CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: CAUSES, EFFECTS AND MEASURES The fact that over countless centuries the African has

been the victim of the worst climate in the world... Mr Green was clearly elaborating on the issue of corruption in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, when Obi Okonkwo an idealistic and educated man is on trial for corruption and bribery. These two characters are found at No Longer at Ease, a book written by Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian poet and novelist and one of the most important living African writers. He is also considered one of the most original literary artists currently writing in English. In this book, corruption theme depicts the way how such practice can even influence the clean and ideal persons within a society. In addition, the book brings to the readers the malicious problem affecting this society and clearly shows the desire to promote changes. Though corruption is evident in a colonial society as Nigeria, changes can be made to address this problem and create measures among the society. This paper discusses the causes and effects of corruption in Nigeria from the personal point of view emerging from the current discussions and ongoing debates in class. In addition, it presents some ideas on how to address the corruption, not only for Nigeria, but for the entire African nation, where charges of corruption now play a more central role in politics than at any time. But before we delve into the causes and effects of corruption, we will try to bring its definition. Corruption is defined as the use of public office for private gain or in other words, the use of official position, rank or status by an officer bearer for his personal benefit. Following this definition, corrupt behaviour would include bribery, extortion which involves two parties - the giver and the taker in the corrupt deal (Myint 2000). For Myint (2000), this type of corrupt deal can arise under a variety of circumstances such as (a) government contracts; (b) government benefits; (c) time savings and regulatory avoidance; (d) government revenues and (e) influencing outcomes of legal and regulatory process. Under these circumstances, bribes like Obi Okonkwo, play a vital role in

influencing who gets the contract as in (a), allocation of monetary benefits as in (b), speeding up the grating permission or licenses as in (c); reducing the amount of taxes, fees or charges collected from business firms as in (d); and providing incentives to regulatory authorities to refrain from taking action as in (e).

Now we turn to the causes of corruption. In post independence Africa corruption enriched a few of politically dominant individuals and groups and impoverished the masses and placed their welfare, including their health at great risk. Policy makers throughout the continent have been interested primarily in promoting perverse economic programs, which have enhanced the ability to garner extra income for themselves Mbaku, J.M (1950). Four causes are mentioned as the contributing factors for corruption in Africa (Mbaku 1950). He also believes that policy makers opt for policies that generate enormous benefits for them, which in its turn will or impose significant costs on society. These include: (a) The choice of development programs - it is argued that programs are not based on the potential of each of them to contribute to the national development but on the ability to benefit for members of the ruling class and its benefactors. For Nigeria, politicians and many civil servants privatized the state into the instrument of plunders for their benefit of a few politically dominant groups and individuals.

(b) Bureaucratic incompetence and inefficiency - in this it is argued that each country must have a competent, efficient and professional civil service. Recruitment into public sector must be based on the merit and not on political considerations. In many local African countries and in particular in Nigeria, a significant number of people in top civil service are either political appointees with strong connections to the rulling coalition. (c) Chronic poverty and material deprivation as well as inequalities in distribution of income and land - In many african countries as in Nigeria poverty and deprivation level are quite high, especially among women, children, rural inhabitants and individuals living on the urban periphery. In this case, civil servants with low wages will be driven by necessity to engage in corrupt practices. On the other hand, low wages may also contribute to low morals, loss of self respect and dignity, and as result such employees become nasty, rude and indifferent in their dealing with the public. To be specific this the scenario that leads Obi Okonkwo to commit corrupt practices. We see him straggling to pay for his car insurance, school fees, trying to secure additional funds.

(d) Culture - the basic argument is that corruption in many African countries can be traced to defective cultural norms within societies of these countries. In fact, it is argued that corruption arises from clash between traditional cultural values and the norms that were imported from developed countries with modernization (Jabbra 1976; Merton 1976) as quoted by Mbaku (2000). Corruption can also be regarded as a colonial heritage For some scholars like Abdou (2010) corruption is a

Corruption is not a concern for the Nigeria nation and as a result, African nations have to make significant contributions if they are to save their nations from total destruction.