THE UNWANTED VISITOR

Corruption has become a cankerworm that longed ridden and eaten our nation. It has become a grasshopper eating the grains in our country. The grains that have been harvested even the ones that have not been harvested. It has become a part of life that virtually every believes that corruption has become a part of an average human being. In line with the assertion of Chinua Achebe that "an average Nigerian is corrupt- separating a Nigerian from being corrupt is like stopping a goat from eating yam". In the recent Global Corruption Barometer, 78% of Nigerian some of the larger population in the world agreed, corruption is a significant problem in Nigeria. While it is true that corruption is a global phenomenon, it is more endemic and pervading in Nigeria's political landscape. (Adesiyan, 2014).
ITS NOTABLE ADVENT
Corruption in our polity stepped into the limelight in Nigeria after the Oil boom in 1970 (Though has been discovered in some part of the country like Oloibiri known now as Ogba Local Area of Bayelsa State in 1956 (Ikedi Ohakim, 2009). The Oil sector has been the major abhor of corruption in our political sector. It has been observed that some $400billion of Nigeria's oil revenue has been stolen or misspent since its independence - (Dr. Oby Ezekwuezili, 2014). Perhaps the biggest brigandage in the oil sector in recent time was the oil subsidy scam of 2011. According to the report of the Adhoc Committee of the House Representatives that investigated the fraud in 2011 which clearly stated that contrary to the earlier official figure of subsidy payment of N1.3trillion, the Accounting General of the Federation put forward a figure of N1.6trillion, The Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, N1.7trillion while the Committee established subsidy payment of N2.587.087trillion as at 31st December, 2011, amounting to more than 900% over the appropriated sum of #245billion. (News-Watch, 2012). This among many shows how much the Oil sector stands as a blessing-curse for the country.
It became a norm in a once morally upright society. A society where normalcy was so known to the extent that farmers and traders could leave the produce for sale at the market and buyers would get their product leaving the money at the stall. It became a folktale for children at moonlight. It became an ode sang by the hunters not limiting ballad to the traditional dancers. Religious institutions are seen not to be left out. Of course the Nigeria economy suffers largely from this venom.
"Corruption in Nigeria has affected Nigeria in so many facets of public and private sector. The magnitude of its harmful effect is colossal, affecting the entire area of public and private expenditures, siphoning huge revenues that would have been used for the overall development of the nation" -Ali, 2007. The civil service which should be the back bone, the secret and the most efficient part of governance has become the advocate of falsehood- various reported cases of ghost workers. They have bowed to the golden image of this dragon which is only a deceit to mankind. Corruption as it were does not only affects or spring forth from the political arena - just most visible, but also been visible in various aspects of human life.
CAN IT BE DEFEATED?

Fight against corruption as campaigned by the present government of is not new in the ears of the citizens. A quite number of government legislations have been enacted, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Act, Africa Union Convention in Prevention and Combating Corruption, Public Procurement Act, Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, including institutions set up to curb corruption (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related offences Commission and Code of Conduct Bureau under the Obasanjo regime, established by Acts 2004. Yet corruption is seen to be celebrated as though a celebration of a new born baby. A situation of where a convict is being celebrated after serving sentence for money laundering. I chuckle...
Corruption is believed to have to occured as a result of dissonance between our society reality and our expectations and where society does not adequately regulate the natural drives of individuals who are in pursuit of such expectations. The society is seen to have neglected its role, starting from the family.
As a Yoruba adage would a say ile lati nkeso rode meaning a man built from his immediate home before the larger society. A child who is not scolded for stealing a piece of meat or biscuit from his or her friend is likely to advance in such an act which the society eventually suffers from the consequences for not curbing such an act in the first place.
I submit on this note that "leadership is the crux of our problem in Nigeria. If we must straighten our country, then we must get our leadership right. To get our leadership right, we must get our electoral process right, in order to get the right people in the right office" – (Ikedi Ohakim, 2009). A serious progressive government will confront corruption at its root. It will make the center less attractive and make government accountable to the people. It is then up to us whether to continue remain in the hand of this terror-Corruption or strive to deliver ourselves for the poverty it has caused us over the years , and create an avenue for the coming generations to better their world too. Its a pity Vision 2020 is off the table, we hope for a better Nigeria in 2030-Achieving the 17 SDGs and looking forward to Project2060- Dr. TUNDE AYENI .

Bolawa Pelumi Solomon18