Corrupt State of Nigeria: We all have benefitted from it

Corruption, as we all know is the destruction, ruining and spoiling of a society or nation. Corruption is an age-old phenomenon. Selfishness and greed are the two main causes. 

A corrupt nation loses its value for integrity, virtue or moral principles. It changes for the worse. Such a society begins to decay and sets itself on the road to destruction.

Corruption has always been the bane of our country’s development and we have seen a steep of upward trend of existing corruption. Nigeria has been engulfed by corruption that we have reached the position of one of the top ten or so of the corrupt countries in the world.

How can we develop when even our parents (elderly) who ought to lead by example are corrupt? At a very tender age, parents inculcate this bad trait in their children. For instance, when I wrote my National Common Entrance exam, so many parents (family friends) bought me with gifts to help their kids with answers. I, being an innocent kid didn’t know I was already employed as a mercenary. Imagine a child having that kind of notion that you can bribe your way to success and that he doesn’t need to read to pass.

Corruption is rampant everywhere, this malady has spread through like the length and breadth of our social fabric metastatically like a malignant cancer.

Corrupt practices have eaten have into our lifestyles to such an extent that we don’t see anything wrong in what we do anymore and that things should be the way they are. We are inclined to justify all the wrongs. 

Corruption has gone viral in our society and we have reached a point of no return; it’s the beginning of the end.

These days we all are well informed of the malpractices that thrive nowadays and we have expressed revulsion, disgust and frowned at the way things are going in the country but I’ve always maintained, we all have gained and profited from corruption in one way or the other. After all, my Igbo people say “Na Obodo adigi mma bu uru ndi nze” meaning the crisis state of a society/nation is to the merit and benefit of the rich and mighty. If you say you have not benefitted from corruption, you are only playing the game of deceit with your head.

One way or the other, I don’t think there’s any man out there that will say he has been fair all his life and never broken any rule/law.

Let’s play a game of 21 questions; have you ever sorted to pass an exam? Have you ever asked someone to write attendance for you in school or at your workplace in your absence? Did you write your jamb in a special centre? Did you have to pay a concessional fee to get admission into secondary or tertiary institution? Have you ever rogered the police? Have you ever given bribe to wriggle your way out of a difficult situation? Have you ever been given preferential treatment in a bank or any other place? Have you ever bribed anybody to get a job even though you are the least qualified? Have you ever smoked weed? Did you drink before you were 21? Have you ever driven a car under the influence of alcohol? Have you ever indulged in child trafficking? Have you ever abused a child either physically or sexually? Did you have sex before you were 18? Have you ever slept with an underage girl or guy? Have you as a priest not stood your ground against corruption publicly? Have you ever killed a family member just to make money? Have you ever indulged in rituals for political reasons or because of mere jealousy? Have you even been part of a cyber crime? Have you ever embezzled public fund?  Have you ever kidnapped anybody or acted as an informant for kidnappers/robbers? Have you ever run a traffic red light before?

If you are guilty of any of these crimes, your guess is as good as mine, you are corrupt.