EFFECT OF CORRUPTION IN GOVERNANCE A STUDY OF NIGERIA

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study There is no way we will not talk about the problem of corruption and reckless wastage of scarce resources when discussing the tragedy of development and obstacles facing democratic governance in most developing countries including Nigeria. This does not mean that corruption and prodigality is only found in developing countries. Although corruption is stubbornly entrenched in most underdeveloped or developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, but corruption is found virtually in all nations of the world, including countries in Latin America, deep-rooted in those industrialized countries, and widespread in most of the post- communist countries (Amundsen, 1999). Corruption is deep-rooted in the fabric of the Nigerian society, and it has greatly affected the political life of the nation Like cancer, corruption is a disease which has its effect on the political, economic and cultural life of a society and it inhibit vital organs of the polity from functioning. One of the greatest challenges of the modern world is corruption, and it destroys governance, causes misallocation of resources, distorts public policy, poses danger to the private sector and its development and hurts the poor (Transparency International, 2013). Nigeria is one of the world's most corrupt nations according to the corruption index; Nigeria maintains high rank in corruption. Out of 180 countries, Nigeria was ranked 154 in the Transparency International 2021 Corruption Perception (CPI), scoring 24 out of 100 on the index. The 2021 ranking showed that Nigeria slipped 5 places from 149 out of 180 most corrupt countries in the world in 2020. Corruption is found in the society at all levels without exception. This menace is responsible for bureaucratic bottle neck in public service whereby files move slowly in offices, and we see congestion of sea port, extortion on our roads fees by the police, long queues at petrol stations and passport offices, irregularities during election period ghost workers syndrome, and so on (Aluko, 2009). However, corruption is not only found in government but it is also present at every aspect of the society, yet in both poor and economically stable countries, the poorest sector of the society is mostly affected by corruption. The effect of corruption is felt in all aspects of the society including the environment, political and economic development, democracy and on people's health. As an assumption, corruption is playing the nation's fabric socially, economically, culturally and politically. According to Jega (2005) corruption is a culture in Nigeria that poses serious threat to the nation's political, social and economic development. In line with this, Abduraheed (2021) posited that corruption contributed enormously to Nigeria's failure of consolidating democracy and in sustaining good governance, causing the nation to lose its moral values and culture as a nation, and it is making Nigeria lose its image among the country of nations. Many developing countries failed to develop or at least experience development because of corruption (Treisman, 2000). The focus of this study is political corruption, an aspect of corruption that entails the engagement of policy makers and those who implement the laws, in illicit or unethical activities. Political corruption occurs when laws and regulations are perverted to the benefit of politicians and their self-interests. Politicians rule on behalf of the people in a representative democratic system, this give them the opportunity to have control over all aspects of the governing process because of the right privilege they possess in making laws and their effective control of the state bureaucracy (Sorensen, 2006). Corrupt practices of these politicians and that of their appointees is regarded as political corruption. Collier (2000) argued that political corruption is an intense complex creating a number of social factors; hence it is a difficult concept to study. This can be seen in how it is measured, definitions and theories, all lack universality, and this makes it difficult to study. B