IMPACT OF CORRUPTION ON EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADSU, MUBI FROM 2010 TO 2022

 

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Every civilized society has its own values and norms and the aim of education is to inculcate these into their young ones. Such values include good character, integrity, honesty, hard work, and respect for constituted authority, order etc. However, as society changes, these values are not only watered down but malpractices of sorts have permeated it and the educational sector is not spared.

Corrupt practices refer to acts of abuse of diverse forms whereby persons take advantage of their positions, to engage in illegal, dishonest, unwholesome acts while rendering services. It refers to those behaviors or actions that work towards breaking certain moral or social codes of conduct or administrative rules (Rachel 2014). Corruption has reached a worrisome level in Nigeria and that the university system being an integral part of society cannot be insulated from the menace as the values that make for civility and positive development are gradual being eroded (Okojie 2012).

The university is looked upon as the Ivory Tower, the citadel of learning, producing men and women of integrity by men found worthy in character and in learning. Unfortunately, the greed, the quest for material possession and rising to the top through cutting corners plaguing the larger society have crept in slowly and insidiously to this center of dignity that corrupt practices have become endemic therein. The fact of the matter is that the quality of teachers is highly related to the quality of products; hence, the National Policy on Education (NPE) stated that no nation can rise above the quality of her teachers (Odunaya andOlujunwon, 2010).

There is also involvement in cultism, sale of inferior textual materials (handouts), admission and certificate racketeering, academic fraud and exam malpractices. Absenteeism, exploitation and extortion through forced sale of textual materials were perceived by students as the most prevalent corrupt practices among academics. Sexual harassment of female students by their male lecturers is also a very common occurrence and some of them carry on with impunity despite national attention and condemnation (Denga andDenga, 2004; Nwaopara, IfebhorandOhiwerei, 2008). Discrimination social, political and ethnic is also posing a serious problem (Black and Poison 2007). According to Odetunde (2006) emphasis in education has shifted form hard work and excellence to success through political connections. Lecturers do not follow time table, they are rather busy conducting other businesses from their offices, exploiting students, both sexually and financially and being intellectually and academically lazy.

Other forms of corrupt practices in the universities include certificate forgery, impersonation, plagiarism, gangsterism, rape, embezzlement of funds, unjust delay of payment of salaries and staff promotions and recycling of the criminal elements (Eze, 2017). Hence, parents, teachers, students, university administration, the government as well as the lecturers are all culpable of entrenching culture of corruption in the educational system (Olujunwon, 2001). The problem is therefore societal, systemic and individual, students, teaching/non-teaching staff, parents and governmental. The government, through its neglect of the universities, poor funding and remuneration has inadvertently allowed these campus crimes to thrive. Though salaries and allowances have improved lately and university staff is far better off than their counterparts in other government establishments. Corrupt practices are not necessarily new to the university system as the problem can be traced to the early days when lecturers pried open sealed envelopes to copy exam questions before sealing them back (Okojie, 2012). However, in recent years it has increased by leaps and bounds that it is almost wallowing up the system.

Increase in corruption in the larger society, the quest for material possession and the emphasis on paper qualification (certificates) instead of skills and lifelong learning, alongside admissions racketeering and lowered standards of admissions to accommodate the intellectually weak ones, plus the proliferation of part time programmes have all encouraged the influx into the universities candidates who are not materials for university education (Odunaya andOlujunwon, 2010). Thus, such students become so desperate that they employ every available, albeit, unsavory means to succeed academically – bribing (sorting), sexual offers, impersonating, intimidation through cults etc. (Alutu andAlutu, 2019). In essence, they cheat their way through undergraduate and even post graduate programme. Unscrupulous and greedy lecturers with the quest to live large like some categories of people in the larger society who are forever flaunting their ill-gotten wealth, take advantage of these weaknesses, to exploit and extort.

Nowadays, lecturers were employed by nepotism, favoritism, ethnicity and political party patronage and more often, it is the intellectually weak ones who gain from such connections (Hallack and Poisson, 2007). Favoritism imperils the appointment of high quality staff and give preference to the appointment of second rate ones (Obijiofor (2012).

Indeed, lecturers are known to commit untold intellectual atrocities and yet go unpunished (Alutu andAlutu, 2019). Consequently, students hardly know right from wrong anymore. For instance, cheating and impersonation in exams is now an acceptable norm to them because of this culture of impunity. The indication is that they are operating at the morality level of 5-year olds, the punishment and obedience orientation, first stage of Kohlberg (1986) stages of moral development. That is to say, as long as one is not caught and punished that particular action is not wrong. The situation is becoming more like academia without learning and character that in turn produce individuals devoid of learning and character.

Investigating impact of corruption in Adamawa state University (ADSU), Mubi has become necessary because experience has shown that some undergraduate students are unable to communicate effectively in simple English, like completing a personal data form. This calls for concern since graduates from ADSU; Mubi would eventually work in the industries and affect the Nigerian economy. Therefore, impact of corruption should be well understood if any meaningful progress is to be made in improving the quality of graduates in ADSU Mubi.

Statement of the Problem

Corruption in the educational system has made it easy for some scholars to describe schools as no longer institutions of learning but instead as money exchange department to help students pass examination and gain admission into higher institutions. Onwuka (2009) stated that corruption in the political life of a nation is a tragedy while corruption in the educational sector is a double tragedy. Because the educational sectors has tremendous capacity to set in motion an uncontrollable reproductive process of corruption in the larger society.

Additionally, educational administration has to do with recruitment, admission and promotion. Corruption take places in various forms, for instance entrance examination into institutions most times is not on merit but on who is actually seeking the admission. In the area of recruitment and promotion of staff, academic and nonacademic into the educational system is done by who is pushing the file giving chance to unqualified persons as well as depriving good hands the opportunity to contribute to the body of knowledge, the effect is felt in the quality of students produced. The issue of fake certificates is now so much in the system, that even those of the higher ladder are affected.

However, senior staffs such as Vice-Chancellors who happen to be in charge of their institutions fund are found of transferring these funds to their personal bank account for their personal use. They are also involved in placing ghost workers on salaries and over invoicing of given contracts.

On other hand, students are expected to be evaluated based on the curriculum and set objectives. However corrupt practices frustrate this more since students are exploited in so many ways such as giving bribe to gain some educational opportunities, students giving into sexual favor in order to gain good grades. Student buying examination question papers before the exams and even the case of students writing for each other. Another form of classroom corruption is the involvement of lecturers in grade changing or even the forgery of academic credential. Moreno (1999).

More so, national policy which unifies what goes on in the entire university institution nationwide. The policy of ‘quota system’, ‘catchment areas’ or ‘less advantaged areas’ according to Osahon 1999 is one of the major factor that causes and promotes the admission of lower scores, in that candidate with low scores can be given admission based on low cutoff mark. This downgrades merit as well as promotes bribery favoritism and nepotism in the institutions. All this corrupt practices put together poses as an obstacle to the educational system in the attainment of manpower building and national development in the era of globalization. No doubt, all the aforementioned forms of corruption are perpetrated in Nigeria education system most especially at universities. It is more pervasive at this level because university is perceived as the basis of economic empowerment and social mobility in the society. The resultant effect being deterioration in the standard and desecration of the value in the system (Tamori 2016) 

Objective of the Study.

The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of corruption on educational development in ADSU, Mubi from 2010 to 2020

The specific objectives of this study are:-

a.     To determine impact of corruption on educational development in ADSU, Mubi.

a.     To analyze the relationship between corruption and educational development in ADSU, Mubi.

b.    To examine the casual relationship between corruption and educational development in ADSU, Mubi?

Significance of the Study

The study was considerable significance as it serves as guide to policy maker in formulating sound and befitting policies that efficiently and effectively flight against corruption on educational development in Nigeria with reference to Adamawa State University Mubi.

Ultimately, the study is immense significance to future researchers who may find this study useful by serving as a good theoretical and empirical backup for their research should they decide to undertake studies on the same or similar topic.

The knowledge gained through this study is beneficial to the larger society and mainly policy maker in their choice of wide-ranging measures to finance critical investment projects in universities that bring about a rapid educational development to the country and also providing a framework for future researchers upon which they  base their research.

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