This paper focuses on the menace of corruption in Nigeria, and how ethical values can be encouraged, to aid in the fight against corruption

1. 1
2015 CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL
MANAGEMENT OF NIGERIA (CIPMN) ESSAY
COMPETITION
ON
WINNING THE WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA
THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF OUR ETHICAL VALUES

2. 2
PARTICIPANT’S DETAILS
NAME: Egwe Tochukwu Chris
INSTITUTION: Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra
COURSE: Law
EMAIL ADDRESS: drdesiretiecak@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.christeckwrites.com
WORD COUNT: 2993 Words, excluding title pages and references.

3. 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 COVER PAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
 PARTICIPANT’S DETAILS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3
 ABSTRACT - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
 INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
 WHAT IS CORRUPTION? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5
 CORRUPTION IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
 CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
 THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9
 WHAT ARE ETHICAL VALUES? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - 9
 ETHICAL VALUES IN THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11
 PROMOTING ETHICAL VALUES TO HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
CORRRUPTION IN NIGERIA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12
 CONCLUSION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14
 REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- 15

4. 4
WINNING THE WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA THROUGH THE
PROMOTION OF OUR ETHICAL VALUES
ABSTRACT
The spate of corruption in Nigeria is on the increase daily. Research works conducted by various bodies in
recent times have revealed a high level of corruption in some major public institutions in the country.
Though efforts have been made by previous administrations of the government - especially within the past
decade - to combat this societal evil, yet concrete results have not been achieved. Against this backdrop, it
is imperative to resort to the promotion of our ethical values as a viable means for combating corruption in
Nigeria.
This essay looks at the concept of corruption, the situation in Nigeria, the concept of ethical values, and
how they can help in the fight against corruption. Finally, it proffers strategies for promoting ethical values.
Keywords: Corruption, Ethics, Values
INTRODUCTION
Recently, the newly sworn President of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd), set up a panel to begin
a probe on the activities of the immediate past administration – that of President Goodluck Jonathan. The
purported aims of this exercise are to ascertain allegations of corrupt practices among public officials during
the administration and to bring the offenders to book. This is amidst various concerns being raised, over the
high level of corruption in the country. In addressing the menace of corruption in Nigeria, and the move to
combat it, it is pertinent to understand certain issues, like what corruption really is, the history and current
state of corruption in Nigeria, and the way forward. These will be examined below.

5. 5
WHAT IS CORRUPTION?
There is no universally adopted definition of corruption. Many definitions and explanations have been
proffered by authorities in various disciplines. Etymologically, the term “corruption” is derived from the
Latin word “corruptus” which translates in English to perverted, spoiled or contaminated. Senior (2006)
defines corruption as “an action to secretly provide a good or a service to a third party so that he or she can
influence certain actions which benefit either the corrupt, a third party, or both, and in which the corrupt
agent has authority”. Kaufman and Pedro (2005) extends the definition of corruption to include the concept
of ‘legal corruption’, in which power is abused within the confines of the law, since those in power possess
the ability to make laws for their personal interests. Transparency International gives a broad definition of
corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain”. The body (Transparency International) also
classifies corruption into
- Petty corruption, which is referred to, as the everyday abuse of entrusted power by low and mid level
public officials in their interactions with ordinary citizens.
- Grand corruption, which are seen as acts committed at a high level of government that distort
policies or the central functioning of the state, enabling leaders to benefit at the expense of the public
good. (Slater, 2011)
The Anti-Corruption Resource Centre proposes a third class of corruption, known as Systemic or Endemic
corruption which is said to occur when “corruption is an integrated and essential aspect of the economic,
social and political system”. Corruption is a phenomenon that is found in both the public and private sectors
and in virtually every country in the world, though in varying degrees.
The Corrupt Practices Act (2000) lists various acts of corruption like bribery, fraudulent activities and graft;
from the definitions given above, other acts of corruption are embezzlement, theft, extortion, blackmail etc.

6. 6
CORRUPTION IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2014, released by Transparency International, out of 174 countries,
Somalia was shown to be the country with the highest level of corruption, with a cleanliness rank of 174,
and a score of 8, while Denmark was the least corrupt country, with a cleanliness rank of 1 and score of 92.
Nigeria was the 15th most corrupt country, with a cleanliness rank of 136 and a score of 27.
Also in its Global Corruption Barometer 2013, the following institutions were perceived by the public in
106 countries, as the most corrupt ones respectively:
- Political Parties
- The Police Force
- Public Servants
- The Judiciary
Findings from that research showed that residents in Bangladesh and Vanuatu expressed willingness the
most, to help in the fight against corruption in their countries.
CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA
Since Nigeria gained Independence in 1960, there have been various incidences and cases of corruption.
These have progressed with time. A quick look at the successive administrations that have governed the
country shows the following:
- During the administration of Nnamdi Azikiwe, there were three major corruption scandals that
occurred involving the purchase of a bank by the Azikiwe family, allegations against Adegoke
Adelabu, and allegations against native authority officials in Bornu.

7. 7
- During General Gowon’s administration, the level of corruption in the country was kept away from
the public view, though there were allegations and criticisms against the governors appointed by
Gowon.
- There were changes made during the short administration of Murtala Mohammed that helped in
curbing corrupt practices.
- The military administration of Olusegun Obasanjo continued the reforms started by Murtala
Mohammed.
- During the administration of President Shehu Shagari, the level of corruption in the country rose
significantly, especially among government officials.
- The military regime of General Buhari made significant efforts in combating corruption, prominent
among which, was the ‘War Against Indiscipline’ campaign.
- The administration of General Babangida is regarded as that which institutionalized corruption in the
country, almost to the status of a state policy (Modern Ghana, 2009).
- The level of corruption during the Abacha-led administration was revealed after his death. Bank
accounts (belonging to him) with huge deposits of more than a $1 billion US dollars siphoned from
the country’s coffers were discovered in 2000, across Europe. (Pallister, 2000).
- The administration of General Abdulsalami Abubakar lasted for a short period of time and focused
mainly on the transition to civilian rule. There have been allegations however, over the involvement
of his government in the Haliburton scandal.
- There were various allegations of corruption among top government officials during the civilian
government of President Olusegun Obasanjo. During his rule, the ICPC and EFCC bodies were
established to combat corruption in the country.
- During the administration of President Umaru Yar Adua, there were investigations made, concerning
allegations of corruption leveled against some former political leaders. However this yielded little
results, partly due to attempts made to thwart such investigations.

8. 8
- During the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, there were series of allegations of
corruption against top government officials. Since the conclusion of his tenure, more scandals and
allegations have arisen, as a result of which President Buhari has ordered investigations to be made
into the activities of the past administration.
In a survey conducted in 2003 by the Institute for Development Research, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, the following were perceived by the public to be the five most corrupt institutions
in Nigeria:
- The Nigerian Police
- Political Parties
- National and State Houses of Assemblies
- Local and Municipal governments
- Federal and State Executive Councils
There have been various reasons suggested by various sources, as the causes of corruption in
Nigeria. In a survey conducted by NOI Polls in partnership with LEAP AFRICA in April 2015, it
was shown that Nigerians perceived the following to be the main causes of corruption:
- Weak public institutions
- Poverty
- Resource scramble
Okoye (2012) while affirming these causes, also posits the factor of unaccountability on the part of
government officials to the citizenry as another reason.
The menace of corruption has brought many adverse effects in Nigeria. Corrupt practices
have led to a downward plunge in the economy of the nation. The former Vice President (for Africa) of

9. 9
the World Bank, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili at a conference in 2012, stated that Nigeria has lost $400 billion of
its oil revenue, since Independence in 1960 (Daily Post 2012). Also the bank financial crises that
occurred between 2009 and 2011 were a result of corrupt practices of top staff of the affected banks.
Also, corruption has led to a rot in the discipline of the civil service. There is a prevailing trend of laxity
on the part of civil servants in recent times. Finally, the increasing trend of corruption has led to a
corresponding increase in the crime rate in the country.
THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA
The fight against corruption in Nigeria since Independence has comprised mainly of investigations (Probe
actions) carried out by panels set up for these, and the subsequent prosecution of those indicted. The fight
was most effective during the military administrations of Generals Murtala Mohammed and Muhammadu
Buhari. Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, three bodies have been set up to combat the incidence of
corruption in the country, namely the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Bureau of Public Conduct (BPC). Also the Corrupt Practices
Act 2000, The Money Laundering Act, and the Advance Fee Fraud Act have been enacted for the same
purpose. Though these bodies have made significant moves, much has not been done to combat the high
level of corruption in the country. Instead there have been allegations of bias, bribery and political witch
hunting leveled against officers of these bodies (especially the EFCC) in the course of the execution of their
lawful duties.
WHAT ARE ETHICAL VALUES?
To understand the concept of ethical values, the two constituent words “ethics” and “values” have to be
examined within the context of this discussion. Schwartz (2012) defines values, following the reasoning of
the Value Theory, as “desirable trans-situational goals, varying in importances, which serve as guiding
principles in people’s lives”. Traditionally, there are four classes of values, namely:

10. 10
- Ethical/Moral Values
- Doctrinal/Ideological Values
- Social Values
- Aesthetic Values
Schwartz (2012) also lists five main features of values thus:
- Values are beliefs.
- Values are a motivational construct.
- Values transcend specific actions and situations.
- Values guide the selection or evaluation of action, policies, people and events.
- Values are ordered by importance relative to one another.
Finally, she lists the ten basic values namely, Self direction, Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, Power,
Security, Conformity, Tradition, Benevolence. The sociologist Morris Massey posits that there are three
major periods in the lifetime of a person, during which values are developed namely
- The Imprint Period (From childbirth till the age of seven)
- The Modeling Period (Between the ages of eight and thirteen)
- The Socialization Period (Between the ages of thirteen and twenty one) (Ronquillo, 2013)
Manuel et al (2010) define ethics as “the well founded standards of right and wrong, which prescribe what
humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to the society, fairness or specific
virtues”. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy posits that the word ethics is sometimes “commonly used
interchangeably with morality”.
From the foregoing, it is clear that the concept of ethical values focuses on right conduct and a way of living
which holds the view that valuable actions are good and actions of low values are bad. Thus ethical values

11. 11
can be defined as those values that are deemed to be good and which are aimed at bringing out the best
conduct of man in his daily activities, and in relation to the society. Some examples of such values are
honesty, fairness, discipline/self control, justice, equity, diligence, a sense of duty to the local community,
respect, the fundamental human rights etc.
ETHICAL VALUES IN THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY
In Nigeria, ethical values are primarily ingrained in our traditions and customs. Various ethnic
groups have different rules of conduct and standards of behavior that are embodied in their customary
practices; some examples of these are diligence, respect for the elderly, honesty, discipline, a hard working
disposition etc. In pre-colonial times, these values held sway in the traditional Nigerian society. Persons
who deviated from these accepted values and standards of conduct, were punished by means of sanctions
such as ostracism, fines, manual labour (Community service) etc.
Within the framework of the current Nigerian political society, most of these values have been
formally adopted in various legislations that are in force in the country. Their primacy is emphasized in
certain sections of the 1999 Constitution (e.g. the Fundamental Rights and the Fundamental Objectives and
Directive Principles of State Policy) as amended, various acts of parliament and other rules of professional
conduct for certain professions like the legal, medical and accounting professions among others. These
values are also projected by the various religious groups in the country. Sadly, in recent times, the adoption
and practice of our traditional ethical values have dwindled. Moral decadence has pervaded various sectors
of the Nigerian society, leading to a plethora of social vices and an increase in crime rate in the country. All
these have raised concerns over the moral future of the Nigerian society.

12. 12
PROMOTING ETHICAL VALUES TO HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN
NIGERIA
Okoye (2012) posits that an effective war against corruption has to be fought on at least three axes of
- Prevention
- Detection
- Sanctions and Restitutions
The efforts made so far in combating corruption, have been centered mainly on prevention, sanctions and
restitution. Despite this - as earlier stated - not much has been achieved in checking the spate of corruption
in the country. The problem clearly, is not an absence of the required mechanisms to fight corruption; rather
it is an absence of a sufficient level of the genuine willingness required to do so. Even the best plans, with
the necessary material structure, cannot be achieved if there is no genuine willingness and diligent efforts
applied to execute such plans.
This requisite willingness and zeal must be exhibited by the government and more importantly, the
private sector comprising the citizenry. To achieve this feat, we have to adopt the strategy of reviving our
ethical values and promoting them, both in the private and public sectors. This will require commitment
from all individuals in the government, religious institutions, schools, working places, social organizations,
the family and the mass media (particularly the social media). Following Massey’s theory of development of
values, the promotion of ethical values in Nigeria will involve the above listed institutions playing various
roles in the various stages of the development of these values.
At each of the three stages of the value development process propounded by Massey, these
institutions have roles to play. Thus, the family, schools and religious groups feature prominently during the
Imprint Period; the educational institutions, social clubs and the media are the more viable guides during the

13. 13
Modeling Period; finally, the work institutions, the government and other public organizations play the
bigger roles during the Socialization Period, and beyond that.
The family, being the first institution to which the average human belongs, has the primary duty of
ensuring that infants are taught the fundamental ethical values. As the popular adage goes “charity begins at
home”. Parents and other elderly members of the family should show good examples to the young members
of their families.
Recently in 2014, following the directives of the Ministry of Education, the study of Civic Education
has been adopted as a compulsory subject in primary and secondary educational institutions in the country;
Schools should ensure that the study of ethical values be incorporated into the curriculum for this subject. In
addition to this, students should be encouraged to join social and educational clubs that will aid in teaching
and imbibing in them these ethical values. This is in affirmation to the fact that education is not just about
academic learning, but also about character building.
At work places, employers should ensure that they follow standard procedures in recruiting their
employees. Also, they should organize programmes and courses for their employees that focus on what
ethical values are and the merits of exhibiting them. The employers should also set good examples to their
staff by being transparent, honest and trustworthy. Finally they should create avenues for honest feedback
from their employees on the state of affairs in the work place; this will give the employees a sense of
belonging in the work environment and thus encourage them to be honest and transparent.
The government should sincerely aid programmes and activities aimed at promoting the adoption of
ethical values in Nigeria, like the “Do the Right Thing” campaign that was started by the National
Orientation Agency, in March 2012. Also the ethical conduct of civil servants in the course of their duties
should be regularly monitored and reviewed.

14. 14
Finally, the mass media has to contribute to the spread of these values as part of its corporate social
responsibility. The media groups should air programmes that focus on enlightening the public about ethical
values. Journalists should also be trained in ethical standards of reporting.
These institutions should utilize effectively, the social media, which is now a dominant feature of the
existing social order. They should emphasize the merits of these ethical values, reward those who exhibit
them, and place lawful sanctions on those who deviate from them.
CONCLUSION
The fight against corruption demands sincere and genuine efforts on the part of every Nigerian
citizen; as Bess Myerson said, “The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own
indifference”. The promotion of our ethical values is a starting point in the fight against corruption. This is a
herculean task that will face many challenges, but a strong determination on our part will guarantee our
ultimate triumph, as President Barack Obama once wrote:
“These values are our inheritance, what makes us who we are as a people ….. We can make claims on their
behalf as long as we understand that our values must be tested against fact and experience, so long as we
recall that they demand deeds and not just words. To do otherwise would be to relinquish our best selves”.

15. 15
REFERENCES
- Senior, I. (2006), Corruption - The World’s Big C. Institute of Economic Affairs, London
- Kaufmann, Daniel; Vicente, Pedro (2005). "Legal Corruption". World Bank
- Rosie Slater (2011). What is Public Sector Corruption? Retrieved from
http://blog.transparency.org/2011/12/02/what-is-public-sector-corruption/ on August 3, 2015
- Anti-Corruption Resource Centre. Glossary. Retrieved from http://www.u4.no/glossary/ on July 15,
2015
- Corrupt Practices Act (2000) Sections 8, 12, 13, 9, 10, 16, 19, 21
- Transparency International (2014) Global Perceptions Index Report
- Transparency International (2013) Global Corruption Barometer
- Modern Ghana (2009) IBB Shuns mourning of dead wife, Plans to Commission his Hotel in Abuja
Retrieved on August 3, 2015 from http://m.modernghana.com/news/262857/1/ibb-shuns-mourning-
of-dead-wife-plans-to-commissio.html
- David Pallister (2000). Pennies From Heaven: Many of Nigeria’s Missing Millions were Laundered
Through Greedy Banks in London. The Guardian, London, September 7, 2000
- Nigeria Survey and Corruption Survey (June 2003) Study by Institute of Development Research,
Ahmmadu Bello University, Zaria
- NOI Polls (2015) "Weak Public Institutions", "Poverty" & "Scramble For Resources" Identified As
Key Causes Of Corruption. Retrieved on August 3, 2015 from http://www.noi-
polls.com/root/index.php?pid=320&ptid=1&parentid=14
- Samuel Okoye (2012) How to Tackle Corruption Effectively in Nigeria. Retrieved on August 3, 2015
from http://www.gamji.com/article4000/NEWS4930.htm
Nigeria has lost $400bn oil revenue to corruption since Independence – Ezekwesili. Daily Post,
August 13 2012. Retrieved on July 15, 2015 from http://dailypost.ng/2012/08/31/nigeria-lost-400bn-
oil-revenue-corruption-since-independence-ezekwesili/

16. 16
- Schwartz S.H. (2012) An Overview of the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values. Online readings in
Psychology and Culture, 2(1) Retrieved on August 3 2015 from http://dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307-
0919.1116
- Grace Ronquillo (2013). Morris Massey's Theory. Retrieved on July 15, 2015 from
https://prezi.com/1jyg6amwzec1/morris-masseys-theory/
- Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer (2010). What is
Ethics? Retrieved on July 15, 2015 from www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/whatisethics.html
- John Deigh in Robert Audi (Editor) (1995). The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 0-521-63722-8
- Barack Obama (2006). The Audacity of Hope. Three Rivers Press, New York. ISBN 978- 0-307-
23770-5