Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No.

8, December 2015

ISSN: 2315-7844
Website: www.arabianjbmr.com/RPAM_index.php
Publisher: Department of Public Administration Nnamdi Azikiwe
University, Awka, Nigeria and Zainab Arabian Research Society
for Multidisciplinary Issues Dubai, UAE

CORRUPTION IN THE NIGERIA PUBLIC SECTOR: AN IMPEDIMENT TO

GOOD GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1
OSAKEDE Kehinde, 2IJIMAKINWA Samuel, 3ADESANYA Taiwo
4
OJO Ann, 5OJIKUTU Oluwadamilola, 6ABUBARKA Alhassan
1
Babcock University, Department of Political Science and Public Administration
Ileshan Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria
2-6
Lagos State University, Ojo, Department of Public Administration
Faculty of Management Sciences, Lagos State, Nigeria
[email protected]

Abstract
The objective of this paper is to examine corruption in Nigeria public sector and the challenges of
good governance and sustainable development. One of the greatest threats to socio-economic and
political development of any nation is corruption. It is anti-social behavior conferring improper
benefits contrary to legal and moral norms, and undermines the authorities’ capacity to secure the
welfare of all citizens. The paper used qualitative approach to analyses issues by adopts secondary
data such as journal publications, newspapers, textbooks etc. The paper observes that Nigeria is faced
with myriad of dilemmas Prominent among which are poverty, insecurity, kidnapping, ethno-religious
crisis, bad governance, and many more, these problems can be attributed to corruption. The paper
suggests that government should urgently initiate moves to work with the National Assembly to
review Nigeria constitution and legal order so as to empower the anti-corruption agencies to work
assiduously without being molested or interfered with by the government. The paper concludes that
entrenchment of constitutional principle that will allow citizens in their respective constituencies the
power to recall at any point in time any elected official who has been found by due process to corrupt,
abuse or betray the people mandate.
Keywords: Corruption, Good Governance, Public Sector, Socio-Economic Development

Introduction
There is no generally agreed definition as to what constitutes corrupt behaviors. It is a complex and
multifaceted phenomenon that erodes the socio-economic and political value of any nation. Corruption
is also a global phenomenon, intelligible only in its social context. There is a growing worldwide
concern over its spread due to so many factors poverty, crime, low rate of saving, unemployment and
to mention a few .Therefore, reforming public sector and government policies is essential but poverty
76
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

a product of corruption limits the available options. Corruptions in developing nations are more
pronounced than developed nations hence it remain impediments to good governance and sustainable
developments. Developed and developing nations have initiated and established various anti-
corruption war and advocacy to eradicate the menace of corruption in their system. Such advocacy are
the African Union (AU), the United Nation (UN), the United Nation Development Programme
(UNPP), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Word Bank to mention a few
(Ogbeidi,2012). The phenomena’s usually encompasses abuses by government officials such as
embezzlement and cronyism, as well as abuses linking public and private actors such as bribery,
extortion, influence peddling, and fraud, to mention but a few. In this regard, impunity and corruption
threatens good governance, democratic process, and fair business practices (Ogbeidi, 2012). Therefore
corruption has become of the greatest threats to socio-economic and political development of any
nation. The threats of corruption remain a major dilemma issue facing Nigeria since the time of
colonial period, although corruption has become a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of
Nigeria system. Nevertheless, its remedies rely in our hands as a people. That is why many developed
and developing nations have put in place different mechanisms to checkmate and curb this ugly
incidence. In Nigeria for example, the menace of corruption has been a matter of discourse at different
levels of institution of learning yet this pathetic incidence keeps resurface with us at all facets of our
endeavors.

The Nigerian government has taken various measures and strategies to address the incidence of
corruption and bad governance in the country. These measures includes public service reform
(monetization to reduce waste and reduction or over-bloated personnel, reform of public procurement);
establishment of anti craft agencies (such as the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC),
Independent Corruption and other Practices Commission (ICPC) and the on-going sanitization in the
Nigeria National Petroleum Co-oporation (Adeshina, 2015).
Despite the successes attained by these institutions, the situation remains palatable as corruption
continues to permeate and pervade every facet in our society and national life in Nigeria (Fatile, 2013).
Against this backdrop, this study is to examine corruption in Nigeria public sector and state its dare
consequences on good governance and social-economic development and provide possible solution to
this menace. The central theme of the argument is that corruption has been responsible for bad
governance, socio-economic and political under-development in Nigeria public sector. Therefore,
corruption, which has come to survive despite all efforts at curbing it, this is at the center of our
discourse.

Methodology
The paper adopts qualitative research design to gain an insight into corruption in Nigeria Public
Sector. The research used descriptive analysis to examine the issue of corruption in Nigeria Public
Sectors. The paper which is theoretical in nature drawn its argument from secondary data which
include journal publication ,textbooks and internet sources. To realize the objective of this paper and
for ease of analysis, the paper is thematically divided into the following six parts.

The first highlight the introduction, the second section discussed the conceptual and theoretical
framework, the third historical background of corruption in Nigeria Public Sector, the fourth dealt with
classification of corruption in Nigeria Public Sector, the fifth corruption in Nigeria Public Sector a
cancerous to good governance and sustainable development and implication and finally concluding
remarks.

77
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

Conceptual and Theoretical Analysis

For the purpose of conceptual clarification and to limit the level of ambiguity, which as a rule is
hallmark of academic research, it is important to examine some of the concepts and terms that are used
in this study i.e corruption , good governance and sustainable development. Corruption was not
invented by, nor is it peculiar to Nigerians. On the contrary, it is a global phenomenon with deep
historical roots, although it manifests itself with similarities direction in different societies, depending
on the peculiar systems of power distribution and the legal and moral norms operating therein
(Osoba,1996). In the view of Egwemi (2012) corruption is not an easy task to define. However,
Andrig and Fjelstad (2001:4) see corruption as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon with multiple
causes and effects, as it takes on various forms and contexts.

United Nations (2012) defined corruption as it as “abuse of power for private gain”. The Transparency
International has chosen a clear and focused definition of the term as “the abuse of entrusted power for
private gain”. It can also be defined as a pervasion or change from the general accepted rules or laws
for selfish gain (Farida, 2010). The World Bank however defines corruption as the abuse of office for
private gains. Public office is abused for private gain when an official accepts, solicits or extorts a
bribe. It is also abused when private agents actively offer bribes to circumvent public offices and
processes for competitive advantages or profit. Corruption, like all social phenomena, is intelligible
only in its total social context, its peculiar form, dynamics and degree of social and cultural
acceptability or tolerance being critically related to the dominant mode of capital accumulation;
income, wealth and poverty distribution, power configuration; and the underpinning moral and ethical
values operating in a given society (Osoba, 1996, Fatile, 2013). Corruption in Nigeria is a kind of
social virus which is a hybrid of traits of fraudulent anti-social behavoiur derived from British colonial
rule and nurtured in the indigenous Nigerian context (Usman,2013).
The pervasive “climate of corruption” in Nigeria constitutes the greatest impediment to good
governance and sustainable development. President Muhammed Buhari in his inauguration speech as
the President of Nigeria when taken over power in 2015 he asserted that “corruption is the greatest
bane of our society today no society can achieve anything near its full potential if it allows corruption
to become the full blown cancer it has become in Nigeria (Adams, 2015). This menace has taken over
nearly if not all the public institutions and parastatals likewise the private organizations. In the past
administration president Good Luck Jonathan demonstrated no zero telorance to corruption, the level
of corruption and impunity was so pervasive where some of his cabinets like economic and finance
minister Dr. Okonjo Iweala and CBN governor Lamidi Sanusi disagreed over unremitted fund into
CBN account (Adams, 2015).

It is instructive to note that the Nigerian government and citizens have not totally committed
themselves to the implementations and measures that can prevent or drastically reduce the extent and
consequence of corruption in the country. That is not to say that laws, institutions and programmes for
controlling corruption have not been introduced by successive governments (Fatile, 2013). On the
contrary, every Nigerian government since 1975 introduced elaborate laws and programmes, only for
officials to turn such programmes into fertile opportunity for corrupt practices and enrichment.
Consequently, there has been a geometrical growth in the rate of corruption in the country (Adeshina,
2015).

It is an incontrovertible fact that corruption and impunity has been the bane of Good Governance in
Nigeria. Thus, the phenomenon has ravaged the country and destroyed most of our cherished national

78
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

values. Unfortunately, the pubic officials saddled with the responsibility of formulating and
implementation the affairs of the country policies, which have been the major culprit in perpetrating
this act. Regrettably, since independence a notable surviving legacy of the successive elected leaders
have managed the affairs of the country at different times has been the institutionalization of
corruption in all agencies of the public service, which, like a deadly virus, has subsequently spread to
the private sector of the country (Ogbeidi, 2012).

Agbu (2003:3) observed that public office can be abused for personal benefit even if no bribery
occurs, through patronage and nepotism, the theft of state assets, or the diversion of public resources.
Thus, corruption connotes any behaviors that deviate from an established norm with regards to public
trust. It also means theft of public trust whether the person concerned is elected, selected, nominated or
appointed and it does not matter whether the person affected holds office or not since anybody can be
corrupt (Usman, 2013).

Good Governance and Sustainable Development

To give clarification of what good governance is, it is important to define the term governance in order
to fully understand good governance. The World Bank [1989] defines governance as the manner in
which power is exercised in the management of a country’s socio-economic and political resources.
Yaqub and Abubakar (2005) defined the term governance as the totality of the process of constituting
a government as well as administering a political community. In the same vein Ninalowo [2005],
acknowledge that governance as the totality of administrative functions of the state, with a view of
fulfilling constitutional obligations to the populace. Natufe [2006], viewed governance as the process
and system by which policies makers manages the resources of a nation to address socio-economic and
political challenges facing the nation.

Good governance can also be term as exclusive utilization of a country’s resources to harness socio-
economic and political development in a manner that is accorded with transparent, accountable,
equitable and responsive to the yearning and aspirations of the people (Adeshina, 2015). In the opined
of Fatile (2013), good governance entails participation of rule of law, transparency, responsiveness,
Consensus oriented, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency and accountability that will
enhance sustainable development to the citizen. Similarly Obaidullah (2001) and Ekpu (2009) see
good governance and sustainable development as accountability, transparency, delivery on election
promises, and creation of an atmosphere for the flowering of freedom that will lead to the achievement
of the greatest number of our people (Adeosun, 2012).

Good governance plays an important role in the advancement of sustainable development. It promotes
accountability, transparency, efficiency and rule of law. Besides, it allows for sound and efficient
management of human resources for equitable and sustainable development ( Moris, 2015). However
corruption negates this merit. According to former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan
[1998], “Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and
promoting development”. Good governance enhances human development and is the pivot around
which other developmental activities revolve. Human development is the channel through which other
forms of development are achieved.

Kayode, Oyejide and Soyode [1994], contend that a successful development effort requires good
governance, managed by competent disciplined and corrupt free public officials operating in a stable

79
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

political system that creates an enabling environment that pave way for people to work effectively.
Adeshina [2015], contends that the root cause of bad governance is not a lack of resources or
international isolation. Rather, it is corruption. Good governance promotes development by generating
and defending broad commitment to the public welfare.

Sustainable Development
The sustainable development according to Usman (2012) refers to the term as the type of economic
growth pattern where the use of resources meets the needs of the human population while conserving
the environment at the same time. Sustainable development means resources are used in such a way
that both current and future human needs can be met .The sustainable development also describes the
term as the development that meet the needs of present, without exposing the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs, (World Bank, 2013).
Adebayo (2013) also maintains that concept of sustainable development is the efforts at improving the
environment or natural resources for the purpose of improving the quality of human life in way that
the needs of the future generation are not jeopardized. To this end, sustainable development is the
ability to preserve the existing resources of the state for the collective use of the citizens while
conscious efforts are made to conserve the resources for the use of future generations.
Theoretical Analysis
The relevant theory to this discourse is the modernization theory. Modernization theorists were
concerned with structural change in the economy and a state of primitive organization of production to
the modem organization of economic activities (Huntington, 1968). Emphasis on the transformation of
a traditional society into a modem one suggests that the outcry against corruption amount to a puritan
reaction to modernization. In this view, corruption represents a deviation from ethical norms (Fatile,
2013). Thus, looking at corruption from the modernization perspective reflect a strong anti-state
position which Hintington cited by Abu (2007) summarized best by stating that in terms of economic
growth, the only thing worse than a society with a rigid over centralized, dishonest bureaucracy is one
with a rigid, over centralized bureaucracy.

It is instructive to note that the modernization theory had been replaced with the principal-agent theory
by the neo-classical economists. In their view, corruption amounts to principal-agent problem (Abu,
2007). In this case, it is the state which is the principal that entrusts the task of allocation rights to
appropriate resources to its agents i.e. the administrators who’s responsibility is to co-ordinate capital
projects towards executing some development projects instead of siphoned and misappropriated for
self enrichment of few group of undesirable public officials and their crones to the detrimental of the
populace and national development. .This means that there would be no corruption if the state had
nothing useful for the private interests to allocate selectively.

Historical Background of Corruption in Nigeria Public Sector

The Nigerian society has never been well governed because of impunity and corruption since it gained
its political independence in 1960 (Oluwasanmi, 2007, Ebegbulem, 2009). Oluwasanmi, (2007);
Imhonopi and Ugochukwu, (2013) are of the opinion that from the first democratic experiment in 1960
to military regimes and back to democracy as practiced in the country today, Nigeria has
unfortunately been managed by corrupt leaders who are visionless, weak, parochial, morally bankrupt,
narcissistic, egoistic, greedy and corrupt. The leadership from 1960 has criminally managed the
country’s affairs, accumulate wealth at the expense of national development and throwing the people
over the precipice where they now wallow in absolute poverty, illiteracy, hunger, rising

80
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

unemployment, avoidable health crisis and insecurity (Ebegbulem cited in Imhonopi and Ugochukwu,
2013).

The Formal president Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office in 1999 as poor politician (all his bank
accounts amounted to about N20,000) but eight years later he had refurbished and expanded a derelict
agricultural (poultry) farm at Ota in Ogun State to be now worth hundreds of millions of naira
(Oluwasanmi, 2007). Obasanjo now possesses educational institutions that run from primary level to
university, he now has over two hundred millions of shares in various conglomerates, most especially
Transcorp Nigeria Limited (Oluwasanmi, 2007). His effort at combating corruption made little or no
impact in the war against political corruption as his friends and officials under him were corrupt
(Ebegbulem 2012; Oluwasanmi, 2007).

Furthermore, corrupt leadership has also been visible in the past administration. The people of Nigeria
and the world have observed the cluelessness and low credibility of the past Goodluck Jonathan
administration. New York Times Newspaper of May 6th 2014 describes him as “leading a corrupt
government that has little credibility”( Moris,2015). In a similar vein, Jonathan government was also
described by former US Republican presidential nominee, Senator McKay as a practically non-
existing government that has lost credibility in providing security of life and property (Ijewereme and
Dunmade, 2014).

In addition, Hillary Clonton, the former US Secretary of State in separate events in New York City
said the Nigerian government under President Goodluck Jonathan, squandered its resources, and
indirectly helps corruption to fester in the troubled country ( Moris , 2015) . Falana (2012) opines that,
under president Goodluck administration: “some of the governors and his party members under
investigation posted their orderlies and relations to man departments in the EFCC”. Falana further
posits that corruption is being carried out with impunity under past President Goodluck Jonathan
administration to the extent that the war against corruption has been lost completely. The minister of
petroleum, “Mrs. Daziani Allison Madueke has been indicted of corruption by five different
investigative panel Committees reports at different time, yet she confidently remains in charge of the
Ministry unperturbed” (Melaye, 2013), without the president demonstrating political will to bring the
minister to book. Madueke has also being recently indicted (for squandering 10 billion naira on private
jet maintenance expense) by the House of Representative. The house called her to defend the
indictment; instead she took court injunction restraining the house from further investigation and
indictment of her office (Ijewereme & Dumande,2014). Presently she was indicted in UK for money
laundry and charge to court (Punch,2015).

Classification of Corruption in Nigeria Public Sector

Private Corruption: By private corruption, we mean people outside government, private individuals
engaging in unethical acts. These could be individuals outside organizations who commit acts of
immorality (perversion, show of dementia, and acts of fraud or scamming). The other groups of
people is persons in the organized private sector who may loot or carry out other acts of fraud in their
companies or who colludes with those in government to perpetrate sharp financial practices.

Private corruption has manifested in Nigeria as everyday bribery to obtain a desired objective,
breaking of traffic laws, piracy, plagiarism, alteration of school grades, illegal inflation of petroleum
pump prices by dealers, robbery, sexual gratification for higher grades or promotion, et cetera.

81
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

Public Corruption: This is the familiar corruption that takes place in government or by government
officials and their accomplices in the private sector. Another name for public corruption is official,
grand or institutional corruption. This is the kind of corruption involving public office holders. In this
case, persons in position of authority exploit the position to take from the commonwealth.
i. Political corruption: This is the kind of corruption that obtains in the three arms of government in a
democratic rule, namely, executive, legislative and judiciary. Corruption at this level is the highest
because it involves state fund. The issues of personal and primordial attachments in appointment,
award of contracts; as well inflation of contract monies, embezzlement of funds, and misappropriation
of fund are critical examples of public corruption in the executive. The Federal cabinet in Nigeria has
in recent times been in the news for high profile bribery scandals (the formal minister of petroleum
Alson madueke and others) . The judiciary becomes vulnerable when it looks away from an obvious
case of crime, tries to downplay the veracity of a crime, or commits travesty of justice for a particular
political interest. The Federal Court of Appeal has been in a state of crisis for sometime leading to the
suspension of its president on alleged complicity in election cases involving some western states
which the president was said to have served the interest of a political party (Ketefe, 2012).

ii. Bureaucratic corruption: Corruption here is still at the level of government. It involves the
technocrats and civil as well as public servants who implement government policies. These include the
leadership and personnel in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The corruption at this level
is the worst as the allocation, release and use of money is executed by these government offices. The
staff are the ones that propose and submit financial needs of the units or projects and they are the ones
that transfer and effect payment. Corruption becomes rife at this point (Buhari ,2015). We have had
cases of heads of ministries and parastatals busted and arraigned before competent courts and tribunals
on charges of high profile stealing and fraud. Bureaucratic corruption also manifests in favouritism
and nepotism in appointment, promotion and reward systems in public offices. Some persons get rapid
promotion and rewards on the basis of family, friendship, ethnic or religious affiliations to the boss;
while some never get promotion because of such frivolous considerations.

iii. Military corruption: This was obtainable in Nigeria during military dictatorship. Ironically, the
military was an institution that saw itself as a corrective regime in the face of bad leadership and
festering corruption. That was the original intention of the army when they struck in January 1966. But
we also know that the counter-coup of July was an ethnic-motivated coup meant to avenge the
assassination of some persons of northern extraction in the first coup. With this mentality,
professionalism that formed the fulcrum of the “corrective” notion of the institution began to fade out
as corruption gradually crept in. By 1971, the military had become debased as all sorts of allegations
were raised against General Gown’s military ministers and state governors. It got worse with the
Babangida and Abacha regimes which came under the spotlight as the two most corrupt leaderships in
the country (Folarin, 2014).

iv. Other forms of institutional corruption: The other forms of institutional corruption include that in
the media and entertainment industries and even in the labour movement. The media is particularly
known for the graft or ‘brown envelope” syndrome in which news reports are only publishable when
certain individuals or groups in the story pay their way; or when an image polishing is done for those
who can pay the reporter for it; or negative stories are stepped down when money has been paid to
destroy such story. In the entertainment industry, persons for musical or movie auditions may have to

82
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

“sort” or “settle” with money or sexual gratification to be given roles in films even when they are good
or very bad. Labour groups are sometimes compromised by government not to embark on industrial
action or to betray the cause of the movement by “sorting” labour leaders through the fattening of their
accounts (Folarin, 2014).

Corruption in Nigeria Public Sector: An Impediment to Good Governance and Sustainable

Development
The fraudulent accumulation process has resulted, over time, in the progressive and phenomenal
enrichment of Nigerian leaders (both civilian and military), the emptying of the national treasury and
the indebtedness of the country as a result of bad governance almost to the point of bankruptcy ( Moris
, 2015) hence the critical dearth of resources for investment on the social, economic and overall
cultural development of the masses of our people. Nigeria is, therefore in a paradoxical situation in
which the scandalous, almost legendary, wealth of key ruling class members exists to mock the
unspeakable mass poverty, misery and degradation of the Nigerian people (Fatile, 2013).

This situation is also highly productive, at the attitudinal level, of mass cynicism about, and distrust of
the political leaders and constitutes a major factor in the persistence of inter and intra communal
disunity, antipathy and strife, as well as the progressively worsening problem of social and economic
in the country. Since the public treasury has been the primary and ultimate source of rapid and
sensational private accumulation by the Nigerian political leaders the struggle to capture state power
(and therefore, the national treasury) among factions of the political leaders has become progressively
acrimonious and bitter.

This kind of struggle which ends in a winner-take-all resolution, the losing factions tend to be
rigorously excluded from sharing in the loot. Hence, the invariable tendency among political leaders
factions to use the poor masses from their areas of origin (village, town, local government, state or
ethnic group) as cannon fodder and battering rams against their rivals and competitors from other
areas, thus further dividing the people and undermining the stability of a Nigerian state and society
that is already profoundly unstable that consequently tend to social unrest and terrorism in the nation
(Usman, 2013).

Rampant corruption among the political leaders cabal has, over time, taught a dangerously disruptive
lesson to the generality of the people; being honest and law-abiding does not pay (Osoba, 1996).
Consequently some of the public officials who have learnt this lesson from the top then try to replicate
the corrupt practices of their leaders at their own lowly levels in the form of petty acts of bribery,
peculation and embezzlement of public funds. It is in this way that corruption as a way of life has
become pervasive and cancerous domiciled in Nigeria democracy.

The obsession of many political leaders with primitive private accumulation at the expense of the
public means that they tend to divert resources earmarked for running and maintaining public
institutions in their charge (institutions like hospitals, schools, universities, public utilities, the
judiciary, the police and even the armed forces) to corrupt private purposes. By so doing, they subvert
these institutions and their capacity to perform their assigned tasks efficiently, thereby damaging the
substantive interests and endangering the lives of citizens whom these public institutions are meant to
serve (Fatile, 2013). According to Osoba (1996) the systematic pillage of the nation’s wealth by its
supposed custodians over several decades, many young Nigerians of lowly origins, after successfully

83
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

passing out of schools, universities and other institutions of learning, cannot find gainful employment.
This is because resources, which could have been used for job creation, have been looted by the
leaders. As a consequence many of these educated young people are either ‘brain drained’ to other
lands in search of greener pastures or get diverted into various criminal ways of making a livelihood
like terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, prostitution, drug peddling and trafficking and all manner
of racketeering. In this and other ways, greedy Nigerian leaders have squandered the future of their
country and its children there by reduced Nigeria to its present status of a parish in the comity of
nations (Osoba, 1996)

Implications of Corruption on Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Leadership problem and corruption are the bane of Nigeria’s socio-economic development. Ijewereme
& Dunmade (2014) noted that corruption has largely retarded the quest for sustainable growth and
development in Nigeria. It is a cancer attacks the vital structures and systems engender progressive
functioning of the Nigeria society (Ogbeidi, 2012).

The implications of bad leadership and corruption in Nigeria are outrageous. In the opinion of Aiyede
(2006) “corruption poses a serious development challenge”. Ijewereme & Dunamade (2014) observed
that Nigerian political realm shows that corruption have undermined democratic values of trust,
credibility of government, and good governance. Corruption in the democratic process reduces
accountability, transparency, integrity and distorts quality representation in policy making
(Ebegbulem, 2012).Corruption in Nigeria slows down the pace of good governance because it
weakens efficiency and effectiveness of public service and discourages genuine prospective investors.
Corruption and mismanagement of public funds have direct bearing on the Nigeria’s collapsing
infrastructure like potable water, good road networks, health facilities, standard of education, security,
justice, employment and other challenges which are interconnected (Ribadu, 2013).Corruption remains
the biggest barrier to ending extreme poverty and stands in the way of progress in the development of
all areas mentioned here; preventing funds reaching healthcare and education, limiting individuals,
abilities to access jobs and social benefits, corroding systems of law and stopping aid working
effectively in the poorest parts of the world (Adebayo, 2013).

The past Nigerian leaders from Formal president Olusegun Obasanjo to Good Luck Jonathan
administration (that is PDP led government 1999 to 2015) siphoned money that would have been
invested in the power sector, while those that invested in the sector misappropriated the money with
nothing to show ( Buhari, 2015).The consequences of corruption are largely on the negative side.
Corruption widens inequality, aggravates mass poverty, militates against efficient resource planning
and allocation, and undermines economic growth by discouraging investment, and compromises
economic efficiency, results in high governmental expenditures as a result of inflation of contracts and
cost supplies. There is no doubt that corruption is poisonous to good governance in Nigeria (Alemika,
2012).

The Nigeria’s 2011 corruption Index by the EFCC maintains that Nigeria is certainly not immune to
corruption. The damage of the scourge to the economy and the fabric of the society is seen in the
schools that are not built, the hospitals without medicines, the roads that are not passable and the
failure of occur citizens to be inspired (Usman, 2013).Presently in Nigeria, the greatest challenge to
corruption is impunity. Because of its sheer scale and level, corruption is no longer secret, it is
celebrated (The Nigerian 2011 Corruption Index) Alemika (2012).

84
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

Concluding Remarks
The critical challenge which the stubborn persistence and growing virulence of corruption poses to all
Nigerians of integrity and conscience is, therefore, how to roll back the escalating phenomenon of
corruption in our public life and terminate the culture of impunity that underpins it. Meeting this
challenge will involve the mounting of a determined and robust struggle to change the constitutional
and legal order and the power configuration in the Nigerian society such that the vast majority of
marginalized Nigerian men and women are empowered to participate freely, actively and maximally in
the politics, economy and overall culture of the society.

The necessary expedient of empowering the Nigerian working people vis-à-vis the corrupt and
subversive political leader can be facilitated by pursuing the minimum political agenda of democratic
governance. The constitutional entrenchment of the principle that the Nigerian people in their
respective constituencies have the power to recall at any point in time any elected official who has
been found by due process to abuse or betray the people’s mandate.

The constitutional requirement that only men and women with proven ability and integrity should be
appointed to the governing boards of public institutions, corporations and businesses to ensure that the
public resources and assets therein will be safeguarded and enhanced rather than looted and
squandered by their official custodians as has hitherto been the case ( Buhari, 2015).

Freedom of information as an entrenched legal norm to include: (a) the requirement of open
declaration of assets by all public officers, on entering and leaving office and irrespective of rank or
status. Such asset declaration should be available for verification and monitoring by any interested
citizen; (b) open and uninhibited access by interested citizens to all documents relating to, or dealing
with any aspect of public policy, (This will mean, effectively, the death of all secrecy laws, behind
which past and present governments have covered up all manner of crimes against the people). The
constitutional entrenchment of the principle of independence of the judiciary and the insulation of the
appointment and tenure of judges from interference by political decision makers whose conducts
might be subjects to adjudication by the courts.

References
Adebayo, A.A. (2013). The nexus of Corruption and Poverty in the Quest for sustainable
Development in Nigeria, journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 15(7):225-235.
Adeosun A. (2012). The role of Good Governance and Public Administration in Development.
International Journal of Politics and Good Governance 3(3):1-13
Adeosun, A.B. [2010]. Federalism and national integration: The Nigerian experience. Journal of
Science, management and Technology, 1(1):11-35
Aderonmu, J.A. (2009). Civil society and anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria’s fourth Republic: in
journal of Sustainable Development in Africa 13(1):48- 56.
Adeshina A.(2015) .The institute of public administration and Anti corruption july/august 13 & 10.
Agbu, O. (2003). Corruption and Human Trafficking: The Nigerian case, in West African
Review 4(1):1-3
Aiyede, R.E. (2006). The Role of INEC, ICPC and EFCC in Combating Political Corruption in
Money, Politics.

85
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

Alemika, E.E.O. (2012). Corruption and insecurity in Nigeria .Lead presentation at the International
Conference National Security, Integration and Sustainable Development in Nigeria organized by
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
Andrig, J.C and Fjeldstad, O. (2011). Corruption: A Review of Contemporary Research Report,
Chr, Michelson Institute of Development Studies and Human Rights.
Annan, K. [1998]. Annual report to the General Assembly on the work of the organization. See
Buhari,M. I (2015). President Muhammed Buhari, Full Text Of National Broadcast,1st
October.2015.
Diamond, L. [2004]. Building a system of comprehensive accountability to control corruption.
In Agbaje, A., Diamond, L., & Onwudiwe, E., [eds], Nigeria’s struggle for democracy and good
governance. Ibadan: University Press.
Ebegbulem, J.C. (2009). Corruption and leadership crisis in Africa: Nigeria in focus, Afroeuropa
Ebegbulem, J.C. (2012). Corruption and Leadership Crisis in Africa: Nigeria in Focus, International
Journal of Business and Social Science 3(11):221-227.
Ekpu, R. (2009). Ten years of faltering steps. Newswatch. 6(1):
Falana, F. (2012). Battle against corruption lost, Punch Newspaper 16(9)
Faloore, O.O. (2010). The Family and Corruption Management in Nigeria. Journal of Social
and Policy Issues 7(2):84-89.
Folarin,S ,F.(2014). Corruption Politic and Governance in Nigeria: Ogun State. Covenant University
Heidenheimer, A. and Johnson, M. (eds.) (1993). Political Corruption: Concepts and Contexts.
London: Transaction Publishers.
http://www.unsystem.org/ngls/documents/pdf/go.between/gb71.pdf. retrieved on 8th August,
2015.
Human Rights Report (2011). Corruption is on Trial? The Record of Nigeria’s Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission.
Igbokwe-Ibeto, C.J., Ewuim, N & Umeifekewm, U. etal (2014). Periscoping Bureaucratic Corruption
in Nigeria: A Bird’s Eye View, International Journal of Development Studies, 6(1) ; 1-10
Igbuzor, O. (2008). Strategies for Winning the Anti-Corruption War in Nigeria, Abuja: Action Aid.
Ijewereme O and Dunmade E. (2014). Leadership Crises and Corruption in Nigeria.
International Journal of Public Administration and Management Research 2(3):130-140
Ijewereme, O.B. (2013). An Examination of Anti-Corruption Crusades in Nigeria: Issues and
Challenges, in The Quarterly Journal of Administration, 33(1):410-488.
Imhonopi, D and Ugochukwui, M.U. (2013). Leadership Crisis and Corruption in the Nigeria Public
Sector: An Albatross of National Development in The African Symposium: An Online Journal of
the African educational research Network 3(1):120-141.
Kayoed, F., Oyejide, A., Soyode, A. (1996). Governance and polity in Nigeria: Some leading
issues. Ibadan: Ibadan University Press.
Ladi, S. (2008). Good governance and modernization of public administration at the black sea
economic cooperation [BSEC] member-states” paper presented at the annual meeting of APSA
2008 Annual Meeting, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, Massachusetts, August, 28.
Retrieved from http://www. allacademic.com/ meta/p279356_index.html.
Lewis, A. (1976). Men in the Middle: Leadership and Role Conflict in a Nigerian Society.
New York: Holmes & Meier.
Melaye, D. (2013). Corruption with impunity and insecurity in Nigeria, An open letter to Mr. Barrack
Obama, the President, United State of America (USA), through the Ambassador, Embassy of
th
United States of America, Abuja, Nigeria, 16 May, 2013.

86
 Review of Public Administration and Management Vol. 4, No. 8, December 2015

Natufe, I. [2006]. Governance and politics in Nigeria. A lecture delivered at the staff and graduate
seminar, department of political science and public administration, University of Benin on November
21.
Ninalowo, M.O.A. [2005]. Antimonies of corruption and democratic governance in L. Olurode, &
S.O. Akinboye [eds], Democracy, good governance and corruption in Nigeria. Friedrich Ebert
Siftung [FES].
Obaidullah, A.T.[2001]. Democracy and good governance. The role of Ombudsman. Dhaka:
Bangladesh Institute of Parliamentary Studies.
Odofin, A.P. and Omojuwa, K.A. (2007). The Challenges of Democratisation Process in Nigeria.
Zaria, A.Y. Sule Digital Printers.
Ogbeidi, M. (2012). Political Leadership and Corruption in Nigeria since 1960: A Social-economic
Analysis, Journal of Nigeria Studies 1(2):1-25.
Olugbega (2007). In Egwemi, V. (2012). Corruption and Corrupt Practices in Nigeria: An Agenda
for taming the Monster, Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa (vol. 14, No.3, 2012)
Oluwasanmi, J.O. (2007). Nigeria! Which way forward? Akure: Maotex Ventures
Punch Editorial (2015). UK money laundry indicted Nigeria formal minister.
Ribadu, N. (2013). Paper presented by the former EFCC chairman, at the two-day summit for
Northern Development Focus Initiative (NDFI). Available at Saharareporters.com/articles
Tinubu, B.A. [2008]. Good governance, democracy and sustainable development. Speech
delivered at the Centre for Peace and conflict Studies, University of Ibadan. 15 December.
USMAN, M. (2013). Corruption in Nigeria: A challenge of Good governance and sustainable
development. European Scientific Journal 9(4):130-137.
World Bank [1989]. Sub-Saharan Africa: From crisis to sustainable growth. Washington D.C:
The World Bank.
World Bank. (2013). Corruption Strategies Report. Washington,DC.
Yaqub, O. & Abubakar, S.O. [2005]. Conceptualizing good governance, corruption and democracy
in L. Olurode & S.O. Akinboye [eds], Democracy, good governance and corruption in Nigeria.
Friedrich Ebert Shiftung [FES].

87