Corruption and Corrupt Practices in the Nigerian Public Service: An Appraisal

Right from the time of colonial administration in Nigeria, corruption and corrupt practices have been largely identified as impediment in the dealings of government. What is however, clear is that the magnitude of the offence of corruption was comparatively minimal and easily controlled. It is well acknowledged that corruption is morally degenerative, base, depraved, tainted, spoiled and vitiated behavior perpetrated for purposes of unjust enrichment. Corruption erodes the moral fabric of society and more critically, it violates the social and economic rights of the poor and the vulnerable. It in essence undermines democracy, retards development and bastardizes the integrity of government. Corruption has caused serious breakdown of the value systems in Nigeria resulting in loss of ethical values, dishonest behaviors and high levels of moral decadence. That Nigeria experiences high levels of corruption today especially in the public sector is a clear demonstration of diminished ethical values and battered integrity. It will therefore not be wrong to conclude that widespread corruption in Nigeria is a symptom that the State is not functioning well. Corruption has earned Nigeria a failed State in all its ramification. Nigerians are grappling with finding a lasting solution to the problem albeit difficulties and rather than make progress in the struggle, the situation appears worse. Consequent upon the fact that corruption continues to rear its ugly head that defy solution, opinions abound that this is due to tardiness of the laws and so the need for the emergence of new regime of legislation. There is no doubt that migration from hitherto petty corruption to grand corruption in Nigeria is frightening and mind bugging. It is however, not due to weak or bad laws. Rather, the people of Nigeria are apathetic to fight corruption. Thus the top where the therapy is mostly needed lack the political will and seriousness to fight the menace. Selective prosecution in most cases is adopted by government agencies charged with the responsibility to detect, arrest and effectively prosecute corrupt officers. In this paper the various definitions of corruption by scholars have been presented. Also the forms and characteristics, indices and key issues involved in corruption as well the commonest types of corrupt practices perpetrated by public servants in Nigeria have been highlighted. The legal and institutional frameworks in the control of corruption have also been briefly mentioned because of lack of space while the possible control measures, recommendations and responses constitute the fulcrum and thrust of the later party of the paper by way conclusion. We ended up with a call for the Nigerian government to brace up with high degree of seriousness and political will to effectively fight corruption.