The Malady of Corruption and the Implications for the Wellness of Nigerian Society

Abstract

Given the nature and structure of Nigerian state characterised by intense struggling for state power and resources, blatant disregard for the rule of law, high incidence of politicization of both public and private sectors, and the quest for personal aggrandizement among other vices. In view of the aforementioned, the pervasiveness trend of corruption has become inevitable. In essence, the intense struggling for political power and high premium placed on wielding of such power has led to corruption and impoverishment of the masses. In this paper, therefore, it is argued that it will be difficult if not impossible for a failed state like Nigeria to curb corruption, given the high level of distrust between the government and the populace and the fact that the political stability in Nigeria has been largely sustain through gross corruption. In a sense, other factors like the political will to concede defeat to opposition by the incumbent and smooth transfer of political power from one form of government to another irrespective of corrupt status of the government involved were given more priority than the will to curb corruption and improve well being of Nigerian citizens: as we have witnessed in the 1999 military transfer of power to democratically elected government and 2015 smooth transfer of power by then incumbent government to the opposition. However, this is not an attempt to foreclose that all hopes are lost in Nigeria's efforts to curb corruption, particularly if the government can re-establish a trust network relationship between itself and the citizens through equity, justice, accountability, if the government can strengthen its efforts to reduce poverty, and if the lessons and strategies from the success stories of Singapore and Hong-Kong in fighting corruption could be adopted in Nigeria.