Preliminary communication
DO PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS DRIVE MAGNITUDE OF CORRUPT PRACTICES AMONGST PUBLIC OFFICEHOLDERS IN NIGERIA?
Adesina Olugoke Oladipupo
; University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
Peter Okeguale Ibadin
; University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
Abstract
This study critically examines the effects of personal characteristics on the magnitude of corrupt practices amongst public office holders in Nigeria. Data for this study were obtained on ninety public office holders in Nigeria at various levels of government covering a time frame of twelve (12) years (2000-2011) who faced various charges of corruption and corrupt practices. The data included the number of charges, nature of offences, and amounts of money involved. Others were the personal characteristics of the alleged public officeholders like sex, ethnicity, religion, and education qualification. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and ordinary least square (OLS) regression technique. The results show that only sex has statistically significant positive relationship with the magnitude of corrupt practice while ethnicity is the only factor which impacts significantly on the magnitude of corrupt practice amongst public officeholders in Nigeria. We recommend that the undue demand on the men in the society to perform and meet the society demand should be minimized. The religious bodies should also sensitize their members about the evil effects of corruption so that when they get to public offices they will not corrupt themselves. Ethnic groups should also rise to challenge and engage in ethnic moral cleansing to avoid being plagued as corrupt ethnic group(s) in Nigeria. Nigeria should domesticate the United Nations Convention on corruption (2003), which requires countries to criminalize behaviour such as bribery and embezzlement of public fund; influencing trade and the concealment and laundering of proceeds of corruption. This will help to curtail the spate of corruption amongst public officeholders in Nigeria.
Keywords
Corrupt practices; anti-graft agencies; ethnic moral cleansing and magnitude of corrupt practice
Hrčak ID:
123483
URI
Publication date:
26.6.2014.
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