The Judiciary and Anti-Corruption Fight in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Code of Conduct Bureau Under Buhari Administration (2015 - 2023)

• Author(s): Atigbi, Eozusin Freedom ; Ajisebiyawo, Adekunle Saheed
• Paper ID: 1706203
• Page: 813-825
• Published Date: 30-08-2024
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 8 Issue 2 August-2024

Abstract

The fight against corruption has remained an acclaimed priority for every government in Nigeria since re-attainment of democracy in 1999. Corruption has been identified as one of the main spoilers of Nigeria’s ambition to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and, in particular, of its aspiration to lift more than 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030. The efforts at preventing or countering corruption in its various manifestations centers on a fearless and incorruptible judiciary; being the final conscience of the political society but how indeed the Nigerian judiciary have effectively contributed to efforts at combating corruption remains source of open argument. It is in the light of this that this paper set out to examine the role of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as an arm of the judiciary in anti-corruption fight under the Buhari administration (2015-2023). The CCB was designed by statue to play crucial role in promoting transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct among public officials but the extent to which this has been achieved in the past eight years attracts earnest research. The paper was guided by institutional approach which based its interpretations of efficiency of governmental on the qualities of its salient institutions. The paper utilized both historical and descriptive methods; thus, the research design adopted is historical analysis where data was collected through secondary sources using relevant published documents and content analysis was used as research strategy for examining documents and communication artifacts in the discussion of the subject matter. It was found that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has, despite being an organisation with significant statutory duties towards the country's anti-corruption efforts as stipulated in both the Constitution and the Bureau's Act, appeared to have performed far below average in terms of its institutional efficiency in tackling corruption among the public office holders. Meanwhile, the paper associated the shortfalls in public expectation from the CCB to identifiable challenges, one of which is conflict of mandate between the CCB and other anti-graft agencies as well as political meddling in the affairs of the Bureau. As result, the paper recommended among other things, the need to strengthen inter-agency collaboration or create synergy among institutions responsible for combating corruption together with the Code of Conduct Bureau, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC). These institutions need adequate funding, technical capacity, and independence to carry out their functions effectively.

Keywords

Code of Conduct Bureau, Corruption, Judiciary, Justice System, Politics, Public Service

Citations

IRE Journals:
Atigbi, Eozusin Freedom , Ajisebiyawo, Adekunle Saheed "The Judiciary and Anti-Corruption Fight in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Code of Conduct Bureau Under Buhari Administration (2015 - 2023)" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 8 Issue 2 2024 Page 813-825

IEEE:
Atigbi, Eozusin Freedom , Ajisebiyawo, Adekunle Saheed "The Judiciary and Anti-Corruption Fight in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Code of Conduct Bureau Under Buhari Administration (2015 - 2023)" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 8(2)