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Military Rule And Political Transition In Nigeria: An Appraisal Of Abacha Regime (1993- 1998)
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In order
words, Verda is talking about the concentration of political and
economic power and accelerated pace of economic development as fertile
grounds for corruption. We shall however disagree with Verda because his
assertions are highly deficient as an explanation tool for explaining
corruption in Nigerian military. In the first place, his assertion that
corruption is peculiar to developing countries such as Nigeria is false.
Corruption also obtains in the advances western countries. The
different is only in terms of degree and scope. And also, the
accelerated pace of economic development are not fertile grounds for
corruption. Rather it is the objective basis in the process and the
character for which it creates that is responsible for corruption.
Also
David H. Barbley (1966:732) in an article contained in western
political Quarterly asserted that corruption in developing countries is
not necessary antipathetic to the development of modern economic and
social system. He argues that corruption has beneficial effects on
developing countries, taking into consideration the economic and social
cultural values of the area in question. Among the check list of his
beneficial effect of corruption are increased in allocation of resources
away from consumption into investment, increase in the quality of life
of public servant, that corruption and nepotism could be emulated and
adopted as norms.
In fact, there is a fundamental flaw and
impairment in Barley‟s argument. His assertion that corruption is
beneficial to developing countries and not to developed countries is
deficient and fraught with fundamental bias. His works is an attempt to
justify corruption in developing countries which has its origin in the
colonial and post-colonial socio economic formations.
Another writer
Collins Lacy (1965:1230-230) in his article n the journal of modern
African studies sees the state as an arena with a great deal of
behaviour are not geared towards the support of a single concept of
national interest. He asserts that there are three reasons for this
attitude. He says that idea of a national interest is weak because the
idea of a nation is new and that the leaders are not aware of the
official purpose requires of them. Another reason he argued was the new
state because people are generally not aware of what the official roles
requires.
Collins analysis is deficient because in the first
instance, leaders, in developing countries are not unaware of the
official role, required of them. It is also true that people are not
aware of what is required of the officials. Many people in developing
countries are aware of what the official should do while in office even
though these officials and engaged in corrupt practices.
Another
writer, Chinua Achebe, (1983:37) in his book: The Trouble with Nigeria,
Sees corruption in Nigeria as an issue which has an objective basis on
the Nigeria leaders. He asserts that corruption is rampant among Nigeria
leaders. He goes further to argue that Nigeria in not different from
any other country in the world, and that they are corrupt because the
system in which they lived is corrupt and that ones the system is
changed, corruption can be ameliorated. He identified seven deadly ills
or maladies of Nigerian political leaders and society which includes the
following: tribalism, self-conceit and flamboyance, lack of
intellectual rigour, lack of patriotism, indiscipline and corruption.
Achebe‟s
work is deficient because it fails to situate corruption and other ills
of society within the capitalist economic system as well as the
colonial and neo- colonial character of the Nigerian society. Also, it
fails to put corruption within a conceptual framework.
Ankie M. M.
Hoogrelt, (1992: 127-137) in his book: The Sociology of the Developed
societies sees corruption as the evil companion vehicle for negotiation
between badly integrated structures of social order.
According to
him, corrupt practices in contemporary developing societies are much
more pervasive, much more of and everybody pattern of life, and that
they disrupt economic life to a fair greater than is the case in the
advanced countries. Ankie failed to realize that corrupt practices are
also pervasive in the advanced countries. Notable examples are the
United State Watergate scandal and the British poulson affair.
Omotunde
asserts that corruption exist if there is a division of government
revenue of nation income flow in order to argue the current government
members private wealth, when the latter are not legally entitled to do
so, we may have to note that the abuse of state power extends beyond the
enrichment of the government officials themselves. It sometimes
involves giving undue favours to other people with whom government
officials have relationship.
Claude Ake, (1981:2) in his book
political economy of Africa: sees corruption as an issue that has an
obligation basis in the production process. He sees corruption as a
phenomenon which created and is dependent on a particular socio-
economic condition. He argued that corruption exist in capitalist and
class societies which the capitalist state generates.
Okwudiba
Nnoli, (1983:9) in his book, Introduction to politics: sees corruption
as also having objectives in the production process. He argued that crop
of leaders has been producing tends to be corrupt because they play
what he called mental and psychological discipline which come to an
individual as he uses labour in the production of value. He went further
to argue that colonialism created this class of leaders who are a
position of dominance in the post- colonial capitalist state like
Nigeria. That this class leaders not only become corrupt demonstration
but also collude with the international bourgeoisie class in
perpetuating corruption in Nigeria.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This study analyzes military rule and the political transition to democracy in Nigeria. It enquires into how military intervenes in the Nigerian politics in the recent time. The study also examines how corruption induces military intervention in Nigerian politics due to the embezzlement of public funds by our political leaders as well as mismanagement of government properties. This study looks at the major challenges in Nigeria‟s transition to democratic rule so as to establish the gap in ... Continue reading---
