MANAGING THE IMPACT OF CORRUPTION ON QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY IN THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS

ABSTRACT

This project focused on ‘managing the impact of corruption on quality service delivery in the Nigerian public sector organizations’. During the course of the research work some objectives were heave to; identify the course of corruption in public sector organizations, identify the types of corruption prevalent in public sector organizations, determine the role of independent corrupt practice commission (ICPC) on corruption etc. Related literatures were reviewed to give the researcher an insight to the work of others in the areas of study. The study used both primary and secondary sources of data collection. Statistical tools as frequency distribution, tables, percentages, and chi-square (X2) were used in the analysis of data and test of hypotheses. The

research among others made the following findings through the hypotheses that; Poor reward

system and poor leadership were the causes of corruption in public sector organizations ( X2   =

119.14> X2

= 9.488,α =.05). Embezzlement, bribery and favoritism were prevalent types o

corruption in public sector organizations. (X2 = 230.27> X2
= 9.488 α= .05). Independent

Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) prevented gratification and abuse of office in public sector

organizations in Nigeria (X2c = 36.92 > X2
= 9.488 α=.05). Corruption has significant negative

impact on productivity and service delivery in public sector organizations ( X2
= 130.71 > X2t =

9.488 α= .05). In conclusion, it is discovered that poor reward system and poor leadership are the causes of corruption in the public sector organizations. Embezzlement, bribery and favoritism are prevalent types of corruption in the public sector organizations  and the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) prevents gratification and abuse of office in public sector organizations in Nigeria. Corruption has significant negative impact on productivity and service delivery in public sector organizations.  The research made the following recommendations based on statement of the problem that; the poor reward system and poor leadership which has been the causes of corruption in sector organization should be adequately scrutinized through public frameworks that could restructure incentive scheme and leadership qualities for corrupt free public sector organizations. Embezzlement, bribery and favoritism that have been prevalent types of  corruption  in  public sector  Organizations  should  be reversed  through  relevant  laws  and punishment  for  public officers  found  guilty on such  offences  in  public sectors  organization. Independent corrupt practice commission (ICPC) as government agency charged with prevention of gratification and abuse of office in public sector organizations in Nigeria should be regularly given desired training and development that will make them competent as well as compete with global best practice/standards.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

The history of corruption is as old as the world, because ancient civilizations have traces of widespread  “illegality  and  corruption”  (Dike,  2005). Various  writers unite on  the view that corruption, as a malaise, is not the exclusive preserve of any nation, race or section of the world but transcends national boundaries and frontiers and symbolized phenomenal universal unwholesomeness politically, economically, religiously and culturally (Okunola, 1991; Oyebode,

1999). This does not, however, mean that the incidence and magnitude of corrupt activities are the same in every society. Some countries are obviously more corrupt; yet others have better plans in managing corrupt activities. From all indications Nigeria is not one of those that can effectively handle corruption, despite its unending corruption commissions and all the noise made by every administration on the efforts to transform the nation into a corruption free society.

In Nigeria today, there are many unresolved problems, but the issue of the upsurge of corruption is alarming. Corruption is endemic in Nigeria. The damages it has done to the policy are astronomical. This menace has led to situations like slow movement of files in offices, police extortion of toll fees, port congestions, queues  at passport offices  and  petrol stations, ghost workers syndrome, election irregularities, among others (Dike, 2005; Ihenacho, 2004; Oloja,

2002).

Odekunle (2002) understands the management of the impact of corruption on service delivery in Nigeria as identifying the various forms of corruption in Nigeria and checkmating their negative results. At this, they specifically mentioned the following; political corruption, bureaucratic corruption, electoral corruption, bribery, fraud, embezzlement, extortion, favoritism and nepotism as areas of corruption.

To them, the institution of reforms measures the administrative machinery that presupposes the existence of some deficiencies, the rectification of which depends on the satisfactory implementation of the reforms or anticorruption goals. Thus, government anticorruption reforms here  are  seen  as  improved  systems  and  machinery  created  to  enhance  performance  and productivity in organizations.

1.2       Statement of Problem

Statement of the  problem Nigeria Public Service in recent times has degenerated in productivity, service delivery and firm leadership of the directors. Lack of transparency has resulted in misappropriation of huge volume of public funds. This study focuses on the intensity of problems in the Police force, Nigeria immigration service and the Nigeria custom service and the Nigeria Custom Service .Low productivity, poor leadership skills, Poor Service delivery and the

ineptitude of the independent corrupt practice commission (ICPC) in the native generally. Specifically, corruption has robbed the nation and its agencies of good leadership and reward system, embezzlement of public funds, bribery and favouritism in the Nigerian public sector organizations.

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The main aim of study is to assess the impact of corruption on productivity and service delivery in the public sector organization in Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study are the following.

i.       To identify the causes of corruption in public sector organizations.

ii.      To identify the types of corruption prevalent in public sector organizations.

iii.       To determine the role of independent corrupt practice commission (ICPC) on corruption. iv.       To determine the impact of corruption on productivity and services delivery in Public

sector organizations.

1.4       Research Questions

The following research questions will guide this study;

i.      What are the causes of corruption in public sector organizations?

ii.      What are the types of corruption prevalent in public sector organizations?

iii.     What is the role of independent corrupt practice commission (ICPC) on corruption?

iv.      What is the impact of corruption on productivity and services delivery in public sector organizations.

1.5       Hypotheses of the Study

The following hypotheses were formulated for the study:

1          Ho:     Poor reward system and poor leadership are not causes of corruption in public sector organizations.

Hi:      Poor reward system and poor leadership are the causes of corruption in public sector organizations.

2         Ho:     Embezzlement, bribery and favoritism are not prevalent types of corruption in public sector organizations.

H1:     Embezzlement, bribery and favoritism are prevalent types of corruption in public sector organizations.

3          Ho:  Independent corrupt practice commissions (ICPC) do not prevent gratification and abuse of office in public sector organizations in Nigeria.

Hi:   Independent corrupt practice commission (ICPC) prevents gratification and abuse of office in public sector organizations in Nigeria.

4.         HO:  Corruption has no significant negative impact on productivity and services delivery in public sector organizations.

HI: Corruption has significant negative impact on productivity and services delivery in public sector organizations

1.6       Significance of the Study

The study is significant to public sector organizations as it concerns managing the impact of corruption on quality service delivery. The study identifies the cause of corruption, identifies the

types of corruption prevalent in public sectors organizations and determines the role of ICPC on corruption.

1.7       Scope of the Study

The researcher focuses on managing the impact of corruption on quality service delivery in the Nigerian public sector organizations with particular reference to three public sector organizations, namely; Nigeria immigration service, Nigeria police force and the Nigeria customs in Lagos State. The study will cover the activities of the three public sector organizations between 1999 –

2011, a period of democratic governance in Nigeria.

1.8. Limitations of the Study

The main limitation of this research is divided into three parts.

Time Constraint: Due to the limited time frame for this study, the research could not really get all required information needed for the study.

Attitude of the Respondents:  The attitude of the respondents affected the research work because some of them were unwilling to cooperate with the researcher as they might have nothing to benefit from the study financially and otherwise.

Finance: This study was affected by financial constraints and consequently the researcher could not visit all the places where necessary information relevant to the study could be obtained.

1.9       Definition of Terms

Corruption: – This refers to any form of illegitimate means of acquiring money or favour.

Low  Level  Corruption:-  These  are  petty  corruption  activities  common  among  lowly  paid workers including police officers.

Grand corruption:- These are largely the corrupt activities among the top level workers, politicians in government and executive workers in private organization.

Reform: is anything that brings about positive changes. It involves restructuring, reconciliation, reorganization and reorientation.

Managerial Competencies:  These are sets of knowledge, skills to be effective in a wide range of managerial jobs and various organizational settings.

Bureaucratic   Control:   An   approach   to   designing   control   systems   which   emphasize organizational authority and relies on administrative rules, regulations, procedures, policies,

standardization  of  activities,  and  other  administrative  mechanisms  to  ensure  that  employees exhibit appropriate behaviour and meet performance standard.

Quality Management System:  It is a concept used to improve on service delivery of an organization to its customers and other stakeholders.

1.10      Historical Background of Nigerian Immigration Service

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has come a long way since is was extracted from the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), as a separate entity entrusted with core Immigration duties under the leadership of Chief Federal Immigration Officer. The new department inherited the Immigration Ordinance of 1958 for its operation. This early period saw the immigration department maintaining a low profile and very simple approach in achieving the desired goal of the government whereby only the visa section and the business section were set-up.

In line with the reciprocal nature of immigration laws world wide, the Federal Minister of Internal Affairs under whose responsibility immigration matters fell continued to make amendments to existing laws, and make new laws as and when appropriate. By August 1, 1963, the NIS really came of age when it was formally established by an act of Parliament (section 5 of Immigration Act L. N. Cap. 171). Thus, the first set of Immigration officers were former NPF officers and they were constituted into a department under the control and supervision of the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs (FMIA) as a purely Civil Service outfit. In 1966, an upsurge in immigration

activities led to the opening of area offices in Ibadan, Ilesha, Akure, Benin-city, Warri, Sapele, Calabar,  Enugu,  Port-Harcourt,  Sokoto,  Kaduna,  Jos,  Mubi  and  Maiduguri.  In  this  period, location of area headquarters was not based on State capitals but on the level of immigration activities in a town.

Another significant event was the creation of Immigration out-posts in foreign countries in 1976 by General Olusegun, Obasanjo, and then Head of State. The first set of countries to which Immigration Officers were posted include Britain; U.S.A. U.S.S.R., West Germany, Italy and India. Later, Immigration Officers were also posted to Nigeria’s missions in New York, San Francisco and Atlanta in the United States, Hamburg in Germany, the Philippines, Japan, Egypt, Brazil, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

Ever since, a number of changes have occurred in the institutional and structural contingency of the NIS. In 1986, the Federal Government established the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Service Board (CIPB) (L.N. Cap. 89). This was a major milestone in the tortuous journey to the restoration of its former Para-military status and more autonomy. Hence, the CIPB took over the functions of the Civil Service Commissions as regards recruitment, promotion and discipline of officers and men of the Immigration Service. By April 1992 the Federal Government approved the complete removal of the Nigerian Customs, Immigration and Prisons Services from the Civil Service structure. This implies that their ranks will be aligned to the structure obtainable at the NPF with parity in salary and conditions of service between the three Para-military services.

Structure

The Nigerian Immigration Service is headed at the apex by a Comptroller General of Immigration Service. This is followed by heads of the six operational directorates, which are called Deputy Comptroller Generals, and they are assisted by Assistant Comptroller Generals.

The 6 directorates are:

Finance and Administration, Investigation and Aliens, Operations, Passport Administration and Control, Border Patrol and Surveillance, and Projects and Logistics. Also, there are 8 zonal offices headed by Assistant comptroller General. The 8 zones are: Zone ‘A’ Lagos Headquarters, Zone ‘B’ Kaduna, Zone ‘C’ Bauchi, Zone ‘D’ Minna, Zone ‘E’ Owarri, Zone ‘F’ Ibadan, Zone

‘G’ Benin, and Zone ‘H’ Makurdi.

Functions

The functions of Nigerian Immigration Service among other include;

❖ The  issuance  and  administration  of  Nigeria  travel  documents–passports  and  other documents,

❖ Endorsement  of all  categories  of travel  documents  of persons  arriving  and  departing

Nigeria,

❖ Visa issuance and interpretation of such visas,

❖  Issuance of residence permit to foreign investors and other expatriates who wish to reside in Nigeria. (It must be emphasized that although issuance of visa is a certain function of the Immigration, for now visas in our mission abroad are being issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry while the NIS CARRIES the reissuance of the visas in country.)

❖ Examination of all persons leaving and entering Nigeria at any designated port and also

the right to examine those in Nigeria before the commencement of this act with a view to determining their right rights of residence in Nigeria.

❖ Also the immigration officers are the first government official’s investors come in contact

with on arrival. Therefore the NIS has to play the role of the nation’s public relations officer.

Sources Of Revenue

Similarly, the major sources of revenue for the corporation is determined by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, But bulk of its revenue are from the Nigerian traveling passport. The issuance of residential permit comes close behind and alien registration, entry visas and so on.

A comparative analysis of immigration activities in Lagos zone between January and June 2001 and the same period in  year 2000, being revenue accrued  on alien  registration, issuance of Residence Permits, Re-entry Visas and Travel documents are shown below:

Problems and Challenges of Nigerian Immigration Service.

Nigerian Immigration is befallen with the following problems; The implementation of the ECOWAS Protocol in which check points have been removed along the border routes, Need for a lot of operational vehicles, Need for helicopters to carry out aerial surveillance, Need for communication equipment like walkie-talkies, Need for computers for computerization project,

and Need to centralize the network for the issuance of passports so that a passport issued in Lagos cannot be re-issued in another zone.

On the other hand, challenges they faced is that in preparing for 21st century challenges the NIS realized the need to improve their public relations role in terms of interacting with prospective foreign investors as they are the first Nigerian officials they encounter upon arrival. Bearing in mind the negative impression that has been created by successive military administration in the area of corruption, advance free fraud (419) and crimes. Faced with this enormous national responsibility the NIS embarked on training their officers very often, with the assistance from other countries like German embassy, the British Deputy High Commission and the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, Nigerian Immigration service officers have been trained in  detecting  fraudulent  travel  documents,  border  patrol  techniques,  investigation  techniques, human dignity, how to relate to the public and tactics to reduce human trafficking.

Realizing the sensitive nature of some border areas the Nigerian Immigration Service has seen the need to reshuffle officers at the Muritala Mohammed Airport (MMA), where numbers of officers have been reduced for effective control. Presently, at the MMA are the best crop of officers in Lagos, they are neat, disciplined, experienced and they have good human relationship skills. The same method has been employed at the Seme Border post, but rather than reduce the number drastically, the topography has necessitated the Nigerian Immigration Service to modify their operation for more effective control of the border. This also applies to the Sea ports and the passport offices where fewer number of officers is now the rule. In order to curb the activity of touts at passport offices the Nigerian Immigration Service has set up a monitoring group to make sure that touts are driven away from the passport area.

Another area in which the Nigerian Immigration Service is reorganizing is computerization. As a first step, they are trying to computerize the operation of the zonal office by creating data bases of staff payroll,  profile and  revenue  base.  To  this  end  officers are also  encouraged  to  acquire computer skills and knowledge.

1.11  Historical Background of Nigeria Police Force

Nigeria’s police began with a thirty-member consular guard formed in Lagos Colony in 1861. In

1879 a 1,200-member armed paramilitary Hausa Constabulary was formed. In 1896 the Lagos

Police was established. A similar force, the Niger Coast Constabulary, was formed in Calabar in

1894  under  the  newly  proclaimed  Niger  Coast  Protectorate.  In  the  north,  the  Royal  Niger Company set up the Royal Niger Company Constabulary in 1888 with headquarters at Lokoja. When the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were proclaimed in the early 1900s, part of the Royal Niger Company Constabulary became the Northern Nigeria Police, and part of the  Niger  Coast  Constabulary  became  the  Southern  Nigeria  Police.  Northern  and  Southern Nigeria were amalgamated in 1914, but their police forces were not merged until 1930, forming the NPF, headquartered in Lagos. During the colonial period, most police were associated with local governments (native authorities). In the 1960s, under the First Republic, these forces were first regionalized and then nationalized.

The NPF  performed  conventional  police  functions  and  was  responsible for  internal  security generally;  for supporting the prison,  immigration, and  customs services; and  for performing military duties within or outside Nigeria as directed. Plans were announced in mid-1980 to expand the force to 200,000. By 1983, according to the federal budget, the strength of the NPF was almost 152,000, but other sources estimated it to be between 20,000 and 80,000. Reportedly, there were more than 1,300 police stations nationwide. Police officers were not usually armed but were issued weapons when required for specific missions or circumstances. They were often deployed throughout the country, but in 1989 Babangida announced that a larger number of officers would be posted to their native areas to facilitate police- community relations.

Organization

The NPF was under the general operational and administrative control of an Inspector General (IGP) appointed by the president and responsible for the maintenance of law and order. He was supported at headquarters in Lagos by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and in each state by police commissioners. The 1979 constitution provided for a Police Service Commission that was responsible for NPF policy, organization, administration, and finance (except for pensions), In February 1989, Babangida abolished the Police Service Commission and established the Nigeria Police Council in its stead, under direct presidential control. The new council was chaired by the president; the chief of General Staff, the minister of internal affairs, and the police inspector general were members. As part of the government reorganization in September 1990, Alhajji

Sumaila Gwarzo, formerly SSS director, was named to the new post of minister of state, police affairs.

In late 1986, the NPF was reorganized nationwide into seven area commands, which superseded a command structure corresponding to each of the States of Nigeria. Each command was under a commissioner of police and was further divided into police provinces and divisions under local officers. NPF headquarters, which was also an area command, supervised and coordinated the other area commands. Later these Area Commands were grouped under Zone Commands as follows:

Zone 1, Headquartered Kano, with Kano, Kastina, and Jigaw Commands

Zone 2, Headquartered Lagos, with Lagos, and Ogun Commands

Zone 3, Headquartered Yola, with Adamawa, and Gombe Commands

The 1986 NPF reorganization was occasioned by a public eruption of tensions between the police and the army. A superintendent was suspended for a time for grumbling that the army had usurped police functions and kept police pay low, and there were fights between police and army officers over border patrol jurisdiction. The armed forces chief of staff announced a thorough reorganization of the NPF into the seven new area commands and five directorates (criminal investigations,  logistics,  supplies,  training,  and  operations)  under  deputy  inspectors  general. About 2,000 constables and 400 senior police officers were dismissed by mid-1987, leaving senior police officers disgruntled.

In mid-1989 another NPF reorganization was announced after the AFRC’s acceptance of a report by Rear Admiral Murtala Nyako. In 1989 the NPF also created a Quick Intervention Force in each state, separate from the mobile police units, specifically to monitor political events and to quell unrest during the transition to civil rule. Each state unit of between 160 and 400 police was commanded by an assistant superintendent and equipped with vehicles, communications gear, weapons, and crowd control equipment, including cane shields, batons, and tear gas.

A Federal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (FIIB) was to be set up as the successor to the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation; three directorates were established for operations, administration, and logistics, each headed by a deputy inspector general.

The Directorate of Operations was subdivided into four units under a deputy director—operations, training, communications, and the police mobile force.

The Directorate of Administration was composed of an administration unit headed by an assistant inspector general (AIG), and of budget and personnel units under commissioners.

The Directorate of Logistics had four units—procurement, workshop/transport, supply, and work/maintenance—under AIGs. The zonal arrangements were retained. However, AIGs were authorized to transfer officers up to the rank of chief superintendent, to set up provost units, to deploy mobile units, and to promote officers between the ranks of sergeant and inspector.

Other Departments

The above three Directorates were renamed Departments

Force Criminal Investigation Department

D Department – Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) is the highest investigation arm of the Nigeria Police NPF. The Department is headed by a deputy Inspector-General (DIG), currently Israel Ajao. Its primary functions include investigation and prosecution of serious and complex criminal cases within and outside the Country. The Department also coordinates crime investigations throughout the NPF. The NPF CID is divided into sections, with most of them headed by Commissioners of Police. The Sections are:

i. Administration

ii. Anti-Fraud Section

iii. The Central Criminal Registry (CCR) iv. Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) v. X-Squad

vi. General Investigation

vii. Special Fraud Unit (SFU)

viii. Legal Section

ix. Forensic Science Laboratory x. Interpol Liaison

xi. Homicide

xii. Anti-Human Trafficking Unit xiii. Special Branch CIB/SIB

xiv. Force CID Kaduna Annex

Police Mobile Force

The Police Mobile Force was established as a strike or Anti-riot unit under the control of the Inspector-General of Police to counter incidents of civil disturbance. It is designated to take over operations of major crisis where conventional police units cannot cope.

There are presently 12 MOPOL Commands, MOPOLs 1 thru 12, controlling 52 Police Mobile Squadrons which are spread amongst the 36 State Commands and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Police Service Commission

The Police Service Commission (PSC) shall collaborate, cooperate and work with all the stake holders, namely the police council with the President of Nigeria as Chairman, all the governors of the  Federating  states  of  Nigeria,  the  Minister  of  Interior,  the  Chairman,  Police  Service commission and the Inspector-General of Police as members to turn the police around and enable it to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Its head is Hon. Parry B. O. Osayande DIG (Retired) CFR, OFR, NPM, mni; Chairman, Police Service Commission.

Inspector General of the Nigerian Police

Name	Period of office
Louis Edet	1964–1966
Kam Salem	1966–1975
Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu	1975–1979
Adamu Suleiman	1979–1981
Sunday Adewusi	1981–1983
Etim Inyang	1985–1986
Muhammadu Gambo-Jimeta	1986–1990
Aliyu Atta	1990–1993
Ibrahim Coomassie	1993–1999
Musiliu Smith	1999–2002
Mustafa Adebayo Balogun	2002 – 2005
Sunday Ehindero	2005–2007
Mike Mbama Okiro	2007–2009
Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo	2009 – 2010
Hafiz Ringim	2010 – Jan 2012
Mohammed Abubakar	2012 – current

Finances

The NPF operating budget between 1984 and 1988 remained in the N360 million to N380 million range, and in 1988 increased to N521 million. More notable were large capital expenditure infusions of N206 million in 1986 and N260.3 million in 1988, representing 3.5 and 2.5 percent of total federal capital expenditures in those years. These increases were used to acquire new communications equipment, transport, and weapons to combat the rising crime wave, such as 100

British Leyland DAF Comet trucks delivered in 1990 Despite these purchases, an NPF study in late 1990 concluded that the force’s budget must double to meet its needs.

Issues

Although generally considered an attractive career, the NPF experienced endemic problems with recruiting, training, inefficiency, and indiscipline, and it lacked expertise in specialized fields. Corruption and dishonesty were widespread, engendering a low level of public confidence, failure to report crimes, and tendencies to resort to self-help. Police were more adept at paramilitary operations and the exercise of force than at community service functions or crime prevention, detection, and investigation.

During the Obasanjo period, an attempt was made to expand the NPF by reducing the recruitment age from nineteen to seventeen and by enrolling demobilized soldiers, but it failed. In mid-1980 the then federal police minister acknowledged that the police had recovered only 14 percent of the US$900 million worth of property reported stolen in the preceding six months, and that only 20 percent of the 103,000 persons arrested had been found guilty, a performance record about the same as that reported in the 1960s. The use of excessive violence in quelling student disorders led the AFRC in June 1986 to direct the police to use only rubber bullets in containing student riots. Reports of police collusion with criminals were common, as were official appeals to police officers to change their attitude toward the public, to be fair and honest, and to avoid corrupt practices. In an effort to reduce bribery and to make identification of offenders easier, police officers on beats and at checkpoints were not allowed to carry more than N5 on their person.

In September 2005, Nigeria withdrew 120 police officers serving in the UN Congo mission because of accusations that they had engaged in sexual abuses.

The NPF is alleged to follow a policy of “Fire for Fire” in which many captured suspects die in police custody or are “shot while attempting to escape”. Decades of police and official corruption and continued failure to train police officers properly has led to a situation where extrajudicial killing is an accepted form of dealing with people the police believe to be criminals. The most recent victim of which is Yusuf Mohamed, the leader of the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria, was alive when captured by the army.

Even before the violence surrounding the Boko Haram uprising in northern Nigeria, there were questions over the conduct of the security forces. The government is currently attempting to reform the police. They have produced a White Paper with 79 recommendations for improving the police force, which is due to be considered by the National Assembly and turned into a Police

Reform Bill. Key reforms such as: Police officers are paid as little as $40 (£26) a month, this should be raised to $100 for police constables, Deal with the estimated 10,000 officers with criminal records hired between 2001 and 2004, Establish a reliable system for the public to complain about the police, better educated Recruits should attain a certain level of qualification before being considered, job applications should be transparently managed, policemen should not have to buy their own, the police are in dire need of an up-to-date communication network, and the police should be given better investigating tools and the training to use them.

2008 Report Statistics

     4% decrease in reported crime

     36.8% decrease in offenses against Local Acts

     18.8% decrease in offenses again Lawful Authority

     3.6% decrease in offenses against property

     2,433 vehicles stolen, 1,646 recovered

     37% decrease in Road Traffic Offenses

     66,522,000 Naira (Nigerian Currency) recovered

     Senior Police Officers: 20,613

     Investigators: 28,175

     Rank and File: 263,425

Comparative analysis of Offences for 2008 & 2009′

The data below show the crime statistics spread sheet on offences against Persons, offences against Property, offences against Lawful Authority and offences against Local Acts, 2009 in all the State Commands

Offences against Persons 2008- 35,109 // 2009- 38,955 ( Increase); Offences against Property

2008- 47,626 || 2009-64, 286 (Increase); Offences against Authority 2008- 5,938 || 2009- 7,878 (Increase); Offences against Local Acts 2008- 90,156 || 2009- 1,378 (Decrease).

An interactive website, the Nigeria Police Watch has made the reporting of crime and chronicling of police activities easier for the Nigerian public through various tools.

D+Z, a magazine focused on development, reports that Freedom Radio, a three year old weekly radio  programme,  is  also  helping  to  curb  corruption  in  Kano,  Dutse,  and  Jigawa  states  by allowing citizens to voice complaints and experiences. It also has a representative from the police force there to address these complaints and talk about new undertakings and normal operations of the police force. Although the number of corruption and human rights violation reports has decreased, it is a good sign because it shows that the programme is effective.

Training

Police training  was  directed from  headquarters  by  a deputy  inspector  general  designated  as commander. Recruits were trained at police colleges in Oji River, Maiduguri, Kaduna, and Ikeja, which also offered training to other security personnel, such as armed immigration officers. The Police College at Ikeja trained cadet assistant superintendents and cadet sub inspectors.

There were also in-service training schools, including the Police Mobile Force Training School at Guzuo, southwest of Abuja, the Police Detective College at Enugu, the Police Dogs Service Training Centre, and the Mounted Training Centre.

In August 1989, Babangida laid the foundation stone for a Nigeria Police Academy (NPA) in Kano State. The NPA was to be affiliated with Bayero University until adequate infrastructure was available for independent operation. Admission was to be regulated by merit, by the quota system, and by federal character. The commandant was to be at least an AIG and assisted by a provost who would oversee the academic program. Modeled after the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, the NPA would offer a five-year academic and professional degree program for new cadets and an eighteen-month intensive course for college graduates aspiring to a police career.

Babangida also disclosed plans to obtain technical assistance from Britain to establish a central planning and training program to modernize and upgrade police training.

2009 Nigeria religious violence

Religious violence resulted in at least 150 deaths in two days after a series of attacks on 26 July

2009 in several Nigerian cities.[8][9] Bauchi in Bauchi State, Maiduguri in Borno State, Potiskum in Yobe State and Wudil have all been attacked. Witnesses now claim over 250 people are dead.[10] Nigeria claims that most of the dead are militants.

The battles began on 26 July when Boko Haram, a militant Islamist organization, attacked a police station in retaliation for the arrest of its leaders. Police responded with their own retaliation and a curfew fell on the area. The attacks spread and by the next day corpses were located at police stations, people were fleeing their homes and some were being pulled from their cars to be shot dead as police stations burned to the ground.

Nigerian troops then surrounded the home of Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri on 28 July after his followers barricaded themselves inside.

It is the worst sectarian violence the country has experienced since November 2008.[10] It has been suggested that politics, not religion, is the cause of the violence.

See also

     Nigeria Police Watch

     Nigerian Mobile Police

     Petroleum in Nigeria

     Conflict in the Niger Delta

     Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People

     National Security Organization (NSO)

     State Security Service (SSS)

     National Intelligence Agency (NIA)

         Cleen Foundation [1] (Cleen equals Centre for Law Enforcement Education) promotes public  safety,  security  and  justice  in  Nigeria  through  empirical  research,  advocacy,

demonstration programmes and publications in partnership with government and civil society

     National Drug Law Enforcement Agency

1.12  Historical Background of Nigeria Customs

The NSC was founded in 1891 when the former British Colonial administration appointed T. A. Wall as Director-General of Customs for the collection of Inland Revenue in Niger Coast Protectorate. This became the Department of Customs and Excise in 1922, managed by the Comptroller of Customs and Excise, Federation of Nigeria.

By 1945, the Customs and Excise Preventive service had been established, divided into two arms

– Maritime and Preventive. The Maritime unit was responsible for the collection of revenues from import and export duty, while the Preventive arm was tasked with the prevention of smuggling, as well as the arrest and prosecution of smugglers.

The Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) No. 55 of 1958 saw the introduction of a management board to the unit and the appointment of its first chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), E. P. C. Langdon. He was succeeded by S. G. Quinton. In 1964, the first Nigerian CEO, Ayodele Diyan, was appointed, following Nigerian independence in 1960.

A change in legislation in 1970 saw the introduction of new board members representing the Federal Ministries of Economic Development and Reconstruction, Trade and Industries. When the government changed hands in 1975, the board members were retired and the role of chairman and CEO was abolished and replaced by the position of director.

Alhaji Shehu A. Musa was appointed as the first director with a mandate to re-organise the structure of the board. Musa’s core proposal  was to unify what had  been operating as two separate,  parallel  services.  The  government  believed  that  the  distinction  between  revenue collection and preventive services was causing administrative difficulties.

In  1978,  the  units  were  merged  into  the  unified  Department  of  Customs  and  Excise.  The integrated service allowed officers to work in both revenue and preventative roles, reporting to one of five directorates:

     Customs Tariff and Trade;

     Customs Enforcement Directorate;

     Customs Investigation Directorate;

     Customs Inspection Directorate;

     Customs Economic relations, Research; and Planning Directorate.

In 1985, the unit was moved from under the governance of the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and renamed the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Services Board. The functioning of the unit was also decentralized so that each state was run by area controllers.

By 1992, the department was returned to the Ministry of Finance and recognized as a Para- military organization. A sole administrator was appointed to conduct a probe into the operations of the customs board. It was also renamed the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC), the name by which it is still recognized today.

When Sani Abacha took power in 1993, he set up a probe into the NCS, which was led by Major- General Paul Tarfa. The panel charged with investigating the activities of the NCS was given a year in which to complete its findings and a sole administrator was appointed in the meantime. Brigadier-General S.O.G. Ango remained as head of the NCS until 1999, when he was replaced by Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha.[

At the same time as Mustapha was appointed, a new board was formed, headed by the minister of finance. Mustapha, as comptroller-general, was supported by six deputy comptrollers-generals, covering the following departments:

     Finance, Administration and Technical Services;

     Tariff and Trade;

     Excise and industrial incentives;

     Enforcement and drugs;

     Economic Relating Research and planning;

     Investigation and Inspection.

The zonal structure employed under the Abacha government was also retained.

This system remained in place until late 2003, when Mustapha retired. A restructuring committee was  established,  led by  the minister of finance,  which  saw sweeping  reforms  including  the retirement of 75 officers and the reformatting of the department into three departments and four zones, covering 25 area commands.

Structure

Today, the NCS is still run by the comptroller general, who oversees the work of five deputy comptroller generals in the following departments:

     Support Services;

     Tariff & Trade;

     Enforcement, Investigation, and Inspection;

     Strategic Research & Policy;

     Human Resource Development.

The NCS board is chaired by the minister of finance, while the vice-chairman is Abdullahi Dikko

Inde, the service’s comptroller general.

Dikko Inde was born in Katsina state and holds a degree in economics and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Dimitrov Apostle Tshenov in Bulgaria. He previously worked at the Kaduna state audit and is also a member of the Certified National Accountants and National Institute of Management.

Dikko Inde has a largely positive reputation, having risen through the ranks of the NCS since entering it at superintendent level in 1988 and rising to become the organisations premier officer. He  is  recognised  as  having  a  “distaste”  for  injustice  and  giving  junior  officers  their  due, regardless of how small a contribution they have made. His appointment as head of the NCS was seen by some within the institution as a last ditch attempt to clear up the image of the unit in which he is known as “Mr. Welfare.

Reputation

The service’s reputation has been marred by numerous corruption and fraud scandals across the years. According to Transparency International’s 2010 Global Corruption Barometer, more than half of local households surveyed attested to paying bribes to NCS officers in 2009.

To date, complex customs regulations and bureaucracy surrounding the import and export of goods has nurtured an environment in which bribes are commonly paid. Several companies are also believed to undervalue their goods upon importation to avoid penalties. Yet other companies, operating in the informal economy, resort to smuggling as a means of avoiding legal trade.

Notably, a number of foreign companies have been involved in fraud and corruption scandals in recent years:

         Three subsidiaries of Vetco International – Vetco Gray Controls Inc, Vetco Gray Controls Ltd and Vetco Gray UK Ltd – pleaded guilty to violating anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) when they admitted to making US$2.1 million

worth  of  corrupt  payments  over  a  two  year  period  to  officers  in  the  NCS  through

Panalpina, a Swiss-based freight forwarding firm in Nigeria.

         At the same time as the subsidiaries were charged, another Vetco subsidiary – Aibel International Ltd – entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice for its involvement in the same scandal. This deferred prosecution agreement entailed co-operation with the Department of Justice, stricter controls and the retention of FCPA monitors. Subsequently, however, the company admitted to failing to comply with its obligations and paid a monetary fine.

         Oil services firm Transocean Ltd made corrupt payments to the value of US$90,000 to Nigerian customs officials between 2002 and 2007 to extend its importation status and receive false paperwork.[

         Tidewater Inc., an oil service firm, paid US$1.6 million through Panalpina to Nigerian customs officials to clear vessels into Nigerian waters. Noble Energy authorized payments by its local subsidiary to obtain eight temporary permits. In November 2011, Noble, Transocean and Tidewater were three of the companies that settled allegations of involvement in a US$100 million bribery scheme in Nigeria, as part of the Panalpina settlements.

         Royal Dutch Shell entered into a U.S. plea deal in November 2010 over its contractor’s involvement in bribing Nigerian customs officials. US authorities accused Shell’s subsidiary Shell Nigerian Exploration and Production Co Ltd. of bribing Nigerian customs officials US$3.5 million to quickly process needed equipment for its offshore Bonga field. A heavy fine was levied on Shell after Panalpina, which was also employed by Shell, agreed to plead guilty to taking bribes on behalf of its clients.

Outside of FCPA litigation, there are several examples of everyday Nigerian businessmen being urged to pay bribes to customs officials in order to smooth the passage of their goods.

Reform Attempts

The current comptroller-general has been driving a reform programme endorsed by President

Goodluck Jonathan that will see the NCS conform to global best practice.

Dikko Inde publicly stated at a training seminar “We pledge to be steadfast, committed and resolute in this fight no matter how overwhelming the challenges may appear.”

His efforts appear to be taking effect. The unit secured its revenue target for 2011, seen in part to be as a result of an increase in transparency. In addition, 14 officers have also been suspended and their salaries stopped for their involvement in corrupt dealings.

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