PERSPECTIVES OF INSTITUTIONAL CORRUPTION ON ANAMBRA STATE CIVIL SERVICE PERFORMANCE

SOURCE:

Faculty: Management Sciences
Department: Public Administration

CONTRIBUTORS:

Chukwujindu, E.C;
Chukwuemeka, E;

ABSTRACT:

This study examined the perspectives of institutional corruption on Anambra state civil service performance. Corruption is deleterious not only because it diverts funds from public purposes to private purses but it also undermines the performance of public sector in the operational delivery. The study is anchored on Amundsen’s theory of extractive corruption (2000). The study relied extensively on primary and secondary sources of data and survey sampling technique was used. The data obtained from 372 respondents which constituted the sample size were presented in frequency tables and analysed using descriptive statistics, mean, simple percentage, standard deviation while t-test statistical tool was used to test the hypotheses. Findings show inter alia, that the prevalent institutional corruption in Anambra state civil service were inflating of contract fees, the giving and taking of bribes and embezzlement. Resource scramble and ethnic/religious difference were discovered to be the major causes of institutional corruption followed by weak government institution. A number of anti-corruption initiatives designed for curbing corruption were ineffective while lack of moral justification to carry out a probe and the fear to probe the corrupt cartel were identified to be the major inhibiting factors in curbing corruption. Based on the findings, some recommendations were proffered which include the need to change the corrupt orientation of some of the civil servants by embarking on full blown re-orientation campaign. Government should strengthen its anti-corruption initiatives through autonomy and funding while proper scrutiny should be exercised in selecting public officers for appointment.