THE EFFECT OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION
ON NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT AND
POLITICS (A STUDY
OF ANAMBRA STATE
1999-2010)
ABSTRACT
The major purpose of this study was to examine the political corruption and its effect in the Nigerian government and politics. The study looked into political livies of Anambra state citizens being the case study of the work. For comprehensive understanding of the place and its impact of this study. The work has been divided into five chapters. In chapter one, comprises of statement of problems, significance of the study, purpose and research of the study and others. In chapter two comprises of the causes of corruption and poverty in Nigeria, Nigeria’s political godfathers, the evils of corruption, the effects of corruption in Nigeria which had put the federation into high jump from 1999 2010 in Nigeria especially Anambra state. in the same chapter two we have another concept which is madness of second tenure system in Nigeria government as a major causes. In chapter five we have the recommendations and suggestions based on the findings from the research work from 2000 – 2010 political lives of Nigerian citizens.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
Approval ………………………….....……………..………..………….……i
Dedication ………………………………………..……...…………….……ii
Acknowledgement ……………………………….…………………...……iii
Abstract ……………………………….…………………...….................…iv
Table of content ……………………………………..………………....……v
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction ………………………………………………..…....……1
1.0 Background of the study…………………………………..….....……1
1.1 Statement of the problem…………………………………..…..……4
1.2 Purpose of the study…………………………………..……...……5
1.3 Research question…………………………………..…...……5
1.4 Significance of the………………………………………….…..……6
1.5 Theoretical framework…………………………….…..……15
1.6 Scope of the study………………………………………….…..……17
1.7 Limitation of the study………………………………………….…..……17
1.8 Definition of terms ……………………………………….…..……17
CHAPTER TWO
2.1 Literature Review ……………………………………….…..……23
2.2 Corruption and poverty in Nigeria .................................................27
2.3 Nigeria’s political godfathers .................................................28
2.4 The effects of corruption .................30
2.5 The evil of corruption ........................................31
2.6 Madness of second tenure system March 8, 2006.......................33
CHAPTER THREE
3.1 Design of the study ............................................................................34
3.2 Area of the study.................................................................................35
3.3 Population of the study.......................................................................35
3.4 Sample / sampling techniques ............................................................36
3.5 Instrument for data collection ............................................................36
3.6 Reliability and validity of the instrument ..........................................37
3.7 Distribution and retrieval of the instrument .......................................37
3.8 Method of data analysis .....................................................................38
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 Data presentation.................................................................................39
4.2 Interpretation of Result.......................................................................44
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Summary of findings ..........................................................................44
5.2 Conclusion .........................................................................................47
5.3 Recommendation .... ..........................................................................49
Reference ...........................................................................................53
Appendix ...........................................................................................54
Questionnaire ....................................................................................55
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Nigeria and political corruption – political corruption is not a recent phenomenon that pervades the Nigerian state.
Since the creation of modern public administration in the country, there have been cases of officials misuse of resources, embezzlement of funds, looting of government property for personal enrichment “the rise of public administration and the discovery of oil and natural gas are two major events seen to have led to a litany of ignorable corrupt practices in the country over the years, the country has seen its wealth withered with little to show in living condition of the common man.
In this view, a Nigerian political leader, Obafemi Awolowo raised a silent issue when he said since independence, of few holding the cow for the strongest and most cunning to milk”, under those circumstances everybody runs over everybody to make good at the expense of others. Characteristically, apologist for the failings of African governments have blamed colonist for the pervasive corruption. According to this view, the nations’ colonial history may have restricted any easily influence in an ethnical revolution through out the colonial period. Most Nigerians were stunk in ignorance and poverty. The trapping of flash cars, houses and success of the colonialists many influence the poor to see the colonialist as symbols of success and to emulate the colonists in different political ways.
Involvement in the agenda of colonial rule may also inhibit idealism in the easily stage of the nascent nations’ development. A view common held during the colonial days was that the colonists property (cars, houses, farms etc) is not our property.
Thus vandalism and looting of public property was not seen as a crime against society.
This view is what has degenerated into them or sent disregard for public property and lack of public trust and concern for public goods as collective national property.
According to Sen (1999 p. 225) states that corruption is “an effort to secure wealth or power through illegal means private gain at public expenses or a misuse of public power for private benefit”.
Therefore electoral corruption includes the purchase of vote with money, promises of offices or special favours, coercion, intimidation and interference with freedom of election (Nigeria is a good example where this practice is common, botes are bought, people are killed or maimed in the name of election, losers end up as the winners where voters turns up in areas where vogues were not cast.
Generally, the implication of political corruption appears in different forms such as electoral corruptions, bribery, fraud, embezzlement, extortion, nepotism godfatherism, favouritism, madness of second tenure system and others.
The implication of political corruption as an impediment to the economical, social cultural and political stability is not a recent phenomenon that pervades the Nigerian state.
It started as far back as the colonial era among the colonists but grown to its apex / climax since, the creation of modern public administration in the country.
There have been cases of official misuse of resources for personal enrichment. Nigeria’s political godfathers, which came into existence as a result of inability of some aspirants of political officers to afford or sources their fund to run the election political godfathers there are those who are the powerful wealthy men who sponsor the political aspirants in Nigeria palace known as political godfathers in which their political fathering activities has been culminating to political polarizations, political traumas, political upheavals and political brouhaha which has become the talk of the day.
What is known as Anambra state today was created as far back as 1991 under the leadership of Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, Anambra today is one of the largest and dominating southeast state and comprises of (21) twenty one local governments.
Since 19991, the violence, corruption and godfatherrism” occurring elsewhere in Nigeria have run a rampant in Anambra since then Anambra has been proved by some political analysis to remain the eyes of the most political corrupt state in Nigeria in which a wealthy member of Chris Uba is an iconic example of the godfathers phenomenon in Nigeria as a prove in 2003 Anambra gubernatorial election when PDP candidate Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige was sponsored and financed to rig the 2003 election in Anambra which the whole world witnessed their high level of electoral rigging, political irregularities political quagmires, political traumas and political upheavals as a result of godfatherrism, favoritism second tenure madness, nepotisms and other. By virtue of this unattainable agreement between Dr. Christ Nwabueze Ngige and his godfather Christ Uba, the two political gladiators degenerated a series of political traumas, electoral irregularities riggings, thurgry, kidnapping, killing, vandalization, false impeachment and all that.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Nigeria as a nation is facing serious political corruption problems namely:
i Lack of political education
ii Godfatherism concept
iii Electoral irregularities
iv Lack of party ideology
v Political polarizations, upheavals, quagmires, traumas and brouhaha.
vii Ethnicisms, nepotism, sectionalism and tribalism among the politicians.
vii Madness of second tenure concept
viii Lack of patriotism among he leaders
ix Marginalization
x High level of insecurity
xi Poverty at its climax heralding to high level of thugry and violent.
xii Centralization of power at the state level a case study of Anambra.
From all indications, challenges are daily, weekly monthly and yearly and may be to complete in the near future, unless there is a panel committee set up to eradicate the situation. However, they have to educate and internalize the masses to a lager extent using electronic voting system as to ensure transparency, justice, equity, good condense and free and fair elections. A question just came to my mind now, saying how can massive thurgry, been reduced in Anambra state election? The answer says that there should be an adequate provision of job opportunity as to engage the youths in one job or the other so that it will limit their state of poverty as an off-shoot of thurgry.
Based on these, the researcher has to vividly analyze those things that contributes to political corruption and its effect in Anambra state.
1.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to examine and provide the following in depth through analysis of political stability in Nigerian government and polities.
i To provide adequate political education to the Anambra youth and other politicians.
ii To provide suitable environment to enhance political stabilities.
iii To give a stop to luke warm concept of godfatherism in politics.
iv To provide job opportunities to Nigerian & Anambra youths to reduce the level of poverty which has been an offshoot of massive thurgry and kidnapping during election.
v To give proper causation and warning to the fraudulent INEC officials on the side of their electoral fraud and regulates which has been culminating to political traumas and qaugmire in Anambra state.
vi To mandate the state government to delegate power to the local government level as to enhance mass participation and political enlightment.
vii To ensure political stability which may conversely heralds to free and fair election in Anambra state
viii To encourage electronic voting system in Anambra state for more effective and efficient politicking and free and fair elections.
ix To ensure mass participation in the political activities
x To ensure adequate party ideology in Nigeria government and politics.
More so, the study has the following aim to explain why Anambra state elections had never once been conducted free and fair.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The researcher put down the following questions when he was carrying out this project.
i To what extent does political corruption affects the Anambra state political, social and economical lives of people?
ii What ways could the political leaders, followers and INEC officials would be baptized (improved) so as to ensure higher equity, transparency, free and fair elections?
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