Kleptocracy and Nigerian politics: A reflection on the fourth republic

Abstract

Kleptocracy scores high in weakening rule of law and undermining the development of the global south. Despite different anticorruption measures by nation-states, political evil continuously assumes a political culture. Kleptocracy consists of embezzling and stealing public funds and resources for selfish profits (consumption and glorification). In Nigeria particularly the fourth republic, political offices have turned to channels for unchecking sources of riches to both oneself and family members. Political elites take turn engaging in siphoning, embezzling, stealing, looting, and diverting public funds which create a kind of political culture where feeding fat on the states’ treasuries become the order of the day. This significantly results in an economic mess, underdevelopment, unimaginable sufferings and a thriving environment for penuries, particularly in Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study, interpretivism approach was used to analyse previous literature on the meaning, features and consequences of kleptocracy in society. The incidences of embezzlement and looting of public resources of the fourth Nigerian republic were investigated. The study finds that kleptocracy is politically evil because it undermines human dignity by recreating poverty and corruption. It recommends that to eradicate the practice from Nigerian politics, honest yearly assets declarations should form a bedrock for every public officeholder.