CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Ever since her independence in 2960 and her subsequent attainment as a Republic in 1963, Nigeria has been battling the malaise of corruption and poverty. Several policies and programmes have also been formulated to tackle these two factors which are not only accused of causing backwardness, but also to a greater extent serve as an impediment to development.
Poverty in Nigeria has been described as being pervasive and persistent despite the fact that the country is one of the richest countries in Africa. The nation’s general picture depicts a continuous rise in poverty incidence. While in 1980 only 27.2% of the Nigerian population were said to be poor, there was a continuous rise in the proportion between 1985 and 1998 (Ogwumike, 2001). Though they tend according to National Bureau of Statistics (2005) declined from 66.5% in 1996 to 54.4% in 2004, the fact that over 50% of the Nigerian population has remained poor should be seen in the words of Kwanashie (2000) as an unacceptable situation.
The high incidence of poverty in Nigeria has become a concern to policy makers and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians because, as asserted by United Nation Development Programme (2001), it has not only increased from 27.2% in 1980 to 54.4% in 2004 but it is estimated to be rising by 10% in every 3 years.
In addition, despite several effort by government, non-governmental organizations, international donors agencies, the nation’s poverty situation has become worse judging by different indices. The nation’s enormous wealth being the world’s seventh largest exporter of oil, sixth largest producer in OPEC, Africa’s largest oil exporter and the fifth biggest source of United State’s oil imports was a good potential for effective reduction and possibly eradication of poverty (National Planning Commission, 2004; oil statistics, n.d;. Thomas and Canagarajah, 2002). Yet, Nigeria is not only one of the poorest countries in the world but also in Africa and indeed in South Saharan Africa despite its abundant resources and various efforts toward reducing her poverty level.
It is often argued that the fundamental reasons for the failure of poverty eradication efforts are corruption and implementation bottlenecks, which are responsible for the present situation where in the words of NPC (1995), Onibokun and Kumuyi (1996) have not only aggravated the level of mass poverty in Nigeria but that poverty has been continuous and worsening.
This situation has elicited responses from several administrations of the Nigerian government since independence. For example, policies and programmes set up by the past administrations to alleviate poverty includes:
Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP)
National Directorate of Employment (NDE)
Better Life For Rural Dwellers (BLRD)
Family Support Programme (FSP)
Operation Feed the Nation (OFN)
Agricultural Development Project (ADP)
Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC)
Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP)
Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and a host of others.
Data from the World’s Bank Report indicated that Nigeria’s Human Development Index (HDI) was only 0.416 and that about 70% of the population was vegetating below the bread line.
It has been observed and revealed by scholars that corruption is the main obstacle towards the realization of these policies and programmes. This malaise seem to halt development in all its ramification despite the amount of effort put by government to alleviate people from poverty.
On assumption of office on May 29 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo took upon his administration of poverty and corruption. In an effort to reduce these impediments, President Obasanjo earmarked the sum of #10 billion for the establishment of poverty alleviating programme and on the 29th of September 2000, the inaugurated the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to battle corruption (Eminue, 2005).
Akwa Ibom State, a sub state of Nigeria is certainly not immune to the diseases of corruption and poverty. Accordingly, both the state and federal government has provided the state with the institutional structures for poverty eradication. Some of these structures includes:
Life Enhancement Agency Programme (LEAP)
Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP)
Family Support Programme (FSP)
State Enhancement and Empowerment Development Strategy (SEEDS), among others.
Like past poverty alleviation programmes, it has been discovered that the unrelenting hands of corruption has touched those programmes thus becoming the major constraint accused of causing the ineffective functioning of these laudable programmes.
In order to save these programmes from total decay, this research affects the implementation of poverty alleviation strategies. It also aims at discovering the causes of corruption during implementation as well as providing adequate measures to eliminating it.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It has been observed that corruption is the main obstacle towards the realization of poverty alleviation programmes in Akwa Ibom State. Corruption has been suggested to have a negative impact on development (Erhomegbe, 2012; Sherman and Berloni, 1998), the reason is that apart from the fact that it leads to outrageous increase in the amount of funds required to run these programmes and the allocation of resources in areas which are not needed, it also leads to a leakage of funds out of the programme’s distribution system. Corruption has blocked the poor from enjoying and attaining the aims and objective of these programmes.
Inspite of the fact that these programmes are present, the poor get poorer by the day. This is the problem which impedes the attainment of goals of poverty reduction strategies in the state.
To expose the problem, pertinent questions are asked:
What causes corruption in the course of implementing a poverty alleviation programmes?
How does corruption affect the success of the implementation of these poverty alleviation programmes?
How do corrupt practices in these programmes tickle down to affect the poor who are the main target of the programme?
What impact do corruption have on the decision making process of the programmes implementation?
What is the efficacy of the anti-corruption mechanism in place?
Provision of answers to the above questions shall be very beneficial in dealing with corruption.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
When the statement of the problem is examined, the following objectives will shape the focus of this study, as it aims specifically to achieve them:
To examine the impact of corruption in the implementation of poverty alleviation programme in Akwa Ibom State.
To unveil the leakages in the anti-corruption mechanism that allows the practice of corruption in Akwa Ibom State.
To bring into limelight the impact of corruption on the successful implementation of poverty alleviation programme in Akwa Ibom State.
To examine the impact of corruption on the decision making process of the implementation of the programmes.
To examine the impact of corrupt practice in poverty alleviation programmes on the poor, for whom the programmes are designed for.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The questions that this study seek to answer are:
What programmes have Akwa Ibom State undertaken in order to alleviate poverty in the state?
To what extent have these programmes been affected by corrupt practices?
What are the causes of corruption during implementation of the programmes?
What measures should be initiated to eliminate corruption during programme implementation?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
The hypothesis tested in this study is stated in its null form as follows:
H01: Corruption is not responsible for the abysmal implementation of the poverty alleviation programmes.
H02: Poor salary structure of implementers does not lead to corrupt practices or give rise to poor implementation.
H03: Ineffectiveness of the anti-corruption measures and structures does not enhance poor implementation.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The finding of this study shall contribute enormously to constructing a more alleviation programme and at the same time ginger up anti-corruption structures to their work of battling down corruption.
It will also be useful to the implementers, beneficiaries and the government. it hopes to inform the government as to whether the mechanisms for tackling corruption is functioning effectively or abysmally.
Finally, this research will serve as a literature review for future researchers who may intend to update or carryout further research on the related issue.
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Although the implication of this study is evident in Nigeria and other Third World Countries. But nevertheless, this research project will cover the land mass of Akwa Ibom State with some important reference to the Nigerian state in general.
The major constraints faced in trying to assess poverty alleviation programme in Akwa Ibom State is lack of adequate data on the quantitative impact of corruption on the programmes. Despite this shortcoming, attempts were made to conduct a thorough analysis based on the limited information available. Secondly, time and money are required for transportation to meet appointment with those to be interviewed, procurement of relevant research materials and the preparation and administration of research instruments.
