CORRUPTION AND INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: A

FIGHT AGAINST IT (A STUDY OF ECONOMIC

AND FINANCIAL CRIME COMMISSION)

CHAPTER ONE

1.0      INTRODUCTION:

1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:

The greatest hindrance to development especially in the third world countries has been attributed to corruption and insecurity. Aliu (2010), observed that people in high places are corrupt because of greed. His view tend to have wider support as most people feel that the resources available in these country has the capacity to guarantee every members of the society with their basic need of life.

According to political bureau report (1987), corruption is essentially a product of our highly individualized materialistic society which emphasizes struggle by individuals to acquire as much wealth as they can without regard to how much wealth was obtained. Mba-Afolabi (1999), maintain that this situation has led individuals and groups of persons to pursue various illegal and anti-social means of making wealth.

Akintunde (2007), stipulated that the challenges that corruption poses to national life is grave. he maintain that since independence on 1960 successive administration have been enmeshed in crises of confidence based on formulating and implementing policy that will lead this country out of corruption.

Ibrahim and Igbuzor (2002), opined that the poor people in Nigeria rate insecurity as the key cause of poverty, they do not necessarily see poverty as a cause of armed conflict. They maintain that the inability of the government to provide basic infrastructural and basic service for its populace, new conflicts have emerged through politicized agents who have used the condition of the poor people to address the responses or non- responses of the state to the lawful learning of the citizen.

Finally, for the purpose of this study, insecurity is refers to the breach of peace and security, whether historical, religious, ethno-regional, civil, social, economic and political that have contributed to recurring conflict , which Nigeria has witnessed over the year resulting in wanton destruction and loss of lives and property.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

Suffice to state their insecurity and corruption has been identified as a main bane militating development and corruption national unity in Nigeria. The following research problems are identified;

·                    Does corruption and insecurity hinder the growth of our society.

·                    Does EFCC makes use of good strategies in fighting corruption

·                    Does qualified personnel engaged in fighting corruption.

1.3   PURPOSE OF THE STUDY:

        With this rhetorical question the researcher deems it imperative to delve on this topic “Corruption and insecurity in Nigeria, a fight against it. Every work must have its objectives in order to maintain a meaningful sense of direction, thus the following are the objective of this research work;

1.          To examine the causes of corruption and insecurity in Nigeria.

2.          To examine how corruption and insecurity hinders the growth of our society

3.          To examine the weakness of the institution set out to fight corruption

4.          To make recommendation, that will help in ameliorating the problem of corruption and insecurity in Nigeria.  

1.4   SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY:

·                    This research work is designed to know the eminent causes of corruption and insecurity and the best strategies to curb them.

·                    It will equally enlighten the general public on the negative effect of corruption and insecurity on the economy.

·                    It will serve as a reference material for further academic research work

·                    It will equally create an enabling environment for EFCC to fight corruption.

1.5   RESEARCH QUESTION:

1)     Is poverty a contributing factor to insecurity in Nigeria?

2)     Does corruption leads to insecurity?

3)     Does tribalism and nepotism contributed to insecurity in Nigeria

4)     Is EFCC successful in combating corruption?

5)     Is greedy a contributing factor to corruption in Nigeria.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

This study focused on the corruption and insecurity in Nigeria. A fight against it: a study of economic and financial crime commission (EFCC).

1.7   LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

        The researcher faced several obstacles, hitches, hindrances at the cause of this research work which incapacitated him from carrying out a thorough job. These limitations range from insufficient fund, time tag, refusal by some of the staff of EFCC to give a necessary information.

1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS:

        It is important to conceptualize the meaning of the key words used in this work as it will obviously facilitate the appreciation of this work of research.

EFCC:              Economic and financial crime commission

CORRUPTION: Corruption is the diversion of resources for the betterment of the community to the gain of individual at the expense of the community

PROSECUTION: This is the process of trying to prove in a court of law that somebody is guilty of a crime.

CONVICTION: This is the act of finding somebody guilty of crime in a court of law.

MANIPULATION: This is the process of influencing somebody, often in a dishonest way so that they do not realize it.

INSECURITY: This is the breach of peace and security, whether historical, religions, ethno-regional, civil, social, economical and political that have contributed to recurring conflict.