Tired of corruption? Then vote
Solomonsydelle argues in his blog, Nigerian Curiosity, for more political participation in his blog Nigerian Curiosity. Can it help? Or is the "fatigue" now part of the political culture?NIGERIA'S CORRUPTION FATIGUE
There is no doubt that corruption is one of Nigeria's most challenging issues. This is because, corrupt practices are intricately woven into every one of Nigeria's problems. Kidnappings for instance, would not be as much of a scourge if many in the police force , who are charged with protecting citizens, did not take bribes to either protect kidnappers and/or did not demand bribes to help citizens retrieve their loved ones. Similarly, the electricity sector would not be in such demise if politicians and officials did not steal money meant to buttress power as revealed by the power probes of 2008… Consequently, it is no surprise that many Nigerians now experience corruption fatigue - whereby people still worry about corruption, but are simply exhausted by the sheer magnitude and impact of corruption on their daily existence. That exhaustion, in turn, disables the ability to be shocked and awed by recurring corruption scandals.
It is easy to see evidence of corruption fatigue. For instance, Transparency International released its 2010 Corruption Perception Index. In it, Nigeria slipped by three points from 2009's listing to become the 44th most corrupt country on the 2010 issue of the rankings. What would have previously generated significant discussion and debate over the country's anti-corruption stance was met with nothing more than a collective shrug…
Because Nigerians do not see the corrupt face 'the music', the belief that corruption pays grows. Apathy towards anti-corruption grows as well. That is to be expected especially as even when a corruption case comes to a successful conclusion in the court system… These constant examples of the failure of the 'system' to apportion blame and consequences to the corrupt only cements indifference. And the repercussions for this growing attitude will be severe.
In the short term, the inability of Nigerians to be excited and engaged in anti-corruption, limits the amount of public support that is necessary for anti-corruption to be successful…
With elections in 2011, Nigerians can themselves 'vote their hearts' and get rid of the incumbents that have used their positions to get rich and refuse to vote for aspirants that are well-known for their corrupt tendencies. The only way citizens can take charge of corruption is by decidedly removing the corrupt from office and sending a message to others that corrupt practices will not be tolerated. To do this, individuals must overcome corruption fatigue and participate in the polls. They must register to vote, show up to vote and not leave the polling station to ensure that touts and others do not manipulate the results. Once it becomes clear that citizens intend to tackle corruption, Nigeria may begin to see more responsible behavior from officials. And the days when the public coffers are raided by those meant to be serving the people will come to an end.
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Labels: corruption, Nigeria, political culture, politics
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:00 AM
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