CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Over the years, one of the greatest challenges of the so called Third world economies which comprising of the entire sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, and even developed countries namely, Europe and America is corruption is the issues of development. The effects of corruption on the socio-economic, cultural and political landscape of any society can be so devastating that nothing meaningful works in the midst of this malaise. Corruption therefore becomes a clog in the wheel of progress of any nation state if the menace is not controlled. The inability of Nigeria’s past and present leadership to consolidate on the gains of democracy has been attributed to corruption. In general terms, corruption has eaten very deep and hence, found its way into the body polity of the Nigerian state so much so that virtually all spheres of the nation’s life stinks with the sores of corruption. This kind of development as pointed above compelled Preye and Weleayam (2011) to argue that Nigerians no longer believe that honesty and integrity are not worthy principles since one can do very little or even do nothing at all to gain so much. The school of thought of Preye and Weleayam on the high degree of ineptitude and indolence in the attitude of Nigerians further confirms the fact that corruption is not a thing of the leadership alone. The followership is also guilty as it is culpable for this misdemeanor. Thus, one finds corruption showing its face in the affairs of the family circle, schools (primary, secondary and universities and other higher structures of learning); worship places, the bureaucracy, security outfits, market places, main stream politics, village meetings, women organizations, electoral activities, appointment of persons into public offices; the manner and character in which funds are disbursed from the centre to states and local councils, rigging of elections, and many more. All of these stages and categories of corruption have over the years constituted themselves into a huge albatross bedeviling the Nigerian state. Corruption whether political, economic, judicial, familial, institutional or bureaucratic could by and large impede the progress of any society where such attitudes are widely tolerated and accommodated in the scheme of things.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

In the midst of all these strands of corruption, it can be said that political corruption predominates. And this area of study constitutes the potential problem of this research. This is because those at the helm of affairs of government, the political elite accounts for the sharing and/or allocation of values in the society. The misallocation of these values and resources seem to be at heart of Nigeria’s socio-economic problems upon which a multidimensional social vices the country passes through today rests. It is to this regard that researcher desired to examine political corruption in Nigeria from 1999 till date.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The main aim of the research work is to examine the political corruption in Nigeria from 1999 till date. Other specific objectives of the study are:

1. to determine the causes of corruption in Nigeria
2. to examine the level of political corruption under Olusegun Obasanjo’s and Mohammadu Buhari’s administration
3. to examine critically the issue of budget padding in Buhari’s administration
4.  to identify the various political corruption cases in Nigeria from 1999-2018
5. to proffer solution to the issues of corruption in Nigeria

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study came up with research questions so as to ascertain the above stated objectives of the study. The research questions for the study are:

1. What are the causes of corruption in Nigeria?
2. What is the level of political corruption under Olusegun Obasanjo’s and Mohammadu Buhari’s administration?
3. What are the issues as regard budget padding in Buhari’s administration?
4.  What are the various political corruption cases in Nigeria from 1999-2018?
5. What is the way forward to the issues of corruption in Nigeria?

1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This research work adopted the position of Merriam (1988) also supported by Marshall and Rossman (1989) that collection of data and analysis in a qualitative research is a simultaneous process. And as Schatzman and Strauss (1973) contended, data analysis in qualitative research is mainly entail the classification of things, persons and events as well as the properties which characterizes them. Jacob (1987), however posits that in a typical qualitative research, the researcher all through the data analysis process, code their data by using as many categories as possible. Furthermore, patterns and themes are identified and described (Agar, 1996). As such, data analysis in this study will be organized categorically and chronologically. It shall be reviewed and coded continually. In aligning with the view of Merriam (1988), there shall be a chronicling of the list of major ideas that surface. The aim was to find out the interplay of interests driving the debate on climate change between environmentalists and nationalists in the globe and this approach provides a useful way of understanding this phenomenon. Therefore the major source of data was obtained through literature survey of books, reports of dailies and periodicals, government publications, conference papers and seminar reports among other. Descriptive analysis was employed to analyse the data gathered which was presented in a narrative.

 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study on the political corruption in Nigeria will be of immense benefit to history and international studies students, the government (local, state and federal) in the sense that the study will critically look at the causes, types and nature of political corruption in Nigeria from 1999 to 2018. The study will serve as a repository of information to other researchers that desire to carry out similar research on the above topic. Finally the study will contribute to the body of existing literature and knowledge in this field of study and provide a basis for further research

1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY

The study will cover on political corruption in Nigeria from 1999-2018

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Political corruption: Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality is also considered political corruption.

        Forms of corruption vary, it include: bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft and embezzlement. While corruption may facilitate criminal enterprises such as drug trafficking, money laundering and trafficking, it is not restricted to these activities. While political corruption is an illegal abuse of power, psychosocial disorder is the mental reaction one gets from it.

Psychosocial disorder is a mental illness caused or influenced by maladjusted cognitive and behavioural processes