Enlightening takes on the Nigerian situation..."The Accidental Public Servant"


‘I really do not believe there is such thing as a corrupt country; it simply is a matter of incentives and absence of sanctions. I have seen many British, Italian and American citizens who have come to Nigeria and where they to be judged strictly on their corrupt tendencies and actions, one might easily then think they were born in Nigeria, which proves that environment trumps race or ethnicity anytime. They conduct themselves simply in response to the incentives they find, a person looking around the system and consciously asking “what can I get away with?” The reason people are more honest in one society than another is because there is a very high chance of being caught and sanction somehow for dishonesty. In Nigeria, the unfortunate verdict seems to be that if you are dishonest, not only is there very little chance of getting caught, there is a very high chance of being rewarded with senior appointive or elective positions in politics or public service, honoured with chieftaincy titles, and with the praise and respect of one’s community.’ PP91/92…El-Ruffai.

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