Opinion

The Many Faces Of Corruption

Published

10 years ago

May 9, 2016

That corruption is pervasive in Nigeria is no longer news. The menace has almost become a pastime, a daily routine in the country. Although the menace is as old as the country itself, the rate of its prevalence is such alarming that if we do not do something to kill corruption in Nigeria, corruption will kill us.
But how do we come about this menace of corruption? What constitutes and what propels corruption? These are two of the questions I want to address in this piece, with a view to getting to the root cause of corruption in our country.
My first answer is over prioritization of money.
Money has been unduly prioritized in Nigeria. Money is worshiped like a god, people no longer worry about the source through which money is made, the only thing that matters is that money has been made. This is why an individual can vanish from his community in poverty only to re-appear in affluence to the exhilarations of his people who will never pause to ask questions on how the individual met sudden wealth. Rather, the individual will be bathed with different kinds of chieftaincy accolades like Eze Omemma 1. Onwanetiriora 1, Omego 1etc. The feeling that money is everything does not help matters either. Before now, there were people who commanded great respect in our societies even when they were not wealthy but because of their vocation or great initiatives.
The absence or non-implementation of strong punishments against those found guilty of corrupt practices also constitutes a huge motivation for intending ones. The cases of Abacha, Tafa Balogun and Patricia Etteh are good examples. A situation where someone has been found guilty of stealing the country’s funds and the same person remains as free as any other man is absurd. Why will others who have access to public funds not try their own luck? This is why we are going nowhere in the anti-corruption crusade.
Another factor is poor remuneration. When people are not adequately rewarded, when they cannot meet up with basic family demands, the option becomes a search for additional income through unwholesome strategies. This is what makes a man ask for tips before files can move, or before gate can be opened. It is very important for employers to pay realistic wage that can really take workers home.
Also, the ways and manners retirees are treated in this country is devoid of respect and regards for their contributions while in service. Their pensions are left unpaid or months or years. When eventually paid, they will be made to travel through miles and possibly spend a reasonable part of the money on transit. When those who are still in active service see what their colleagues go through, they are compelled to make hay while the sun shines. The victim of this haymaking becomes public funds.
Another burning condition that has ignited corruption in Nigeria is the ways recruitments are made. There are over emphasis on the impossibles; a typical recruitment advert in Nigeria will read as follows – our organization is in search of young, vibrant, intelligent and energetic graduate to fill our vacant position. The person must not be more than 20 years of age, must have a minimum of 5 years post NYSC cognate experience and he/she must e a member of at least two professional bodies. Now come to think of it, considering the Nigerian factors, how is it possible that anyone can truly meet these conditions? The alternative becomes forgery and falsifications; this practice is then continued in other spheres of the individual’s life.
Therefore we need to be realistic in giving conditions because we do not have many Nigerians yet who graduate from higher education at any age less than 20 years. All these are serious factors that stare the Nigerian job seekers on the face, and those who may not wish to falsify document are no job candidates anywhere. So, what should they do to survive in the absence of no job, no capital for business?
In any case, the existence of these conditions as presented does not mean that corruption should be left to prosper in the land unchecked. There is need to fight corruption to a standstill if our country must move forward. But I think one way of checking corruption is by institutionalizing whistle blowing. This action is sine qua non if the anti-corruption war must be won. The problem facing whistle blowing pose challenges in the field of law, sociology and ethics. A multidisciplinary approach would therefore be necessary for whistle blowing to be successfully institutionalized.
According to Rothschild and Miethe (1994), whistle blowing is the disclosure of illegal, unethical, or harmful practices in the workplace to parties who might take action; and this disclosure must be at public interest.
Klopper (1997), threw more light that these would entail information about criminal activities, a contravention of any statutory requirement, improper or unauthorized use of public and other funds, miscarriage of justice, abuse of power, maladministration, danger to health or safety of any individual and any other misbehaviour or malpractice.
National reorientation is yet a step that should be urgently introduced; this will serve as a proactive measure as against reactive. Nigerians have for long been living on what some people called the survival of the fittest – and – grab – whatever – comes – your – way – mentality. It is only when our values are corrected and behaviours modified that corruption can witness a good fight.
The kids-glove treatment meted out to corrupt Nigerians by the government and its law enforcement agencies constitutes a big motivation for others who contemplate being corrupted. This kind of treatment should as a matter of urgency be substituted by stronger punitive rewards to serve as deterrent for others. If corrupt people are treated like the armed robbers, at least most people will avoid it. However, this can only be possible in an environment where the rule of law is supreme, where checks and balance is a tradition, and separation of power is sincerely embraced.
It is also very important that anti-corruption agencies are not tied to the individuals that head them. Nigerians have penchant for hooking up the good or bad of government agencies on the leaders of such agencies; EFCC was like Ribadu’s private thing even when he was only discharging his statutory duties; the risks and benefits were made to look like his, and we made it look like there was no EFCC without Ribadu.
It is really high time we separated key players of government agencies from their positions because doing otherwise was a major factor that diminished the efforts of the EFCC under Ribadu as those prosecuted or chased about considered him their enemies and not the agency itself.
Finally, all the accounting bodies in the country like ICAN< ACA, ACPA etc should be granted a forum to brainstorm and find solution to the ease with which money is stolen through signature. It is only when we have better accounting standards; stricter auditing that stealing of public and private funds can be minimized.
Corruption, no doubt has caused colossal damage to this country; damage ranging from negative image globally to other internal ones like loss of money, eroding the values of honesty, integrity, hard work and law abiding which are hitherto perceived as traits of the slow, feeble minded, timid and unachievers. Corruption has created monsters in the form of wealthy people who contributed or contributes nothing to national development and national economy. In any case, Nigeria still has the chance of coming out of this mess. This calls for concerted involvement of all in the President Muhammadu Buhari, anti-corruption crusade.
If only all of us realizes the fact that every Nigerian has a right to live, a right to drink water, a right to use electricity, a right to accessible road network, then no one will wish to embezzle the money that is meant for all.
Orukwonwu is …………………..

Justin Orukwonwu

Opinion

Agony In Ivory Tower

Published

4 days ago

March 9, 2026

The Tide

Quote: A university that tolerates missing scripts, result manipulation and ‘sorting’ is not merely failing students—it is quietly destroying the moral foundation of education itself.”

The sad cases of missing scripts, compulsory Sorting, inputting of wrong results and other obnoxious practices in some public universities, leave much to be desired. One cannot imagine how a student will be compelled to suffer consequences of the flagrant negligence of a Head of Department, a lecturer, Department staff or an ICT staff.Many academic and non academic staff in several public universities seem to be performing far below standard, thus unproductive to the university system. The unacceptable cases of sorting, missing scripts, missing results, inputting of wrong grades to students, should not be mentioned in a university, not even in any academic community. This is because people who are employed to work in various positions should have cognate work experience and unquestionable competence. They should not be seen as certificate welding illiterates but people who have been proven to be worthy in learning and character, diligent and competent to carry out assigned responsibilities with minimal or no supervision.

The university as a citadel of learning should boast of men of integrity, people who are repositories of applied knowledge and competence to drive the much desired holistic development in a nation that functions on quality teaching and learning. A situation where a student having gone through the crucibles of learning and written a prescribed semester examination or class-based evaluation test, is told that his or her script is missing or that he or she did not participate in that academic exercise, or must sort to pass, is an unpardonable error and a height of callousness. In fact some lecturers and staff of Departments are using the seeming systemic defect (which is their architecture) as an opportunity to extort students. Sometimes it is discovered much to students chagrin that the supposed missing script was later discovered when a ransom was paid.

Since a lecturer, or Head of Department has in their disposal both Yam and the knife and determines who takes what (if they wish to give without strings), students have no alternative but to submit to their importunate demands in order to graduate at record time.Such practices should be unheard of in an institution that should be a vanguard of moral and ethical values and conduct. What people learn in school constitute their behavioural patterns in the society. Where the school as an agency of socialisation cannot drive positive change first in its immediate environment, then the objective of education as a bedrock for the development of society, is inevitably compromised and counter-productive. The German Reformer, Dr. Martins Luther was quoted as saying, “I advise parents not to put their wards or children in any school where the Bible is not being used as a rule of life because such institutions will unnecessarily be corrupt”.

Gleaning from Luther’s sentiment one can deduce that the lack of respect and regard for values as well as the absence of the fear of God is the greatest undoing of most public schools. Another major challenge is that lack of Information, Communication and Technology literacy or compliance on the part of some lecturers and heads of department, may have informed the decision to give students’ scripts to secretaries to compile and input students results thereby making the secretaries the determinants of students’ fate. It is not saying a new thing that some of the secretaries in the process of compiling results have inputted wrong results, omitted names or down graded some students or given unmerited grades to others.Society today is ICT-driven and ICT-literacy enhances efficiency, speed and a reasonable degree of accuracy if the person behind the computer is level headed, articulate, competent, alive to responsibilities and is aware that negligence on his or her part is not only tantamount to a disservice to the university but to the students who may not graduate at record time because of his or her (computer operator’s) gross ineptitude or carelessness.

The ICT era makes the carrying of hard copy of results obsolete as lecturers through the Heads of Department can log on to the central server of the Exams and Records (if any) or ICT unit and input students’ results directly. By so doing the incessant cases where result on spread sheet is different from the one published online, more often than not, caused by abject negligence, will be avoided. The process will also end the intermediary services of some staff in the universities’ Information, Communication and Technology Department which has become a money spinner-a lucrative source of income to many of them. In fact some ICT staff reserved the power to award grades to students depending on students’ degree of compliance to terms and conditions. They can dubiously make or unmake a student. The university community should be considered too lofty to have careless, negligent, immoral and academic or professionally deficient people as academic or non-academic staff.

The Governing Councils and Senates of universities should be proactive in addressing the menace of missing Script, inputting of wrong results and sorting. This is necessary to end the slogan “Education is scam” so the system can produce quality students who are truly found worthy in learning and in character by operators who exemplify diligence, moral and ethical values. The much-needed reform must begin within the institutions themselves, because the future of any society is shaped in its classrooms.

By: Igbiki Benibo

Opinion

Strength of Emotional Equality

Published

4 days ago

March 9, 2026

The Tide

Quote: “Love thrives not when one gives more, but when both give fully — not in competition, not in performance, but in partnership.”

In every healthy relationship, there exists an invisible balance. It is not measured in grand gestures, expensive gifts, or public displays of affection. It is measured in something quieter and far more significant: emotional equality. When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, love becomes less of a negotiation and more of a partnership. Emotional equality does not mean both individuals express love in identical ways. It does not require matching personalities or mirroring temperaments. Rather, it speaks to balance — a shared willingness to invest, to communicate, to be vulnerable, and to grow. It is the difference between two people walking side by side and one person constantly trying to catch up.

In many relationships, imbalance begins subtly. One partner initiates most conversations. One apologizes more frequently. One carries the emotional labor — remembering important dates, managing conflicts, sensing tension, and attempting reconciliation. Over time, this uneven distribution of emotional effort breeds exhaustion. The partner who gives more begins to feel unseen. The one who gives less may grow comfortable in emotional passivity. Love, in such a space, starts to tilt — slowly at first, then significantly. Resentment can creep in quietly, disguising itself as patience. Silence may replace honest dialogue. What once felt effortless begins to feel heavy.

When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, responsibility is shared. Both people are accountable for the health of the relationship. If conflict arises, neither hides behind silence nor dominates through control. Instead, they engage. They listen. They speak honestly without weaponizing words. Equality creates safety — and safety strengthens intimacy. It allows both individuals to express needs without fear of ridicule or rejection. One of the most overlooked aspects of emotional equality is vulnerability. True connection requires courage. It demands that both partners risk being misunderstood. But when vulnerability is one-sided, it becomes exposure rather than intimacy. If one person consistently opens up while the other remains guarded, trust cannot fully deepen.

Equality ensures that emotional risks are mutual. Where one shares fears, the other shares too. Where one admits weakness, the other responds with openness rather than judgment. In such a space, authenticity flourishes. Another crucial element is validation. In emotionally balanced relationships, both partners feel heard. Their concerns are not dismissed as “overreactions.” Their feelings are not minimized or compared. When couples operate on equal emotional ground, they acknowledge each other’s experiences as legitimate. They may not always agree, but they always respect. Validation does not mean surrendering one’s viewpoint; it means recognizing that another’s emotional reality matters.

Equality also protects individuality. Contrary to popular belief, healthy love does not erase personal identity — it enhances it. When both partners are emotionally secure, they do not feel threatened by each other’s independence. Personal ambitions are encouraged, not resented. Friendships are respected, not restricted. Growth is celebrated, not feared. Standing on equal emotional grounds means neither person shrinks to accommodate the other. Instead, both expand, knowing the relationship is strong enough to hold their evolution. Power dynamics often expose emotional inequality. When one partner controls communication — appearing and disappearing unpredictably, withholding affection, or using silence as leverage — imbalance emerges.

Emotional dominance weakens intimacy. It creates anxiety instead of assurance. But when couples share emotional power, there is consistency. There is clarity. There is no need to decode affection because it is offered freely and intentionally. It is important to understand that equality does not imply perfection. Couples will still disagree. They will face stress, miscommunication, and moments of frustration. However, when emotional footing is equal, conflict does not threaten the foundation. Instead, it becomes an opportunity for understanding. Both partners approach challenges as teammates rather than opponents. They choose resolution over ego and repair over pride.

Time often reveals whether emotional equality truly exists. In the early stages of love, intensity can disguise imbalance. Enthusiasm feels mutual. Effort appears equal. But as routine settles in and novelty fades, the structure of the relationship becomes clearer. Who still initiates? Who still invests? Who still shows up consistently? Sustainable love requires sustained balance. It is built not merely on attraction, but on deliberate reciprocity. Standing on equal emotional grounds requires intentionality. It demands honest conversations about needs and expectations. It requires both partners to examine their habits — whether they withdraw during tension, avoid accountability, or rely on the other to carry the emotional weight. Emotional maturity is not about avoiding conflict; it is about handling it responsibly and returning, again and again, to shared ground.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of emotional equality is peace. There is no constant anxiety about where one stands. No guessing games about commitment. No fear that affection may suddenly disappear. Instead, there is stability. There is reassurance. There is mutual effort. In a world where relationships often blur the lines between attention and commitment, equality offers clarity. It reminds us that love should not feel like competition or performance. It should feel like partnership. When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, they build something resilient. They build trust that does not fracture easily. They build respect that does not depend on mood. They build a connection rooted not only in passion but in balance. And in that balance, love finds its strength — not in who gives more, but in how both give fully.

By: Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi

Opinion

NDDC: Time To Illuminate Homes

Published

2 weeks ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Quote:“Twenty-five years on, the Niger Delta cannot celebrate illuminated streets while families sit in darkness. Development must begin inside the home — where children study, businesses grow, and lives are built — before it glows on the roadside.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2000 with a clear and urgent mandate: to facilitate the rapid, even, and sustainable development of Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta region. The creation of the Commission followed decades of agitation over environmental degradation, infrastructural neglect, and socio-economic marginalization in the region. Its core mandate included the development of roads, bridges, electricity, water supply, health facilities, education, housing, environmental remediation, and economic empowerment initiatives. At inception, expectations were high that the Commission would transform the Niger Delta into a model of regional development. Over the years, the NDDC has indeed implemented numerous projects across the nine Niger Delta states. Roads have been constructed and rehabilitated in several communities, easing transportation challenges.

Schools have been renovated, and new classroom blocks have been provided in underserved areas. Health centres have been built or upgraded, improving access to primary healthcare services. The Commission has also awarded scholarships to students, including foreign postgraduate scholarships, empowering thousands of youths academically.Skills acquisition and youth empowerment programmes have helped many young people gain vocational competencies.Through various interventions, the NDDC has contributed to job creation and local economic stimulation.Solar-powered street lighting projects have been widely implemented in urban and semi-urban communities. These streetlights have improved visibility at night and contributed to enhanced security in some areas. Markets, highways, and public spaces illuminated by solar lights have experienced extended business hours.

For these efforts, the Commission deserves acknowledgment and commendation. However, development must always align with foundational mandates and pressing grassroots realities. A growing concern among residents is that while streets are illuminated, many homes remain in darkness. Rural electrification and household power access remain inconsistent and inadequate across large parts of the region. In riverine and remote communities, families still rely on generators, kerosene lamps, or complete darkness after sunset. The irony of brightly lit streets juxtaposed with powerless homes cannot be ignored. Electricity at the household level directly impacts education, health, and small-scale enterprise. Students cannot effectively study at night without reliable indoor lighting.Families cannot preserve food or power essential appliances without stable electricity.

Micro and small businesses struggle to grow without dependable energy access. While street lighting enhances public aesthetics and security, it does not substitute for domestic electrification. The proverb “charity begins at home” is especially relevant in this context. True community development must first empower households before beautifying public spaces. The Commission’s original mandate emphasizes integrated and sustainable development, not isolated infrastructural gestures. Balanced development requires that energy interventions prioritize homes alongside streets. Solar technology presents a unique opportunity for decentralized household electrification in off-grid communities. Extending solar solutions to individual homes would have a transformative social impact. Home-based solar systems could power lights, fans, small appliances, and communication devices.

Such interventions would reduce poverty, improve living standards, and stimulate grassroots productivity. By broadening its energy focus, the Commission would better reflect the spirit of its founding legislation. This is not a call to abandon street lighting projects, which have their merits. Rather, it is an appeal for balance, inclusivity, and alignment with core developmental objectives. Strategic planning should ensure that rural electrification and household access form a central pillar of ongoing interventions. Community engagement and needs assessments can help determine priority areas for household solar deployment. Twenty-five years after its establishment, the NDDC stands at a reflective moment in its institutional journey. The people of the Niger Delta say: thank you for the efforts so far—but not very much—because true appreciation will come when development begins at home and radiates outward, not merely when streets shine while houses remain in darkness.

By: King Onunwor