.7 Organization of the Study
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED AND RELATED
LITERATURE
2.1 Background to Anti-Corruption Crusade
2.2 Theoretical Considerations:
2.2.1Corruption and its Dynamics
2.3 Anti- Corruption: ICPC and EFCC
2.4 EFCC and Anti-Corruption
2.5 Laws on
Corruption
CHAPTER THREE
ANTI-CORRUPTION UNDER GOODLUCK JONATHAN
ADMINISTRATION
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Areas of Corruption fight
3.2.1Freedom
of Information Act
3.2.2Pension
Reforms
3.2.3Fertilizer
Management Reforms
3.2.4Power
Sector Reforms
3.2.5Electoral
Reforms
CHAPTER FOUR
ANTI-CORRUPTION UNDER MUHAMMADU BUHARI
ADMINISTRATION
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Arsenal
4.3 Appraisal of
Status or Victories of Anti-corruption War
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendation
REFERENCES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
Corruption
has destroyed the basic concept of the Rule of Law in Nigeria. In Nigeria the
law has lost much of its operational force as people breach the law with
impunity. The concept of the Rule of law is fast becoming a mantra in the
Country as many people are fast losing their fear of the law. The law regulates
the conduct of affairs in a nation; it spells out the rights and duties of the
citizens. It also defines the way of doing things20. Appropriately, the law can
be said to be the oil that ensures the smooth running of the engine of every
nation. Where there is no respect for the law, there will be chaos and anarchy
The effects of corruption have debilitating impact on the economy of Nigeria
which in turn has a negative effect on the well-being of her citizens. The
country has continued to grapple with the problem of balance of payments, weak
and decaying infrastructure, bad and inconsistent political and economic
policies which renders the Country unattractive to both foreign and local
Investors. The return of the Country to democratic governance in 1999 ushered
in hope that the economic decline of the Country would be halted but since
then, many Multinational Corporations have had to close shop in Nigeria and
relocate their investments to other Countries that have clement investment
environment. Many other companies that remained in the Country have resorted to
mass job cuts and raise in prices of their products and services to remain
afloat. The result of this is high rise in unemployment which in turn promotes
restiveness and rise in criminality. According to the National Bureau of
Statistics, 42.24 percent of Youths in Nigeria were unemployed as at the First
Quarter of 2016 23. This percentage represents close to half the Youth
population in the Country. This level of unemployment portends grave danger to
the security of the nation as no nation can long endure and prosper which
wastes the talents of so many of their citizens more especially the Youths
Usman24 stated and rightly so, that no economic growth or political stability
is possible in Nigeria unless this cancer of corruption is tackled and largely
overcomed. On her part, Dachung lamented that corruption is Nigeria’s “prime
economic malady”25 Quoting Essien, she stated: Corruption is the biggest and
the fastest growing industry in Nigeria. While petroleum is the largest revenue
earner (accounting for between 90-95% of National wealth), corruption is the
largest consumer of revenue. Unfortunately, its consumption is into the
accounts of a few individuals and corporate persons while the nation wallops
(sic) in abject poverty, hunger, disease and debt…. Corruption should be
attacked with the same velocity with which HIV/AIDS has been tackled26 From a
historical perspective, the problem of corruption is not a new phenomenon in
Nigeria. Before the amalgamation of 1914, Nigeria did not exist as a country.
It evolved from the different Empires, Kingdoms and Chiefdoms which existed
before the advent of colonialism. Many of these Empires and Kingdoms grappled
with the problem of corruption notably amongst their Rulers and Nobles. Some of
these Rulers and Nobles were accused of using the public treasury to finance
opulent and ostentatious lifestyles. It was not only the Rulers and Nobles that
stained themselves with corruption. The rich and powerful people also used
their wealth to pervert the cause of justice28. The vibrancy of the Jihad
movement which Shehu Usman Dan Fodio led in 1806 had one of its anchors in the
problem of corruption in the society.
In
pre-independent Nigeria, at one time or the other, some of the founding fathers
of the nation found themselves at the receiving end on allegation of
corruption. Some of them were either indicted or convicted of misappropriation
of public funds or for improper conduct resulting from their management of
public funds30. Since independence in 1960, successive military
interventionists in Nigeria have often sought legitimacy by claiming that the
previous regime was corrupt and that their intervention was to rid the Country
of the cancer of corruption. Regrettably however, all the military
interventions in Nigeria failed to cure the Country of the problem of
corruption. Rather, many of such interventionists leave the Country more
corrupt than they met it. Lamentably also, the democratic regimes in Nigeria
which symbolized the will of the people, perpetrated corruption on a large
scale that brought untold hardships on the same people they represented.
In
the 2016 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index in which 168
countries of the world were assessed, Nigeria was ranked 136 with a score of 26
out of a possible 100 thereby falling among the class of highly corrupt
countries of the world. This unenviable position surely rubs on the country a
pariah status and is a reproach to her citizens. All over the world, Nigerians
are stigmatized and treated with odium and opprobrium. Thus, across the globe,
even honest and hardworking Nigerians are hardly trusted. Nigeria however has a
long history of legislating against corruption which predates the Country’s
independence in 1960. The domestic provisions against corruption may be found
in the Criminal Code, 33 Penal Code34 and some specialized or dedicated
Statutes such as the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, 35
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004, 36
Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, 37 Public Procurement
Act38 , Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended)39 and the1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) as amended amongst
others. Soon after his inauguration as President on May 29, 1999, Olusegun
Obasanjo identified corruption as a monster that must be fought to a standstill
in Nigeria. He made Anti-Corruption crusade a fundamental policy of his
administration. In furtherance of this objective, the administration presented
the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Bill to the National Assembly
which was passed into law40 . The regime also established the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)41 . Soon after its establishment, the EFCC
effected the arrest of known fraudsters many of whom had hitherto assumed a
larger than life status. In view of the personalities arrested, a source in the
EFCC was quoted to have said that the Commission does not care about the status
or pedigree of suspects and that once a person is found to be culpable, such
person will be treated according to the law. Also, in March, 2005, the EFCC
arrested some high ranking members of the Executive Arm of Government and the
National Assembly for their involvement in a 50 million Naira bribe for budget
scandal. Irked by the personalities involved in the bribe for budget scandal,
President Obasanjo said he would not hesitate to take on more prominent
Nigerians in his war against corruption. He acknowledged that corruption was
endemic in the developing countries particularly Nigeria and vowed to step on
more toes.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
Corrupt
practices have always existed in Nigeria but became obvious in the second
republic between 1979 and 1983 under the Former President Shehu Shagari’s
administration ( Inamete, 2001; Ogbeidi,2012). This led to the coup d’état by
the Major General Mohammad Buhari government in 1983. During General Buhari’s
regime, the government fought corruption in all ramifications with Major
General Babatunde Idiagbon at the war front. Nigerians were given
re-orientation which changed their perceptions that eradicated lateness to
offices in ministries, departments and agencies, reduced the level of bribery,
fraud and embezzlement of public funds. The government arrested and detained
many corrupt politicians. The convicted drug peddlers were publicly executed.
Mobile courts were established to instantly try offenders and the convicted
were either fined or sentenced to jail term where necessary. Huge success was
recorded and sanity returned to the affairs of the nation. However, Nigerians
were deeply dissatisfied with Buhari’s restrictive governance which led General
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) to oust the government in August 27, 1985
(Adediji, 2013; Ekundayo, Obasaju, Lawal, & Ise, 2013).Gen. IBB lessened
the governmental control of the press and released a number of political
detainees from the former government. During the IBB regime, corruption was
celebrated and it grew in an unprecedented manner (Inamete, 2001).Other regimes
attempted to fight corruption but without the desired result. In Nigeria
between 2001 and 2016, various corruption indications were exposed ranging from
outright embezzlements, election malpractices, budget padding, and money
laundering cases to stealing of government properties. In Nigeria every one
condemns corruption yet most public servants and key political office holders
have contributed to further its course (Aiyede, 2016; Bello & Ahmad, 2017).
This study is therefore undertaken to assess the anti-corruption crusade by two
recent administrations, the Goodluck Jonathan-Led administration and the
Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration.
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
In
order to create a direction to the study’s path, the following specific objectives
are raised:
a. To determine
the impact of Anti-corruption crusade on corruption level in Nigeria.
b. To
assess the effectiveness of Jonathan-led anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria.
c. To
assess the effectiveness of Buhari-led anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria.
1.4 Significance
of the Study
The
need for evaluation is steam from the understanding that for any task to
fulfill its objective, then it must constantly be reviewed, assessed,
controlled and redo. This is also the case which this study attempts to submit.
The study serves as a weigh scale to enhance the understanding of the forgetful
populace of the anti-corruption fights by governments by presenting their
victories and their woes in form of a constructive assessment.
Also,
the study is an addition to several literatures on corruption and furthermore,
it will serve as a research reference for further studies
1.5 Research
Questions
The
study attempts to provide sufficient answers to the following research
questions:
a. What
is the impact of anti-corruption crusade on corruption level in Nigeria?
b. Was
the Goodluck Jonathan-led anti-corruption crusade effective?
c. Was
the Muhammadu Buhari-led Anti-corruption crusade effective?
d. What
are the challenges hindering the effectiveness of Anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria?
1.6 Scope
and Limitation
The
study examined the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria but was restricted to two
recent administrations, the Goodluck Jonathan Led Administration and the
Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. The study was limited in literatures as
there was a scare academic literature on the assessment of ant-corruption
crusade for the two administration.
1.7 Organization
of the Study
This
study was structured and divided into five chapters. This is to enable clarity
and effective consumption of the idea communicated in this research work. Also,
the organization was in line with the departmental guideline for such works.
The
first chapter, Introduction, gives a strong background to the study. The
statement of the problem, significance, research questions and scope were highlighted
in the chapter. Chapter two dealt with a review of related and relevant literatures.
This is of essence as the ideas, inputs and contributions of scholars and
authors were acknowledged and duly represented.
The
third chapter, assesses the Goodluck Jonathan-led anti-corruption crusade. The beginnings,
successes and failures were examined in this chapter. The fourth chapter
assessed the Muhammadu Buhari-led anti-corruption crusade. The impact, successes
and failures were constructively examined in the chapter. The fifth chapter
drew a conclusion on the study, gave a summary and recommendation.