LEADERSHIP AND CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA
Introduction:
Leadership has always been one of the best factors to consider when determining the goal of a society or a community, it does not matter how big or small a community might be; it has to have a leader if it wants to be developed and harmonized (Ushakov). Leadership has always played a big role in the developing countries, or anywhere in the world. It is very difficult to find a society whether in an urban areas or rural areas functioning without a leader.
Leadership has been defined generally as how a single person takes responsibility of directing a community towards a common goal (Ushakov 2). Of course it has so many types, or styles rather. Different people lead in so many different ways, the matter of it being advantageous (benefits the society) or disadvantageous (deteriorates the society) depends on the visions and agendas set forward by the leader. Some leaders tend to use force in trying to get their objectives done, for example, Alexander the great, the king of Macedonia; while some leaders use their charismatic abilities to influence people to achieve success in their goals, for example, Mahatma Ghandi.
Corruption on the other hand is always a bad move in any society. It does not have any importance in a community. It brings lack of trust, lack of unity, selfishness, and reduces the standards of the society. By general definition of corruption, it always means dishonesty and an act that involves bribery (Stevenson). The higher the corruption of a society, the more the problems of that society clump together until it reaches a major point. Once corruption starts, it eats away the society bit by bit and it keeps on getting bigger and bigger in the society if not stopp...
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...f allowing a single mistake that could replicate the conditions of the past. Everybody must be treated equally.
Works Cited
Anazodo Rosemary, Okoye J.C, and Ezenwile Uche. “LEADERSHIP-CORRUPTION: THE BANE OF NIGERIA DEVELOPMENT.” African Journal of Social Sciences (2012): 11.
Ebegbulem, Joseph. “Corruption and Leadership Crisis in Africa: Nigeria in Focus.” International Journal of Business and Social Science (2012): 7.
Emma, Chukwuemeka. “Curbing Corruption in Nigeria: The Imperatives of Good Leadership.” An International Multidisciplinary Journal, Ethiopia (2012): 20.
Oluwole Owoye, Nicole Bissessar. “Bad Governance and Corruption in Africa:.” (n.d.): 30.
Stevenson, Angus. Oxford Dictionaries. 2010. 12 April 2014 .
Ushakov, Pavel. “Ethics and Leadership (part 2).” Yola, 9 April 2014.
Chetwynd, Eric, Frances Chetwynd, and Bertram Spector. "Corruption and Poverty: A Review of Recent Literature." Management Systems International (2003): n. pag. Print.
Consequent to leadership challenges and persistent socio-political decadence in Nigeria, governmental organizations that espouse value orientation, positioned to sensitize attitudinal change are expected to operate with grander leadership efficiency for the actualization of organizational goals . The need for re-orientation of values in government organizations increases as lack of accountability, blatant disregard for the fundamentals of the rule of law, corruption and lack of ethics have become so prevalent and institutionalized causing a crisis of ethics (Ikejiani-Clark, 2001 ; Omale & Amana ). Presenting explanations for corruption and various unethical behaviors in the Nigerian public sector, Ikejiani-Clark (2001) reported "the complexities
... Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 8(3), 77-88. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2349548361).
Rose-Ackerman, Susan. Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform. N.p.: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print.
Chinua Achebe is one of the established author in Nigeria and all over the world at large. In this book, Achebe shows us how corruption has shaped the lives and behaviour of the Nigerian society from colonial era to present independence.
Corruption can be defined as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Transparency International (TI) breaks down the definition even further. IT states that “There is a large difference between "according to rule" corruption and "against the rule" corruption.” “Facilitation payments occurs when a bribe is paid to receive special treatment for something that the party receiving the bribe is required to do by law, this makes up the “according to rule”. The latter, or against th...
Daniel Jordan Smith presents an outstanding work full of insight and appreciation of Nigerian culture. The content is enriched by his years spent working there, his marriage to a Nigerian woman and his obvious affinity for the Nigerian people. Smith’s primary aim is to reflect upon popular Nigerian sentiment toward corruption but also to explore just how entrenched corrupt practices have become in society. The book focuses on two main elements; how Nigeria is as much a ‘culture of corruption’ as it is ‘against corruption’ (p. 6).
...ld help improve the economy of the nation. The pocketing of profits by corrupt government officials shows characteristics of patrimonialism, which not only hinders the economy because these profits are the sole source of revenue for the nation, but also harms the democratic stability of the nation and can to some extent cause the regime changes of the nation. The civic conflicts of the nation are not handled by the government and not only do these conflicts drain revenue from the government, but shows the lack of mobilization in the government, possibly due to a lack of taxation, due to the resource curse. These claims show that the resource curse has affected the government and economy of Nigeria greatly as it leads to ineffective and corrupt government with a hindered chance of democratization, with civic conflict that cannot be controlled by the civic government.
The development of a country depends generally on the work and values of its society. The image of a country can be severely damaged by certain actions and behavior of their citizens, like bribery. When a country is known as a corrupt nation, not only will the facade of the country be affected, but also the economy. Establishing measures to eradicate corruption are urgently necessary. Corruption has been around since the begging of time, but currently is more common in business, more specifically, international business. Although some organizations have been formed, and conventions have been signed in order to end it, corruption is still one of the mayor problems around the world. An ethical view might bring more insight to why bribery and corruption is not a moral act and why more severe measures should be taken into consideration.
Leadership is trait that is extremely important in any society. Leadership is known as the way people attempting to make a difference in a situation. However, I believe that it is better said to be a way of influencing others actions. Leadership is usually connected to a great leader that affected his or her followers in a dynamic way. Throughout the semester for my leadership class, I have expanded the knowledge in numerous ways. I now have fully understanding of the purpose and process of leadership to a society. Being a leader one must maintain an image of being the role model. I believe that this is leader should be who is someone who has the ability to influence, encourage, listen, and nurture. They are able to inspire, stimulate, persuade, shape, and have an effect on others.
Nigeria, with its prodigous oil and natural gas reserves, has the potential to be one of the most affluent places on the planet, were it not for the rampant corruption that defines it. Instead, it is the 20th poorest country in the world1. Much like the guanxi of China, Nigeria practices prebendalism—the use of high-level positions to gain personal wealth. In other words, people exchange money for political favors, which of course creates a greedy and corrupt society. The extent of this fraudulency is such that most of Nigeria's oil wealth is sucked up by one per cent of the population, while more than 60% falls below the poverty line. In fact, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has determined that 92% of Nigeria lives on less than one dollar a day2. Meanwhile, it is estimated that in the past 50 years, three to four hundred billion dollars have been stolen by government officials.
Economists know quite a bit about the causes and consequences of corruption. An important body of knowledge was acquired through theoretical research done in the 1970s by Jagdish Bhagwati, Anne Krueger, and Susan Rose-Ackerman, among others. A key principle is that corruption can occur where rents exist--typically, as a result of government regulation--and public officials have discretion in allocating them. The classic example of a government restriction resulting in rents and rent-seeking behavior is that of an import quota and the associated licenses that civil servants give to those entrepreneurs willing to pay bribes.
Leadership is the ability to influence individuals to make them want to achieve the objectives of the group the importance of leadership. It is the link between the workers and the organization's future plans and perceptions. It is working to unify the efforts of workers towards achieving the goals set. Control over the work and draw the necessary plans to solve problems. The development of individuals and their training, care and motivate them. The ability to increase individual development and humanitarian and practical
Montesh, M. (n.d.). Conceptualizing Corruption: Forms, Causes, Types and Consequences. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from
Corruption and fraud is a relevant topic in South Africa and will continue to be so until it is able to be limited. Corruption is committed mainly by people in power as they neglect and take advantage of this power in order to better themselves at the expense of others. Fraud and corruption is the wrongful or criminal deception that results in financial or personal gain. Government officials, police officers and some unexpected individuals such as law officials have been known to commit corruption and fraud. There have been cases of corruption in the 2014 elections and the political parties have seen that it is something the community is concerned over. Each party has addressed this concern and suggested ways in which to limit this corruption. Not only is corruption morally wrong, but it causes trust problems between the community and people in power, the people who are meant to help society. (1)