There are some corrupt practices in Nigeria that are rooted deep, which begs the question what makes a society great? Is it the people that make up the society or the institutions present in the society? or is it those in charge of public offices? Whether you agree the power is in the hands of government officials or institutions in society, we can all agree these various offices are made up of people from society. There are various corrupt practices we have at some point engaged in. Corruption should not only be viewed as ill done by government officials or politicians but what we also do to society at large. For a society to be great, the people that make up that society must be ones with integrity, good behaviour, and an attitude to learning and growth. The failure of any society lies in the hands of the people.
Corrupt practices within the Nigerian Society
Some of the various issues that have eaten into the Nigerian system are the high level of corrupt practices. These are not only done by government officials but also by individuals. Behaviour is how a person acts and is often a response to both external and internal factors. Factors such as thoughts, feelings, and interactions within the environment.
Behaviour
Most of these behavioral traits could be traced back to the individual’s formative years, family upbringing, as well as personality. There is a particular attitude we should all have, asides from imbibing the company’s ethics into our own personal ethics and method of behavior and interaction with our colleagues we should also exhibit these traits in other aspects of our lives. This growing mediocrity is sadly moving into the mainstream. Some of the corrupt practices we engage in as individuals in Nigeria include but are not limited to cyberbullying, breaking of road sign laws, bribing, and boycotting protocols.
Employees are not just workers but a true representation of the company for which they work. They wear the visions, values, and culture of such a company. Wisdom is knowing when to wear a professional outlook even under provocation. Buildings do not make up a company, it is the people. Individuals should understand that they are the mirror of the organization or company they work with. Asides from being professional at the office workspace, even when in public places, away from the office premises, people should still wear a calm collected personality, one befitting an educated scholar. Picture a society where all people are professionals outside of the workspace, possess high emotional intelligence, and are tolerant of one another.
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Growth
So many youths and even older adults are comfortable where they are. If you ever had to teach your parents how to operate their phones repeatedly. Why do some people leave certain skills that are teachable and easy to learn to the younger generation and why do some youths lack competence and are lazy to pay the price and learn a worthy skill but prefer to engage in social vices?
Learning today has been made easy through the use of the internet, and people can now learn various skills. Before we had to use google and youtube to learn certain skills now we have various platforms offering diploma and certified courses from various top universities in the world some of which are offered at no cost. Someone in Nigeria can be at home and get a certificate from Harvard University, all thanks to globalization. The only thing anyone would be burning is the data used in browsing and time, which are worth the pay.
Learning never stops. If you pay rapt attention to your surroundings, you will realize that you must learn something new every day. No matter the professional qualification anyone has, it is important that you keep improving your skills. Every day something new is created, and a piece of new knowledge is discovered. While you sit and relax, the world has left you.
One way to track your level of knowledge is to have a personal diary or notepad that you will use to jot down new things you learn. If we imbibe the culture of learning at least one new thing every day, our society will become a better place for us all.
Competence
Placing square pegs in round holes. It is no secret that our society is ridden with godfatherism, nepotism, and tribalism when it comes to job opportunities. Often times qualified candidates are not picked from the pool of interested applicants but from a network of people with the right plug and connections. This often bites the company or organization back when they spend resources to train unqualified candidates, thereby reducing the organization’s output.
Some people in government offices are reluctant to upskill themselves, they are very comfortable where they are. Have you ever been ill-treated by a government official? An average Nigerian must have met a government official at some point in their life who wouldn’t do their work unless there’s a form of bribing involved. This doesn’t speak well of our beautiful country which is said to be the Giant of Africa. Government should invest more resources in the training of its officials with relevant soft skills. Also, invest in institutions that will checkmate the excesses of some of these government officials. There should be a penalty for negligence of duty and it should be followed through. This will go a long way to put back the trust in the government that was lost in the heart of Nigerians.
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Corruption
Nigeria has the possibility of rising to first-world status but greed and incompetency have eaten deeply into our system. Take for instance our educational sector. ASUU just called off an 8-month-old strike, it took the government eight months to deliberate and come to an agreement meanwhile we get news of people looting money. This is a misplaced priority. Education can be a means through which we can generate revenue for the country. Youths are in a haste to study overseas for a better and quality education not corrupted by incessant strikes. If Nigeria can invest in her educational sector, a lot of societal problems would be solved and the rate of criminality and absence of jobs will reduce to the barest minimum. Better education will create innovations in the country. A Nation that supports education will support the creation of other ventures by educated people.
Conclusion
It is not only the education sector that suffers and needs rejuvenating but this failure is also seen in correctional institutions as well as hospitals. A country that can not boast of working juvenile borstal homes while there is an increase in youth crimes. Secondary school children are having fun getting involved in cults and deviant behaviors. Asides from having NGOs and various organizations trying to instill morals, juvenile delinquents should be able to face the consequences of their actions in the right correctional homes. If they are aware of the consequences, it will reduce the number of people that get involved in such crimes.
The hospitals in Nigeria lack good facilities. If care is not taken, qualified professionals would be added to the list. As Nigeria is currently experiencing the migration of health professionals outside of the country. Asides from the educational sector, the focus should also be placed here. Provision of attractive pay, supporting research and development, provision of good health facilities as well as the creation of a good mental health section.
To make Nigeria great again begins with you and me.
