As we know, the very concept of corruption in Nigeria is contested. I’m surprised no one has thought of making “yam and goat” t-shirts or bumper stickers. I recently read an article by Susan Rose-Ackerman, an American political scientist in which she writes that to defeat corruption, one must analyse and understand the link between state and society in a given country.

What is accountability?It means that leaders acknowledge responsibility for actions or events taking place under their watch, and most importantly, they understand that they are morally, legally and ethically obliged to explain to stakeholders (the Nigerian people) how and why certain things occur.

Nigeria’s criminal justice system has often been criticised and ridiculed for its inability to secure convictions, particularly for offences perpetuated by high profile individuals. Yet, one recalls the case of a young man, Kelvin Ighodalo, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison for stealing Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s N50,000 Sony Ericsson phone.

The “banality of evil” is a concept created by Hannah Arendt, a Jewish political theorist who escaped Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. The idea refers to the ease with which ordinary people can be culpable of the most evil, horrendous things if they believe, or are persuaded by a higher authority that their actions are either justified or a part of their duty.

By Tabia Princewill  As a former student of the Sorbonne University in Paris, who also lived not too far from the location which was savagely attacked a few days ago by extremists hiding behind the false cover of religion to strike fear in the hearts of the world, I am deeply traumatised and affected by […]