CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

As expected effective public service performance is a pre-requisite for sustainable development. This notion is anchored on the fact that government ability to deliver on her promises for better living is based on the efficiency of its public service performance. Therefore, the inability of the Nigerian public service to perform optimally had over the years constituted a challenge, yet to be resolved. It is a known fact, and Nigerian experience examplied to this, that corruption is pronounced in the public service, its efficiency as well as ability to effect policy directed toward sustainable development goals like reduction of poverty, remains very low. The behavior of public officials which deviates from accepted norms in order to serve private ends is corruption. It is a general term covering misuse of authority as a result of considerations of personal gain, embezzlement, stealing or misappropriation of public funds. Corruption has become highly rampant and permeates every sphere of state and society. Corruption in political and administrative arena hinders equality, efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, accountability and justice etc.

Corruptions in developing nations are more pronounced than developed nations hence it remain impediments to good governance and sustainable developments. Developed and developing nations have initiated and established various anticorruption war and advocacy to eradicate the menace of corruption in their system. Such advocacy are the African Union (AU), the United Nation (UN), the United Nation Development Programme (UNPP), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Word Bank to mention a few (Ogbeidi,2012). The phenomena’s usually encompasses abuses by government officials such as embezzlement and cronyism, as well as abuses linking public and private actors such as bribery, extortion, influence peddling, and fraud, to mention but a few. In this regard, impunity and corruption threatens good governance, democratic process, and fair business practices (Ogbeidi, 2012). Therefore corruption has become of the greatest threats to socio-economic and political development of any nation. The threats of corruption remain a major dilemma issue facing Nigeria since the time of colonial period, although corruption has become a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of Nigeria system. Nevertheless, its remedies rely in our hands as a people. That is why many developed and developing nations have put in place different mechanisms to checkmate and curb this ugly incidence. In Nigeria for example, the menace of corruption has been a matter of discourse at different levels of institution of learning yet this pathetic incidence keeps resurface with us at all facets of our endeavors. The Nigerian government has taken various measures and strategies to address the incidence of corruption and bad governance in the country. These measures includes public service reform (monetization to reduce waste and reduction or over-bloated personnel, reform of public procurement); establishment of anti-craft agencies (such as the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corruption and other Practices Commission (ICPC) and the on-going sanitization in the Nigeria National Petroleum Co-oporation (Adeshina, 2015). Despite the successes attained by these institutions, the situation remains palatable as corruption continues to permeate and pervade every facet in our society and national life in Nigeria (Fatile, 2013).

Even in the government via public service, it thrives in the areas of project costing; ghost workers syndrome, contract awards and subsequent abandonment, payment of huge sums of money to political godfathers; embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds among others. The impact of corruption on the Nigerian society includes abysmal public service performance, inadequate infrastructure, bad governance, pervasive dehumanizing poverty and general underdevelopment. This accounts for the inefficient and unimpressive governance in Nigeria. Corruption remains endemic as well as extremely prevalent in the public service which affects its effectiveness and performance. There are instances where corruption within the public service manifested over the years: the haphazard or ineffective implementation of federal budgets between 1999 and 2002 could be gleaned from the people which the senate indicted over “an alleged non-implementation of all appropriation Acts since the dawn of democracy (in May 1999)” (Eminue, 2005). The persistent challenge in the Nigerian health sector is human resources’ crisis, which has the tendency to cripple the sector. Inadequate investment, weak administration and corruption remain the cause of poor health workers welfare and the widespread inefficiency in the healthcare workforce (Odusile, 2017) etc.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Corruption is one of the major constraint and has become a major problem in government. Corruption emanates from the top level and so, the higher echelons of government are infested with the disease of corruption. Politics has been converted into pursuit of personal ends. The public office has become an opportunity to “strike gold and enjoy loaves and fishes of office”. The sharp decline in the standards of conduct of public service, and in such circumstances, governance, administration and management have lost their relevance. For example the non-implementation of government policies, financial fraud and crises of confidence within the ministries and its agencies. The alleged fraud and embezzlement and contract scam involving the Minister of Petroleum for State and NNPC Group Managing Director. The minister had lodged a detailed/documented complaint with the president of the Federal Republic and substantive oil minister, on the junior minister’s alleged sideling and insubordination by the NNPC Group Managing Director, in all matters on high level appointments, promotions, and award of contracts well exceeding 20billion dollars. Another is the non-implementation of budgets by the various Ministries and Agencies of Government. The crisis of confidence in the health sector over allegations of fraud between the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme and the Minister of Health which has resulted to incessant strike actions by health workers. These problems are no doubt caused by corruption. Worse is the fact that despite the rapid growth in the size and power of the public service, there has not been an accompanied noticeable improvement in performance to the public or increased labor productivity in the public sector.

1.3     Objective of the Study

The main objective of this study is to find out the implication of corruption in the Nigeria public sector, specifically the study intends to:

1.     Find out the factors that influence corruption in the Nigeria public service

2.     Analyze the implication of corruption on the development of the public service

3.     Examine the effect of corruption on work performance of employee in the public sector

4.     Proffer solution to the problem of corruption in Nigeria

1.4     Research Question

1.     What are the factors that influence corruption in the Nigeria public service?

2.     Is there any significant implication of corruption on the development of the public service?

3.     Is there any effect of corruption on work performance of employee in the public sector?

1.5     Research Hypothesis

Ho: there is no significant implication of corruption on the development of the public service

Hi: there is significant implication of corruption on the development of the public service

1.6     Significance of the Study

This study will expose the general public to the effect of corruption in Nigeria, the effect it has on national development and growth. The study will also expose the acts of the few privileged ones who find themselves in high positions of authority and the ways at which they divert the profits gotten from the public service and resources for personal uses instead of using them for public purposes and how this has hampered efforts made on development. Also to expose the effects of corruption on the growth and development of Nigeria public sector

This study will proffer some real life solution to the problem of crimes and corruption, and lastly this study will serve as a reference to others research work

1.7     Scope of the Study

This research will cover the effects of corruption in Nigeria in Nigeria public sector, this research work will also critically examine the factors influencing corruption in Nigeria and lastly proffer some real life solution the problem of corruption in Nigeria

1.8     Delimitation of the Study

Finance for the general research work will be a challenge during the course of study. Correspondents also might not be able to complete or willing to submit the questionnaires given to them.

However, it is believed that these constraints will be worked on by making the best use of the available materials and spending more than the necessary time in the research work. Therefore, it is strongly believed that despite these constraint, its effect on this research report will be minimal, thus, making the objective and significance of the study achievable.

1.9     Definition of Terms

Corruption: corruption is a form of dishonesty or criminal activity undertaken by a person or organization entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire illicit benefit