AN APPRAISAL OF NIGERIAN MEDIA AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR ERADICATING CORRUPTION

ABSTRACT

This research work has investigated the media as an instrument in eradicating corruption using Obasanjo’s Anti-corruption  Crusade (A case study  of the federal Radio operation of Nigeria)

The objective of this work among other things was to find out the problems that follow corruption and also to find out solutions to the problem based upon which hypothesis were formulated.

The research work was carried out by using primary and secondary data  like  interview method,  Questionnaire,  personal observation and the review of related literature.

The literature reviewed includes the journals magazine, textbook periodical, Newspaper, lecturers, seminars.  Response from the respondents show that the major problem in Nigeria is corruption like illegal award of contracts lobbying  syndrome, indiscipline like brown envelop, god-fatherism, unpatriotic ailment, fraudster bad name and bloody practices etc. which prompted president Obasanjo to launch crusade against corruption after the military regime, bringing them to book for prosecuting and punishment due for any offence committed without fear or favour of personality whereby he used federal Radio corporation of Nigeria for quick enhancement.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACK GROUND OF THE STUDY

It is necessary to glorify the minds that made ventures to the establishment of media arena.  Media as a watchdog and the mirror of the nation perform crucial role in the society.  Media educate, entertain, analyses, interprete, motivate, create awareness, create avenue, to  failure and to success.  Media as well monitors evaluate and correct all wrong activities concerning human existence.  It executes and recommends encodes and decodes and ensures feedback etc.

Media is “metaphoric “ when we termed it to be a watchdog of the nation and as well  the mirror through which the nation see and recognize itself.  It is the importance of the media that place it to that position in that somebody cannot just get up and started praising or criticizing a nation or  society without having   in mind any channel of dissemination of his  formation  whether good or bad information all convey sense to the target audience.  It is therefore at this junction that journalist uses media aid to bring to the nation what their society  is like and how their government is like and how good or bad the personalities  involved are like, then it is through this means that they will know what they are and how their activities moves,  whether  it encourages the audience or discourages them.

It was through this mirrow media “ The News that exposed the forgery certificate of Alhaji Sdisu Buhari which he did at the University of Toronto Canada.  This made president Obasanjo after taken over the government to launch  crusade that will redress what he saw in the mirrow.  This made Alhaji Salisu Buhari to be brought down from his position of speak House of Representatives.

The media educates the ignorant, it teachers them from known  to unknown,  in that it was when media publishes or airs what people know that they will analyze it  to those who does not know.  It was through media that people get to know what brought about the removal of Evans Ewerem from the position of senate president because of his falsification of age.  The Nigeria media therefore exposes them, the evil  operators of their evil deed and drag them down from the success to failure through monitoring of their movements and activities and evaluating and correcting their wrongs by disseminating it on air and preparing the audience to feedback and  recommending to the government  the punishment that they deserve for the issue of awareness to be accomplished.

Therefore this study is an attempt to discover how media as an instrument for eradicating corruption of Obasanjo anti-corruption crusade.  A case study of FRCN.

Since assuming office in May 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo has never hidden his   intention   to fight corruption, which has permeated the social fabric of Nigeria from the top to bottom

In order  to realize that goal, he  set up the independent corrupt practices and other  Related offence commission, otherwise known as the ICPC, headed by Justice Mustapha Akanbi, a retired judge of he court of Appeal.

But since then, the commission had remained a came duck  and toothless bulldog until recently.  In what observers see as a departure from the past and a renew vigour in the anit- graft campaign, the ICPC in earl December initiated the arrest of prominent publicans and former government officials.  In one fell swoop a serving minister was fired over allegation of corrupt  practices. Not only was former minister of labour and productivity, Alhaji Hassani Akwanaga sacked he was later arrested by security agencies for involvement in & 214m scam in the jinx  National identity card scheme being handled by the minister of internal Affairs.  He  was the permanent secretary of that ministry before retiring adhering appointed a minister.

The ICPC is currently prosecuting about sixty-two persons for various offences, these of the commissions and company executives.  The commission is said to have received over 942 petitions since inception, out of which about 400 are still being investigated.

1.2     STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

The problem of study is the effect of the media as an instrument of eradicating corruption, A case study of federal radio Corporation of Nigeria  in  effort in Obasnjo’s anti-corruption crusade.

It is the opinion of the researcher to see if there is any significant effect on media being a powerful instrument to Obasnjo’s crusade against corruption.  Truly, their has been series of struggle to attain this objectives.

Similarity, the legal  philosophers had various motions of the nature, meaning and scope of corruption.  Today the struggle to bring to the publics the notification,   of their  freedom  form  corruption by the media has being a respected attempt done by the media for it is the obligation of the media to carry out government opinions, translate it and analyze it    to layman’s understanding.

Today it is a matter of national  and international affairs or concern in that the rule of law has no meaning as some government in African countries are dictatorial in nature and operate  above the law, thereby something or action that is above the law of its land is a problem  and that is the statement of problem of corruption and Obasanjo’s crusade against that thereby FRCN as the powerful instrument to enforce awareness and motivates actions which was achieved at last.

For instance late Abacha chose Barinabas Jabilla (Nick named Rogers) as his killer squared leader who carried out a lot of assassination for him therefore instead  of investing money on development, he rather used the money to send sergeant Rogers to North Kores to learn self defence and assassination and as well was given asset to presidential jet and many cars of which was  announced   that tell magazine described his appearance as hefty bearded Rogers who always poses  a deceptive look with his athletic physique and cherubic face who usually decked in a special black Arab captain when on a mission to kill,  all enemy of  evil like assassination  of Kurdirat  Abiola late and others simply because of the interview granted to here by  the British Broadcasting corporation where she exposed late Abacha, she was killed because she vowed to fight Abacha’s corruption to the last.  She was killed because her husband Abiola late won  a free and fair election  which was annulled on June 12.

Problems are imminent in every aspect of human endeavour.  As scholars researchers, students, we know that the Nigeria Nation is bed veiled with  so much corruption which has hitherto been a constraint to National development.  A category of corruption is synominous  with militaries, politicians, some are caused by employer government  agencies, the common men, leaders of thought, the youths, the aged and these are the component that make up the federation.  A sample of corruption which this work tends to address is crime, drug abuse juvenile delinquency, cultism, bribery and disobedience.

Therefore in a situation like this, the media as a powerful instrument for eradicating corruption is at work but suffers in that there is no freedom of media activities.

Yet that does not stop the media from motivation and action though some personnel  lost  their lives in the process,  a good example is late Gwa founder of News watch, who was assassinated.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

As one may ask what is the intention of the researcher on the objective of this research work.  The research intends at the end of this work, to provide a lasting solution to the problem of corruption in Nigeria.   It also intends to assess the Obsanjo anti-corruption crusade to tell the public how far it has gone in trying to eradicate corruption in the society.  It also tends to form a frame work or basis for further researchers as far as corruption is concerned in Nigeria.

1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The research work  will go a long way to wards using the media to address the issue of corrupt practices in Nigeria and media as a  powerful instrument to achieve the positive objectives.

This is the dream that has almost come true in that no nation without media that will stand and human beings who are being governed will not have their  happiness without having full possession of their freedom.  That is why it has been nice researching on this  topic which brought about knowing the opinion of the federal Republic of Nigerian government which stated that he was committed to the rule of law hence he promise to ride the country of corruption and has infact set examples by first of all probing and indicting some military ex-state administrators for corrupt practices and probes on all governmental departments.

We must not fail to welcome the constitutional democracy, be it as benevolent, as  it may be, a military regime still falls short of the mark.  It is a government that owe’s it origin and authority to sheer force and not to the people.  We would like to have a government that will owe  its origin and authority to the people and as well give its accountability to the people  and can have an air of change in mind when he did not  account to his people fine likewise was promised  by president Olusegun Obsanjo  on the day of his launching on 9th September  1999 at Bayalsa state in Yenegua,  he promised to be cooperative with the staff and to work towards the upliftment of the standard of living of the people, maintenance of open door policy and accountability of the people he governed and avoidance of false manifestoes. With these corruption will be reduced and media will perform  its roles effectively without hindrance.

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.       In which ways do you think that media has helped in this crusade?

2.       How media aided as an instrument for eradication of corruption through Obasanjo anti corruption crusade?

3.       How  do you feel that corruption will even end in the life of Nigerians?

4.       Do you consider the step taken by president Obasanjo towards the crusade against corruption in Nigeria?

5.       What has  the press done about this?

1.6     RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

          DECISION NULL

Reject Null hypothesis if computed value is higher than the table value, otherwise accept the Null hypothesis.

NULL HYPOTHESIS H.O.

The Obasanjo’s  Crusade against corruption under a Democratic atmosphere is what that saved Nigerian situation of unstable government and return of peace  in the country, exposition through Radio Nigeria.

ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS

The  Obasanjo’s interference is not what that saved Nigeria situation of unstable government and return of peace in the country, exposition through Radio Nigeria Enugu.

1.8     CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

In order to made for adequate clearly of purpose and presentations, such words will be defined in this section in accordance with the usage that will be made of them.  In  doing  so the author hope to present an ideal aid towards the effective understanding of the day sep up.  Such words explained include media and corruption

Media:-

Media is usually with sing, mass communication example are television, Radio, the press than mass media.

Media is a medium of exchange of ideas it is a channel by which messages or information is being transferred or encoded and decoded  to the final audience.

Corruption:

Corruption as has been reviewed by Oxford Advance learner’s Dictionary of current English as an immoral actions, depraved ailment, dishonesty through offering and accepting tribes, impure through bloody practices debased by errors or alterations,  falsifying of age, embezzlement or illegal possession or acquisition of wealth.

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