Corruption And Leadership, hindrance to Africa Development

Corruption

It is a worldwide phenomenon because it has long been with the every society of the world. Corruption is a bane of most political and economic problems in societies especially in Africa where it has stagnated development. The various vices that corruption carries along with it are considered an enemy of economic development; therefore, a country that condones corruption is besieged with numerous political, social, and economic vices.

I define the term corruption as an action which deviates from the formal rules of conduct that govern the actions of someone who is in a position of public or private authority. It is the act where a person or society ora nation abuse wealth, power, or status. It is the perversion of state of affairs or integrity through moral depravity or favor.It produces dishonest and defiled situations.

Corruption reflect nepotism, favoritism, tribalism, abuse of office, undue enrichment, amassing of wealth, and derivation of undue gains and benefits. Corruption being a wide concept includes money laundering, drug trafficking, fraud, illegal payments, forgery, false declaration, bribery, and aiding and abetting of any kind among other incidences.

In Africa, corruption has become a social issue impeding change, economic growth, and reduction of poverty. It is endemic since observance of rule of law is overlooked. Corruption in African states mostly emanates from leaders personalizing power and, as a result, people rely on favors and connections instead of formal social, political, and economic rules. Public resources are swindled by government officials who large fortunes of wealth.

Corruption is a conscious and deliberate diversion of resources from the satisfaction of general interest to that of personal interest. The effects of corruption are mainly felt by the ground of morality that is inflicted with all sorts of adverse effects.

Leadership.

Leaders who liberated the African continent were selfless, nationalistic, and visionary. The post -apartheid and other post-colonial leaders can attest to this. Kwame Nkrumah, Mwalimu Julius Kabarage Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba and Gamal Abdul Nasser are some of the post colonial leaders who exuded high sense of nationalism and patriotism in their leadership. These leaders were unlike succeeding generation of leadership who are after accumulation of material things.

The current leaders  are characterized with little or no vision at all. These leaders terrorized, dehumanized, and impoverished their population by looting from their public coffers. These rulers care little about food production, human capacity, or even shelter for the homeless, but instead they invest in military hardware, grandiose projects and lavish lifestyles which is of little relevance to the growth of the economy.

This new generation leadership has brought disunity along ethnic and religious lines largely among the illiterate populace. Moreover, this leadership indulges in plundering people’s resources and also minimizes education which is a vital element in the continent’s growth and development.

Today’s Africa is characterized by weak leadership that is evident in the society. The leadership has failed to steer the society to a common national identity and a sense of public good. It has also failed to lead a society behind objectives which are clear and achievable. Poor leadership, which results from poor leadership policies, contribute to Africa’s slow pace in growth and development. Take for instance the business community. It has lost out on opportunities to be architects of the future due to poor leadership policies. This has led business to treat transformation as a burden to their business instead of looking at it as future investment. Africa’s leadership display inherent weaknesses which have no sense of common good with a considerable number of leaders failing to provide a link between their programs and their actions. This particularly has dragged Africa behind in all sectors.

 

Impacts of Corruption and Poor Leadership.

Corruption, which is a product of poor leadership, has been a cause of concern for Africa since post-colonial times. This owes to the fact that corrupt leaders divert the already limited resources, impedes changes in policies required for development, and undermines progress of the economy. These leaders make African Countries a case study since it represents countries of the world whose development has stagnated due to corrupt practices. Despite numerous reforms, which have been made to streamline Africa, the efforts have not registered results because of domineering hindrance of corruption.

There is no doubt that corruption has taken roots in Africa, and the rate at which it spreads is alarming. This act, which involves the violation of public duty or deviations from high moral standards in anticipation or exchange for personal, pecuniary gains characterize Africa’s leadership.Corruption impacts are felt in the political, economic, and social spheres.

The obvious impact of corruption is deepening poverty among the citizens of a country. It makes it difficult for ordinary people to reap the benefits of their own efforts.  This has also led to Africans falling into poverty, but inequality in income has opened a wide gap between ordinary Africans and African elites. In many African countries, elites are in control of machinery of the state and the falling economy which ensures that their political and economic privileges are protected. Such environments do not open up opportunities for the general populace since it has remarkably few powerful people supporting it.

The effects of this phenomenon increase the rate of unemployment, inflation, decline in output, and lowering people’s living standards. It has a great impact in the social life and values is affected by corruption. The social values dwindle reducing a progressive society to nothing but crazy pursuit of power, society recognition, and wealth affluences. Corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of African society to an extent to which people no longer appreciate admirable virtues such as conduct, morale, and practices. The worst scenario though is the prospect of corruption gaining permanency, therefore, hampering development and desired change.

 

The leadership of Africa ought to institute measures to combat corruption. They should come up with strategies that are specific to a country which renders corruption a high- risk practice and low benefits that accrue to it. We cannot argue that there are no strategies for combating corruption in these countries. In fact, every country has institutions of fighting corruption. However, there is a need to re-establish governmental legitimacy and rebuild institutions which will kill corrupt practices. The case of Liberia, for example, under the leadership of President Johnson provides a window into good and progressive leadership.

Bearing in mind the magnitude of corruption, African countries have to develop new strategies on a constant basis to meet the ever changing challenges presented by corruption. This need to combat or prevent corruption needs a coherent, consistent, long term perspective and a broad-based approach. Moreover, political will, leadership, and public support are essential weapons in anti corruption campaigns. The political leadership ought to be exemplary in combating corruption by setting up stringent measures that sends strong messages to the public that corruption will not be tolerated.

The political will is essential because it ensures that administrative and anti corruption legislation are administered. The governments which oversee the implementation of these measures ought to build public confidence by demonstrating seriousness and working towards achieving results.

The civil society at large including private and public sector must join hands in combating the scourge. Society must also change its attitudes towards corruption.  The public should be made aware of the detrimental effects of corruption and doing so will cut down corruption cases. All stakeholders must be included and participate in drafting anti-corruption strategies. Political will, on the other hand, should strengthen governance in its effort to combat corruption.

Conclusion.

There is no better way of drawing a conclusion than borrowing from Liberia. This is a country that has been in conflict for over a decade leaving its people divided. The conflict stricken country was characterized by ethnic and religious strife, which surfaced constantly. However, it took the committed leadership less time in bringing the country back to its feet. The same case applies to Rwanda under President Paul Kagame. This committed leadership mediates, heal, and reconcile these differences. It also articulates and formulates a vision that is based upon equal opportunity, equity, and choice in pursuit of a growth and development that is balanced. The case of Liberia teaches the rest of African countries the value of leadership that is committed to providing inspiration and motivation for stakeholders to take part in the programs and policies that oversee the implementation of the national vision. The government of Liberia is committed towards giving an example of that translates into realization of its goals. Every African country should not hesitate in following in the footsteps of countries such as Liberia and Rwanda.