USE OF CORRUPTION AS AN INSTRUMENT TO REMAIN IN POWER Corruption is a behavior that leads Man to deviate from the formal duties of a public role or tasks given to him under oath or pledges to illegally acquire private gains as incentives for (Personal, Close Family, Private Clique, Pecuniary or Status) benefits. Many historical events have proved that moral corruption has been the destructive axe that ruined civilizations anywhere in the world and it dents personal image or good name of a person engaged in this moral corrupt practice Corruption in Leadership can be referred to as any importation or imposition of distortions in the implementation of the existing laws, prescribed laws, rules and regulations to gain advantage(s) to either government or an agent of government to acquire illicit and non-transparent private benefit(s) using leadership power. Corruption has broadly been defined also as a perversion or a change from good to bad. In a related view point and in a specific term peculiar to Nigerian factor, corruption or corrupt behavior involves the violation of established constitutional provision (s) for personal gain or to seek illegal elongation of term in office for intentional defraud of constitutional provision. As far as the rule of law is concern, any attempt to intentionally use power to change the status quo relating to the term in office for elective positions as it is enshrine in the constitution can be seen as an importation or imposition of distortions against the constitutional provision to defraud justice and inflict destructive axe for ruination of democracy in Nigeria, visa viz aspiring for illegal third term sworn in consecutively as president of the federal republic of Nigeria There are factors to be considered and seen responsible for different forms of corruption in leadership in Nigeria today which include few among others: BRIBERY: The payment in (money or kind) that is taken or given in an illegal relationship to persuade others to act in support of the illegal move to defraud the Constitutional provision by offering kickbacks, gratuities, pays off, sweeteners, greasing palms, plot of land allocation(s), lucrative contract(s), Ghana must go and greener appointment(s) with the view to influence others to act contrary to the rules or constitutional provision to create advantage for the leaders or intentionally smuggle illegal agenda to achieve and benefit from leadership-inflicting interest against the interest of the nation. FRAUD: It involves some kind of trickery, swindle and deceit, counterfeiting, racketing, smuggling and forgery of a sensitive national document with the intention of taking advantage illegally over and above the existing laws, prescribed laws, rules and regulations for the purpose of enhancing advantage(s) for the benefit of leadership against the constitutional provision. This is more common to politicians who use fraud tactics for various irregularities intentionally to remain in power or to move around within the corridor of power. EMBEZZLEMENT: This is theft of public resources by public officials who are the leaders or misappropriation of the public resources as well as any valuable property in form of money or materials including misuse of utility vehicles for (Personal, Close Family, Private Clique and Political Party or Ally). Embezzlement of public funds is one of the most common way of financing political campaigns or funding the party activities illegally, perhaps, this may be due to lack of strict adherence to financial and administrative regulatory systems in the country. EXTORTION: This implies to the use of money or other resources extracted by the use of force, violence or threats for cunning deception, cunning action or plan that is intended to cheat or deceive the nation by the leaders to achieve distraction of: the existing law, peace, stability and unity of the country. Extortion may include use of money in local or hard currency to support insurgency to achieve destabilization of the country or any region of the country for rampaging of community(s) in the region. It also implies to the intentional act of obtaining something by threats: such as use of money or information from someone by using force, threats or other unacceptable method for selfish motives to achieve destabilization of the system, law, rules and regulations or order of proceedings, such as the recently imposed impeachment saga that happened against the opposition party in this country. FAVORITISM: This is a mechanism of power abuse implying a highly biased distribution of national resources to favor tribe, region, friends, family or anybody in the same political party or anyone loyal to the political game of the ruling party. However, this is seen as a natural human proclivity to favor, but it should be legally accepted and must be transparent. Imaging how the distribution and allocation of the national statutory funds in this country, you may wish to analyze what have been given to one entire region of the country as the statutory funds; the total sum is less than what one small size population state in the other region receives monthly as national statutory allocation. This kind of imbalance is another clear form of corruption motivated by favoritism NEPOTISM: This is a special form of favoritism in which a leader prefers his kinfolk and family members over and above the rest of the citizens. Nepotism occurs when one is exempted from the application of certain laws or regulations or given undue preference in the allocation of scarce resources to favor one section of the country against less privileged section of the same country. POLITICAL OFFICE: this is consider as the primary means of gaining access to national cake or wealth from public treasury to be siphoned for personal and self-accumulation of wealth by the political class and the top ranking personnels. For effective control of corruption, the society must develop a culture of relative openness, in contrast to bureaucratic climate of secrecy. Merit system should be adopted in employment and distribution of national resources. More importantly, the leadership must muster the political will to tackle the problem head-on, regardless of where it occurs, what causes corruption or the form it takes, the simple fact remains that corruption is likely to have a more profound and different effects in Nigeria, than in wealthy and developed countries. The cause of corruption today, is as a result of moral decadence and a breach of social and spiritual moralities which affect every aspect of our national life. As a proof of the significance of morality is that the Prophet Mohammed (PBH&P) considered morality as the aim of his Divine mission: He said: I was appointed for prophet-hood so that I may accomplish moral perfection. It is quite unfortunate to see Muslims, after having been the leaders in this country in several occasions and were supposed to be pioneers to good moral virtues, but on the contrary lose their positions now because of their deviation from the moralities enshrines by Islam or because they associated with sentiments; they lose the moral heritage for leadership in which Islam has groomed them with, and fall into the ditch of shame and inferiority as we are seeing today. “The Prophet (PBH&P) Said: Once corrupt people become masters and their chieftain becomes the most degraded and the dissipated have been respected, then affliction is anticipated”. Thus, they have been plunging in humble manners of moral corruption. They are required, if they intend to regain their dignity and good reputation, to restudy their huge moral heritage as a value and uphold to it. If they do so, they will reacquire peoples trust and admiration and will be; the best of the nations rose up for (the benefit of) mankind. There are two classes of leaders today that spoil this country regardless of their background and where they came from or their beliefs, and are responsible for calamity in Nigeria, they are Political Dictators and Capitalists, It is these two groups who ignite wars always on the nation, backed up by corrupt religious scholars, I mention again, the CORRUPT RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS as their collaborators in crime and conspirators in national tragedy so that they can gain favor of looting public treasury. The Messenger of Allah (PBH&P) spoke truly when he says: ‘There are two groups from my nation who if righteous, my nation will be righteous and if corrupt, my nation will be corrupts.’ He was asked: Who are they? O Messenger of God.’ He said: ‘The scholars and the leaders.’ Those who ignited wars then were corrupt commanders and counterfeiting scholars who used to collaborate in oppressing the populace. Hence the Prophet alerted the dangers of these two groups. The same thing, Ameerul Mumineen Aliyu ibn Abuthalib (AS) alerted Malik ibn Ashtar who was appointed as a then new governor for Egypt during his time as a caliph. In the letter of appointment he gave to Malik, Ameerul Mumineen warned Malik, as soon as, on assumption to duty, should combat corruption and oppression amongst the officers, and to control markets; (imports and exports), to curb evils of profiteering, hoarding, black-marketing. In it he has also explained stages of various classes in a society, the duties of the government towards the lowest class, how they are to be looked after and how their conditions are to be improved, the principle of equitable distribution of wealth and opportunities, orphans and their up-bringing, maintenance of the handicapped, crippled and disabled persons and substitutes in lieu of homes for the aged and the disabled. This how to govern any nation or society justly In wider perspective, politics means guiding the society to meet up its needs and showing the way for societal development and reliance; it means considering all the interests of the society, and taking into account all aspects of man and his society and guide toward observing ethical values. However, power is something that is frightening. It misleads man as well as disenchants and corrupts the society. Power excesses can make person feels powerful on top of everything and if not ethically guided can be seen as rebel to God, rebel to constituted authority and forgets his position as a servant of God and the people he is leading, and nourishes an illusion of controlling everything.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 21:16:13 +0000
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