“I Collected Money, not a Bribe”: Strategic Ambiguity and the Dynamics of Corruption in Contemporary Nigeria

Abstract

This article explores the language of corruption in Nigeria. It uses Eisenberg's Strategic Ambiguity concept to examine the extent to which Nigerian legislators and those who occupy the executive arm of the government employ ambiguous languages and actions to execute and defend corrupt practices, and how this institutionalizes the culture of corruption in contemporary Nigeria. The article further explores how ambiguous light punishment, outright non-punishment, state pardon of corrupt elites and the reward of corrupt elites with sensitive government appointments engender corruption in Nigeria. The article argues that while the elites engage in diverse corrupt practices and employ ambiguous words to defend their acts, the judiciary appears to defend rather than punish them. The paper discusses the implications of these findings, concluding that the war against corruption in Nigeria may not be effective, because as those who appear to be fighting corruption are themselves corrupt, the frameworks with which corruption is fought are strategically manipulated by the elites.

Dimensions that characterize and mechanisms that cause the misuse of information systems for corrupt practices in the Nigerian public sector

“…In 1960, Nigeria gained her independence and set up a parliamentary democracy similar to that of Britain (FGN, 1999). Thus, most of the political/institutional structures inherited from the colonial masters were institutionalized and skewed toward corrupt tendencies (Agbiboa, 2013; Dumbili & Sofadekan, 2016).…”

Organizational Dynamics and Public Service Ethics in Nigeria

“…Placement to coveted and important positions and transfer to convenient places as rewards for ethical actions are also missing according Dumbili & Sofadekan (2016). According to them transfers, postings and provisions of other facilities do not depend on good' work.…”

Euphemisms of Corruption among Students of Higher Institutions in South West Nigeria

“…Journal of Language and Education,6(1), 72-82. https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2020.10436 EUPHEMISMS OF CORRUPTION AMONG STUDENTS OF HIGHER INSTITUTIONS of communicating and transmitting culture; thus the risk of transmitting the culture of corruption via linguistic resources to the younger generation becomes inevitable (Dumbili & Sofadekan, 2016). Language is a human system of communication that uses arbitrary signals, such as speech sounds, gestures, or written symbols.…”

“…The language used in the business of corruption has been a source of interest to different scholars. In Nigeria, Agbedo (2012); Bassey and Bassey (2014), Adegoju and Raheem (2015), Dumbili and Sofadekan (2016) and other researchers have examined how corruption thrives on the wings of some ingeniously crafted words to suit the goals of perpetrators in given settings. Baez-Camargo and Ledeneva (2016) revealed that members of the elite used stomach infrastructure to allow ordinary citizens access to scarce basic amenities in order for the ruling class to maintain their grip on power so as to use government funds and facilities to achieve personal goals.…”