STUDENT POLITICS AND THE LURKING NATURE OF CORRUPTION

By Oluwatosin Adeoye

The term corruption can be described as a disease, a cantankerous worm that eats into the cultural, political, and economic fabric of society and destroys the functioning of vital societal organs. Corruption is found almost everywhere, but it stubbornly holds more ground, entrenched in the poor countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the words of Transparency International, “Corruption is one of the greatest challenges of the contemporary world. It undermines good government, fundamentally distorts public policy, leads to the misallocation of resources, harms the private sector and private sector development, and particularly hurts the poor”.

The forms of corruption are diverse in terms of who are the actors, initiators, and profiteers, how it is done, and to what extent it is practiced. The causes and consequences of corruption are complex and diverse and have been sought in both individual ethics and civic cultures, in history and tradition, in the economic system, in institutional arrangements, and in the political system.

Corruption encompasses various activities, with bribery and embezzlement being prominent examples. It can manifest in numerous forms, often affecting individuals in positions of authority. Embezzlement, specifically, involves the misappropriation of entrusted assets, constituting a form of financial fraud.

Mushtaq Khan defined corruption as “behavior that deviates from the formal rules of conduct governing the actions of someone in a position of public authority because of private-regarding motives such as wealth, power, or status.” Political corruption is the manipulation of the political institutions and the rules of procedure; therefore, it influences the institutions of government and the political system, and it frequently leads to institutional decay. Political corruption involves political decision-makers, and it not only leads to the misallocation of resources but also affects how decisions are made. Corruption also exists within and between private businesses, within non-governmental organizations, and between individuals in their personal dealings, without any state agency or state official being involved.

Moreover, within educational institutions, particularly tertiary ones, there is an observable surge of corruption within the ranks of student politicians, who can be viewed as a subset of the national political landscape. This could seem like a microcosm of the pervasive corruption in Nigeria’s broader system. Students are elected to hold various political roles within their departments, halls, or faculties, with the expectation of being accountable to fellow association members. However, there have been troubling instances of these student politicians failing to uphold their responsibilities and exploiting entrusted funds for personal gain.

A case was reported in a news article by the AFAS Press Organization, a faculty press organization, on a legislative verdict made after an audit exercise. This was based on a declaration by both the Audit and Finance Committee of the Association of Faculty of Arts Students (AFAS) and the Faculty Legislative Council (FLC). It was alleged that a former executive member of the Association of Faculty of Arts Students (AFAS) was guilty of “financial mismanagement, misappropriation, and unaccountability after the audit session on July 12, 2023”.

The executive member of the faculty was said to be absent from the Audit and Finance Committee for the auditing of expenses for AFAS week. Reportedly, the two factions, after conducting a well-rounded investigation, found a huge sum of ₦101,150 was unaccounted for under the care of the said executive member of the faculty. This was following a dispute over how expenses appeared shady during Faculty Week last session.

Considering that these organizations have established rules and obligations related to budgeting, along with well-defined consequences for those who break the law, it may raise questions about why students would engage in such behavior.

Another local press organization, NUESA PRESS, released an open letter on embezzlement and unaccountability. The article reiterated the duty of the press to be the watchdog of the association and uncover the acts of corruption done over the years. The article resurged the issue of embezzlement by the past administration, where it was alleged the past treasurer had embezzled eighty thousand naira meant for the collection of hoodies and shirts for educators. However, the present president had kicked against the amount and argued that the treasured embezzled more than the alleged stipulated amount the treasurer claimed.

Another event pointed out in the article was that of the past president, who, after a sage of suicidal attempts, used the association money for personal gain and was still in the faculty, without question. The FLC of the Faculty was also called into question for becoming silent on anything regarding the details of the investigation into the Treasurer saga. This inherently gives rise to a reservoir of corruption, creating distrust in executive members and tarnishing the faculty’s reputation in the eyes of others.

This gross misconduct by student politicians is usually pardoned, and the culprits are asked to return the embezzled amount or engage in community service. The looming fear now is that such student leaders will do the same when they get right into the system. Corruption like charity begins at home, when student leaders cannot be curbed when they engage in frivolous acts; consequently, they end up repeating the same abysmal behavior in higher associations. Student leaders should therefore recognize and pay utmost attention to the needs of the association they serve, understand the pertinence of their accountability to the growth of the association, and steer clear of any distractions and awful decisions that might destroy their image as well as that of the association.