The statement is too broad and opaque. Corruption can kill any well intended and thought-out economic policy.
Corruption sociologically is a reflection of a breakdown of social order which in Durkheimian terms leads to "ANOMIE." For Aristotle, it leads to EXCESS instead of MODERATION. Corruption is a sign of a deeper problem in society to use a social realist epistemology, where analysis starts from appearance but then goes deeper to decipher the underlying realities that produce the appearance, just like Plato's Allegory of the Cave. We should not sit down in the cave and just be satisfied with appearances there. Corruption is a sign of deeper problem and we should unravel that. The level of excess in Nigeria today is pathological. No society can totally get rid of corruption but did the person not see the figures exposed in this forum? Even if this happened under my father as the president, the system deserves to be critiqued. Corruption contributes in destroying human conscience. If I will Iive by being corrupt the way some Nigerians are, i.e., spend 7 million dollars for my son's wedding given what is happening with other human beings in Nigeria, I pray that God takes my life while I am sleeping. I have no relevance to the struggles of humanity. Give me a break. Life is not how long I live or how much I accumulate per se but what I have done with the lives to make this world a better place for others. This to me is a more enduring principle than belittling the fight against corruption in Africa. I suggest to the person to always interact with ordinary people in Nigeria or Africa to understand their struggles.
Development requires a broad perspective and dealing with how different factors and variables contribute to success. In the literature some call this the problem of "coordination failure." Corruption has made the transaction cost of business in Africa too high and especially Nigeria which is ranked very low in terms of competitiveness among African countries. The country is the largest in terms of population in Africa, but not necessarily the best in other things, e.g., business competitiveness. So the statement is just too broad. If it is meant to diminish any attack on corruption as not important, then it is very naive, simple and simplistic. The statement belittles the suffering of millions in Nigeria and Africa becasue of corruption in governance since the time of Mobutu of Zaire or Emperor Bokassa who use one quarter of his country's budget to crown himself. Corruption kills hundreds of people in Nigeria daily.
If we can get rid of corruption in Nigeria or Africa, it will look like the global economy has changed altogether. You can get all the great experts from Diaspora to run the economy of Nigeria but if there is corruption, nothing can happen.
On the other hand, you can get economic policies that are not necessarily the best, but if there is no corruption, but the officers are men and women of high moral and ethical commitment, there will be more progress in that society.
It is just like claiming to have the best truth claim but no moral and ethical commitment to put it into practice. Nothing will happen. See how in the U.S. evangelical Christians claim they have the truth better than everyone and yet, because they do not have the courage to put into practice, their truth seems not to go anywhere and some evangelical churches have more racism than the liberal ones. These are facts. But someone with small truth claim but high level of moral and ethical commitment and courage can achieve more.
The data on how corruption destroys the human being even at the individual level is well documented since the time of Plato's tripartite conception of the soul: reason, soul and appetitive. The corrupt person is one whose whole self is taken over by appetitive desires which overwhelm the soul and reason. Such humans become restless because they are used to taking what does not belong to them. Corruption destroyed institutions. It makes the institutions of a society totally ignore the existential struggles of the citizens.
Corruption sociologically is a reflection of a breakdown of social order which in Durkheimian terms leads to "ANOMIE." For Aristotle, it leads to EXCESS instead of MODERATION. Corruption is a sign of a deeper problem in society to use a social realist epistemology, where analysis starts from appearance but then goes deeper to decipher the underlying realities that produce the appearance, just like Plato's Allegory of the Cave. We should not sit down in the cave and just be satisfied with appearances there. Corruption is a sign of deeper problem and we should unravel that. The level of excess in Nigeria today is pathological. No society can totally get rid of corruption but did the person not see the figures exposed in this forum? Even if this happened under my father as the president, the system deserves to be critiqued. Corruption contributes in destroying human conscience. If I will Iive by being corrupt the way some Nigerians are, i.e., spend 7 million dollars for my son's wedding given what is happening with other human beings in Nigeria, I pray that God takes my life while I am sleeping. I have no relevance to the struggles of humanity. Give me a break. Life is not how long I live or how much I accumulate per se but what I have done with the lives to make this world a better place for others. This to me is a more enduring principle than belittling the fight against corruption in Africa. I suggest to the person to always interact with ordinary people in Nigeria or Africa to understand their struggles.
Development requires a broad perspective and dealing with how different factors and variables contribute to success. In the literature some call this the problem of "coordination failure." Corruption has made the transaction cost of business in Africa too high and especially Nigeria which is ranked very low in terms of competitiveness among African countries. The country is the largest in terms of population in Africa, but not necessarily the best in other things, e.g., business competitiveness. So the statement is just too broad. If it is meant to diminish any attack on corruption as not important, then it is very naive, simple and simplistic. The statement belittles the suffering of millions in Nigeria and Africa becasue of corruption in governance since the time of Mobutu of Zaire or Emperor Bokassa who use one quarter of his country's budget to crown himself. Corruption kills hundreds of people in Nigeria daily.
If we can get rid of corruption in Nigeria or Africa, it will look like the global economy has changed altogether. You can get all the great experts from Diaspora to run the economy of Nigeria but if there is corruption, nothing can happen.
On the other hand, you can get economic policies that are not necessarily the best, but if there is no corruption, but the officers are men and women of high moral and ethical commitment, there will be more progress in that society.
It is just like claiming to have the best truth claim but no moral and ethical commitment to put it into practice. Nothing will happen. See how in the U.S. evangelical Christians claim they have the truth better than everyone and yet, because they do not have the courage to put into practice, their truth seems not to go anywhere and some evangelical churches have more racism than the liberal ones. These are facts. But someone with small truth claim but high level of moral and ethical commitment and courage can achieve more.
The data on how corruption destroys the human being even at the individual level is well documented since the time of Plato's tripartite conception of the soul: reason, soul and appetitive. The corrupt person is one whose whole self is taken over by appetitive desires which overwhelm the soul and reason. Such humans become restless because they are used to taking what does not belong to them. Corruption destroyed institutions. It makes the institutions of a society totally ignore the existential struggles of the citizens.
Development involves more than fighting corruption but for many African countries at this particular historical moment, attacking corruption is crucial and fundamental
Any comment like that should not be based on caprice but what the empirical data on the subject says.
By the way, Professor John Mbaku has written a book on Corruption in Africa. I got a copy actually. And I believe Professor Ochonu wrote something about that too. It is a serious problem please. Let us not minimize it. I agree it is not the only thing about development that needs to be done but it is huge.
By the way, Professor John Mbaku has written a book on Corruption in Africa. I got a copy actually. And I believe Professor Ochonu wrote something about that too. It is a serious problem please. Let us not minimize it. I agree it is not the only thing about development that needs to be done but it is huge.
Samuel
On Sat, Oct 3, 2015 at 2:22 AM, Chidi Anthony Opara <chidi.opara@gmail.com> wrote:
"Fighting corruption is not an economic policy." (Obi Iwuanyanwu on facebook)
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Samuel Zalanga
Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Reconciliation Studies
Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive #24
Saint Paul, MN 55112.
Office Phone: 651-638-6023
Department of Anthropology, Sociology & Reconciliation Studies
Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive #24
Saint Paul, MN 55112.
Office Phone: 651-638-6023
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
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