Is Stealing Really Corruption?

45

Nigeria is a unique country and Nigerians as such tend to create meanings and give interpretations, in ‘our own’ Nigerian context.

President Goodluck Jonathan has been heavily criticized for a comment made during one of his political campaigns where he said ‘stealing is not corruption.’

The media chat on Wednesday night was an avenue for the president to defend himself and he was given the opportunity to do so.

When asked to clarify his statement, Jonathan said he made that statement quoting the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Dahiru Mustafa, who explained to him that his analysis of corruption cases in Nigeria showed that most of such cases were theft.

In his argument, the president noted that referring to stealing as corruption minimizes the crime. In his exact words: “Ole (thief in Yoruba) should be called Ole and given that treatment. Let us communicate properly. The word corruption, we have abused it,” he said.

Definition of theft according to online dictionary is unlawfully taking the property of another. It connotes: robbery, Stealing, thievery, larceny, robbing, pilferage, purloining. Definition of corruption by the same source means dishonesty or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery. It connotes: dishonesty, deceit, duplicity, fraud, double-dealing, lawbreaking, misconduct and fraudulence.

Editor’s Picks  Global water crises threat to world peace, UN warns

So, in the Nigerian context, should theft be referred to as corruption?