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The Quest For Eradicating
Corruption
Hadiza Wada, DBA
...January 1, 2011
After quite a few articles on corruption,
its roots, tentacles, perpetrators and cultivators we set out to analyze it at a
deeper level, in order to enlighten on better ways to deal with it.
Anyone who knows much about Nigerian problems will tell you that corruption is
one of, if not the most debilitating ailments. Being a moral
issue more than anything else, we have enbacked on seeking to understand the
core foundations of our moral bearing to find causes and answers.
This will however take us into even sensitive areas such as religion, its
teachings and effects on the society, as religion is the master source of moral
bearing of any population.
We will also explore phylosophies, as well as
ancient to contemporary analysis of the issue. We will continue
to explore this as time permits in a series or articles
until we stumble on a meaningful and pratical way of dealing with it.
Corruption and mismanagement of both human and monetary
resources occur for a variety of reasons. People usually
do not give such actions deep thought, but consequently, it is such actions that
combine to make societies stagnant, unresourceful, chaotic and corrupt.
It is not just the simple giving and taking of money that amounts to or else
feeds corruption.
Various activities that are inconsistent to
progress also aid corrupt practices.
There are rights, for example, in political
activities that sometimes get crushed by power or influence, where people would
have to watch out for.
Those who help political candidates towards
political campaign and seeking office, for example, should not be automatically
given a position of trust in government for their service of you.
They served you for some reason of either friendship, goals, interest, party
etc, and it should stop at that. If you feel
obligated towards the person because of his help, then compensate him personally
if personal, as a friend if a friend etc. But to take a
position of trust that the person either does not deserve or is qualified for
and give it to him amounts to injustice to self and to others.
To self, because you will be accountable for all of the person’s mistakes if not
in this world then in the next when you stand before your Lord.
To
others because you have given a position to someone not for the right reason,
and as a result people entrusted to your care were short changed, or misserved.
Some scholars start from issues as basic as
decision making style of politicians. Leaders need to
have a strong vision about what they want to acheive for their commnities, plan
it well ahead and get to work the minute they enter the scene. Indicisive and
sometimes neglectful leaders do not achieve much, which breeds frustrations.
There is no way that you may take a decision, or make a law that everyone among
your followers will like.
You just shoot for aleviating the problem of the
majority.
Even if unpopular at first, if you are confident that it is
the right decision, follow it. Stop thinking
that taking the right decision will make you unpopular and unelectable the next
time. There is this general trend among politicians that leads people to believe
they have classified politics as something devoid of Godly obedience and Godly
laws. They take actions that contradicts God’s universal
laws of justice and humanity. With repeated actions such as these, they erode
their moral bearing and enbolden their appetite for unjust and inhumane acts
which soon corrupts them.
To a people of faith in God, to whom a great majority of the Nigerian population belong they believe that everything that occurs is intently watched and recorded by God, and everything else in the heavens and the earth including themselves, others, and the events occuring are in God’s hands Who ultimataely decides the outcome. If that is true, why should one deviate from Godly justice embeded in clear laws of dos and donts. Generally Politicians and leaders make electability and the determination to keep their political position the only goal for actions they take, regardless of the outcome of the action on the community, its institutions, upcoming generations, and the health of the nation in general. It makes one question the politician’s faith, for faith teaches us that everyone MUST pay for what he has done, regardless of ones position in the society. That in short is God's timeless and universal justice that is infallible. Isn’t that what both religions teach its followers?
The Sheikhs and the
Pastors would tell us everytime, that God is in control and is All Powerfull.
How come then that such leaders fail to understand that God can determine or
open even bigger opportunities for them than what they are scared of losing by
doing the right thing.
And if He likes, He can still stir their love in
people regardless, so they realize the sincerity in what the leader did for
them.
But if one chooses to work towards being liked away from
what is right, in that case the leader is self-centered for the wrong reason.
Who even says he will live to that next election, and who says even if he does
Allah will not bring another person more popular to beat him in that election.
That way one has lost in both ways (1) trial by mankind
in this world and (2) trial by God religioulsy and morally, in the next when he
stands for
judgment.
One area Machiavelli discussed of direct bearing to some of
Nigerian basic problems is the fragmenting and use of political factions to
control a population. The idea as old
as government is that when you cause chaos, the people will be so distracted by
their differences, as to pay any attention to any bad actions a leader wants to
hide from the population.
It is often used in fear of failure, or by one not
interested in getting his people’s love through righteous deeds that add value
to their lives.
In short the use of devide-and-conquer that has
become a common art employed by some Nigerian politicians, has been critisized
as not a wise idea by Machiavelli. About that he
says “I do not believe that it can be accepted as a precept for today, because I
do not believe that factions can ever be of use, rather it is certain that when
the enemy comes upon you in divided cities you are quickly lost because the
weakest party will always assist the outside forces, and the other will not be
able to resist.”
Other areas Machiavelli touched that I agree and feel are
important includes the need for leaders to become good role models in a very
positive sense.
It not only helps guide the young upcoming leaders,
it also adds to the politicians record of good deeds that stand out and are well
remembered. But as I enumerated earlier because a mortal’s phylosophy of
governance is limited, Machiavelli’s philosophy sometimes explores areas that
are questionable and would draw moral questions. For example,
Machiavelli believes a leader does not have to be good, but can pretend to be.
That it will be injurious to always maintain good qualities.
Of this he says for example; “Therefore it is unnecessary for a Prince to have
all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to
have them.
And I dare say this also, that to have them and always to
observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful.”
These qualities that he enumerated but then says it is not necessary for a ruler
includes, merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright etc
While we agree that it is necessary to have the courage to enforce bitter and
strong policies when necessary, we however say one could argue that leadership
and adminitsration with compassion does not necessarily mean weakness.
.