Corruption: is an act done with intent to give some advantage inconsistent with official duty and the rights of others. It includes bribery, but is more comprehensive; because an act may be corruptly done, though the advantage to be derived from it be not offered by another. Sometimes corruption is understood as something against law; such as, a contract by which the borrower agreed to pay the lender usurious interest. It is said, in such case, that it was corruptly agreed, etc.
Causes of Corruption:
The causes of corruption are many and complex. Following are some of the causes of corruption.
- An emergence of the political elite who believe in interest-oriented rather than nation-oriented programs and policies.
- Tolerances of people towards corruption, complete lack of intense public outcry against corruption and the absence of a strong public forum to oppose corruption allow corruption to reign over people.
- The vast size of population coupled with widespread illiteracy and the poor economic infrastructure lead to endemic corruption in public life.
- In a highly inflationary economy, low salaries of government officials compel them to resort to the road of corruption.
- Complex laws and procedures alienate common people to ask for any help from the government.
- Election time is a time when corruption is at its peak level. Big industrialist fund politicians to meet the high cost of the election and ultimately to seek personal favor. Bribery to politicians buys influence, and bribery by politicians buys votes. In order to get elected, politicians bribe poor illiterate people, who are slogging for two times’ meal.
Remedies of Corruption
Is it possible to cover corruption in our society? Corruption is cancer, which every Somali-lander must struggle to cure. Many new leaders, when come into power, declare their determination to eradicate corruption but soon they themselves become corrupt and start amassing huge wealth.
Many People become materialistic and money oriented, there is no important of ethics and morals in business dealings. Many people thinking that money which coming to their pocket is good, the same way many thinking that money which going out from their pocket is bad, but they don’t consider the way money traveling.
This is because these kinds of people have no moral accountability to anybody; and these kind have people have full trust on money, they strongly believing that money can hold big role in their life, they believing that money can solve their current and future problems, they believing that money can give them life without problems. Some of the remedies are given below:
What can be a remedy of corruption? It can be only possible if people can understand and start to believe the values of ethics and morality in their life. People will start to believe that their life is accountable if they really start to believe in Allah, in a oneness of Allah and if they really start to live life on the way which Allah has chosen for mankind. Allah has given the wisdom to each and every human being, a heart of everyone telling him/her that the way he/she following to get money is good/bad. The most important thing is the person should listen and follow the rules and regulations of Allah and the good part of his heart.
- Cooperation of the people has to be obtained for successfully containing corruption. People should have a right to recall the elected representatives if they see them becoming indifferent to the electorate.
- Responsiveness, accountability, and transparency are a must for a clean system. Bureaucracy, the backbone of good governance, should be made more citizens friendly, accountable, ethical and transparent.
- The role of the politician should be minimized. Application of the evolved policies should be left in the hands of independent commission or authority in each area of public interest. The decision of the commission or authority should be challengeable only in the courts.
- Funding of elections is at the core of political corruption. Electoral reforms are crucial in this regard. Several reforms like State funding of election expenses for candidates; strict enforcement of statutory requirements like holding in party elections, making political parties get their accounts audited regularly and filing income-tax returns; denying persons with criminal records a chance to contest elections, should be brought in.
Conclusion
Corruption is an intractable problem. It is like diabetes, can only be controlled, but not totally eliminated. It may not be possible to root out corruption completely at all levels but it is possible to contain it within tolerable limits. Honest and dedicated persons in public life, control over electoral expenses could be the most important prescriptions to combat corruption. Corruption has a corrosive impact on our economy. It worsens our image in the international market and leads to loss of overseas opportunities. Corruption is a global problem that all countries of the world have to confront, solutions, however, can only be home grown.
We the common people are the solution because we are the only reason why corruption is so popular in Somaliland. We are the persons who are motivating corruption to be successful. We support corruption that is why it exists.
By: khadar Da’ud Abdirahman (MSc.)
Tel: 063-4060400
E-mail: khadar.daud@gmail.com