Is Corruption Nigeria’s Biggest Problem?

When you move around the street, going to every nook and cranny of the territory, asking both young and old that, what is the main problem of the most populous Black nation? You would definitely be left in your own thought, with a repeated answer- corruption.

After reading several pieces of great writers, plus the realty on ground, I found it difficult to still sit on the fence and believe our beloved country has a bigger problem than this cankerworm that has eaten deep into the system of every sector and parameter of our institutions.

One of the main duties of youths in any sane society is to challenge corruption, hence I took advantage of my leisure time last week, to ask few people on the street on what they believe corruption is all about. Their answers no doubt, are another factor that spearheaded this write-up. I really want us to believe that corruption is not only the embezzlement of public fund. Corruption is not only buying of private jet with money meant for the development of the state. It’s not only diverting projects funds to personal accounts. Corruption is not segregated to a particular race, tribe or religion. It’s vividly in every section of the society.

Why is it that when Mr. A sells something of a market value of N50 at a higher price of let’s say N80, he is tagged a business guru and Mr. B diverted public fund, he is tagged a thief, a criminal, and even a corrupt official. The fact is, the dictionary meaning of corruption has not yet changes as its still recognizes a corrupt individual as someone who is morally degenerated and in a putrid state. If a lecturer collects money from an aspirant seeking for admission and promise to include his or her name on the list, there is no other name to address such person than a corrupt-academician.

Let’s me not bore you with instances, there are many more out there. However, it’s quiet unfortunate that Nigerians created their own encyclopedia and gave another meaning to the impurity act. Corruption is corruption no matter how little it may seem.

Going down the book of records, just recently, precisely on December 4^th, the global transparency international ranked Nigeria as the 39^th most corrupt nation in the world and ranked among the top in Africa. This clearly shows how the country has embedded the societal ill into its system. Ours leaders have legalized, institutionalized and privatized corruption. It’s quite a disgrace to a country that addresses itself as the giant of Africa.

It’s pertinent and imperative to note that any other vices a society experiences is built on this impure act. Corruption breeds unemployment. Unemployment yields poverty. And the end product of poverty is Insecurity, prostitution, racketeering, arm robbery and all other forms of assorted vices we may think of. 

Nigeria should as a matter of urgency, take clues from Denmark which is the least corrupt nation on earth and put into places, working projects that can reduce this debased act if we don’t want to be drown in its river. Tackle corruption and you have solved 80 percent of the country’s problem. Where there is less corruption there are more innovations, developments and transformations.

A wonderful quote to take home by karl Kraus, he said – ‘Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual; the former invariably endangers the moral of the society. We should stand and challenge corruption with a sole vision of making our fathers’ land a place to live.

BY: OMOLAOYE SODIQ

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MASS COMMUNICATION