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A Review of Constitutional Safeguards for Anti – Corruption in Nigeria

Received: 14 April 2023    Accepted: 2 May 2023    Published: 10 May 2023
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Abstract

The humongous scale and all-encompassing character of corruption in Nigeria makes a constant evaluation of the laws, principles and organs of state geared towards its eradication imperative. The starting point in any such endeavour is the 1999 Constitution which is the basic law that gives validity to all other laws and institutions in the country. This paper examines the broad framework provided under Section 15 of the constitution which provides that the state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. This provision serves as the foundation for all laws, principles, and institutions aimed at eradicating corruption. This piece therefore, examines all other constitutional provisions, principles and measures as well as other legislation pursuant to the said Section 15 to combat the scourge of corruption in. The gaps and challenges in all the relevant provisions and laws are identified and it is emphasized that these laws must be updated to reflect modern needs and realities. The paper finds that the mechanisms of anti-corruption in Nigeria are extensive and if the identified shortcomings are remedied, this will result in stronger institutions which will be better equipped to halt the escalating propensity which corruption has assumed in Nigeria.

Published in International Journal of Law and Society (Volume 6, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14
Page(s) 130-143
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Anti-Corruption Safeguards, Constitution, ICPC, EFCC, Separation Powers, Checks and Balances

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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Ufuoma Veronica Awhefeada. (2023). A Review of Constitutional Safeguards for Anti – Corruption in Nigeria. International Journal of Law and Society, 6(2), 130-143. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14

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    ACS Style

    Ufuoma Veronica Awhefeada. A Review of Constitutional Safeguards for Anti – Corruption in Nigeria. Int. J. Law Soc. 2023, 6(2), 130-143. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14

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    AMA Style

    Ufuoma Veronica Awhefeada. A Review of Constitutional Safeguards for Anti – Corruption in Nigeria. Int J Law Soc. 2023;6(2):130-143. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14,
      author = {Ufuoma Veronica Awhefeada},
      title = {A Review of Constitutional Safeguards for Anti – Corruption in Nigeria},
      journal = {International Journal of Law and Society},
      volume = {6},
      number = {2},
      pages = {130-143},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijls.20230602.14},
      abstract = {The humongous scale and all-encompassing character of corruption in Nigeria makes a constant evaluation of the laws, principles and organs of state geared towards its eradication imperative. The starting point in any such endeavour is the 1999 Constitution which is the basic law that gives validity to all other laws and institutions in the country. This paper examines the broad framework provided under Section 15 of the constitution which provides that the state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. This provision serves as the foundation for all laws, principles, and institutions aimed at eradicating corruption. This piece therefore, examines all other constitutional provisions, principles and measures as well as other legislation pursuant to the said Section 15 to combat the scourge of corruption in. The gaps and challenges in all the relevant provisions and laws are identified and it is emphasized that these laws must be updated to reflect modern needs and realities. The paper finds that the mechanisms of anti-corruption in Nigeria are extensive and if the identified shortcomings are remedied, this will result in stronger institutions which will be better equipped to halt the escalating propensity which corruption has assumed in Nigeria.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - A Review of Constitutional Safeguards for Anti – Corruption in Nigeria
    AU  - Ufuoma Veronica Awhefeada
    Y1  - 2023/05/10
    PY  - 2023
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14
    T2  - International Journal of Law and Society
    JF  - International Journal of Law and Society
    JO  - International Journal of Law and Society
    SP  - 130
    EP  - 143
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2640-1908
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20230602.14
    AB  - The humongous scale and all-encompassing character of corruption in Nigeria makes a constant evaluation of the laws, principles and organs of state geared towards its eradication imperative. The starting point in any such endeavour is the 1999 Constitution which is the basic law that gives validity to all other laws and institutions in the country. This paper examines the broad framework provided under Section 15 of the constitution which provides that the state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. This provision serves as the foundation for all laws, principles, and institutions aimed at eradicating corruption. This piece therefore, examines all other constitutional provisions, principles and measures as well as other legislation pursuant to the said Section 15 to combat the scourge of corruption in. The gaps and challenges in all the relevant provisions and laws are identified and it is emphasized that these laws must be updated to reflect modern needs and realities. The paper finds that the mechanisms of anti-corruption in Nigeria are extensive and if the identified shortcomings are remedied, this will result in stronger institutions which will be better equipped to halt the escalating propensity which corruption has assumed in Nigeria.
    VL  - 6
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Faculty of Law, Delta State University, Oleh Campus, Nigeria

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