CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background to the Study
Nigeria as a country is not only popular for its economic and man power potentials but also, for monumental corruption ‘manifestations’ that plagues its government and institutions. The country, in the past decades has been ‘decorated’ with top ten positions among the league of corrupt nations by Transparency International and other international watchdog organizations. With anti-graft in his campaign manifesto, it was an ‘easy’ task for Muhammadu Buhari to succeed the government of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, which was allegedly famous for corruption ‘manifestations’ and impunity in the 2015 presidential elections.This work appraises Nigeria’s strategy in the fight against corruption under Buhari’s five years in office (2015-2019).
The work argues that Buhari’s anti-graft strategy in its years is misguided and misconceived. For clear focus and in the course of carrying out this research, shows that of a truth Buhari’s campaign against corruption has been one-sided, involved with craftiness and full of pretense, misguided and misconceived.
Nigerian economic growth is still unstable and fractional because of the false notion in the name of fighting corruption that has eaten deep into every system of the country, this is why the relationship between corruption and the Nigerian economic growth is nothing to write home about. Therefore, it is on this basis, that the researcher drew out formidable suggestions that Private Anti-Corruption Initiatives, Public anti-corruption initiatives and Public education campaign/programmes should be strengthened and motivated to address the cause of corruption rather than its effects. Corruption in all ramifications has continued to jeopardize the efforts of governments in forging national unity, infrastructural development and in most cases, leaving the majority of a nation’s citizens to live in absolute poverty. The phenomenon has persisted in many countries mostly due to weak political will or the lack of it necessary to curb the menace. In its simplest form corruption reflects the use of public office for private gain. As a remedy to this there should be a demonstration of credible intent by political leaders, stakeholders groups to attack perceived causes or effects of corruption at a systemic level. This demonstration of credible capacity reflects political will. The political will to curb corruption is also the political will to pursue other goals like good governance and national unity. Political will is not equivalent to political manifesto rhetoric or pressure group statements. Rather, it is the manifestation of a robust system of checks and balances and strong political institutions for combating corruption and promoting good governance as well as restoring trust and confidence in democratic politics which one reflects strong political will for good governance, because, if political will is to be more than just a slogan, it must be understood in a broad context. This reinforces the believe that if there is an absence of political will at the top, there will be a general lack of commitment to combat corruption, and pursue other important national goals as political development and poverty reduction, because political will is essential in anticorruption crusade management in Nigeria, and has the reciprocal dimension of providing the incentives for good governance of any nation.
