‘Police, NASS, Judiciary Are Most Corrupt Institutions In Nigeria’

A survey by Transparency International (TI) has revealed that Nigerians perceive the Police, the National Assembly and the Judiciary as the most corrupt official organs in the country.
This was disclosed in the 10th edition of the Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) – Africa, which TI published on Thursday, in partnership with Practical Sampling International. The survey sampled 1,600 respondents between April 26 an May 10, 2017. It showed that the police topped the list of most corrupt institutions in the country at 69 per cent, followed by ‘Members of Parliament’ (60) and local government officials (55). Others were government officials (54), judges and magistrates (51), business executives (44), presidency (43), non-governmental organisations (40), traditional leaders (35) and religious leaders (20). The survey indicated that 47 per cent public service users had paid a bribe to the police in the previous 12 months, while 44 per cent had contributed to overall bribery rate in that period. Others were IDs (38), utilities (34), public schools (32), public clinics and health centres (20).
The survey, according to TI, is the largest, most detailed survey of citizens’ views on corruption and their direct experiences of bribery in Africa, incorporating the views of more than 47,000 citizens from 35 countries across Africa.
TI added: “Corruption is a major barrier to economic growth, good governance and basic freedoms, such as freedom of speech or citizens’ right to hold governments to account. More than this, corruption affects the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.
“The 10th edition of the Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) – Africa reveals that while most people in Africa feel corruption increased in their country, a majority also feel optimistic that they, as citizens, can make a difference in the fight against corruption.
“The report also found more than one in four people who accessed public services, such as health care and education, paid a bribe in the previous year. This is equivalent to approximately 130 million citizens in the 35 countries surveyed.”