Corruption in Africa

Africa is the second lagest contenet on Earth but, it is one of only a few region that have failed to make
any significiant improvements inhuman development.In fact,today,Africa is the poorest region of the
world and the only one with very poor prospects for the future.one of the most important contributers
to this state of affairs is Coruption.

On a macron level,there are certain factors which seem to be a major cntributing factors to systemic
corruption with governments;two of these are weak political institutions and economic reliance for
revenue from oneor two main natural resources.In many respects these factors are invariably
intertwined.The one area of the world which typflies the blend of all of the above named factors in
Africa.The seeds of the creation of the current situation of highly corrupt Africa nations can be attributed
to the imperializm of European nations over a hundred years ago."Africa's post independence
social,political and ecnomic(mal)formations are a direct consequence of the state-building and econmic
integration processes begun under colonial rule"European powers locked Africa,among other parts of
the World,for critical resorces for their own economic development as well as in expanding market for
their products

once the colonial powers left underindependence movements,African nations were didvided up much
like the Middel east by arbitarary borders that often didn't take into effective tribal lands and ethinic
groupings.Most former British colonies from Kenya to South Africa have adopted parliamentary style of
democracy along with the legal and judoiciary system.In many instance his this " Procrustes bed" did not
fit the tribal and cultural makeup of the African people.

One part of this European legal legacy that was handed down was the weak anti-corruption laws.For the
most part,corruption exists in all nations but the blatant bribery and embezzlement on a grand scale is
atypical of western democracies.Instead,accordding to Transparency International ,most european
nations today practice "legal corruption" which "includes influence peddling,for example,the excessive
and undue influence of lobbyists in the corridors of power in Europe,a trend which is promoted through
opaque lobbying rules and the existence of revolving doors between the public and private sectors."But
inAfrica,any 'anti-corruption'laws inherited from Europe legal systems were inadequent to deal with the
local dynamics."Some of this laws, which are still in operation in their orignal or amended forms,contain
provisions relating to public service ethcs and anti-corruption, although they were not specifically
designated 'anti-corruption'legislations."these laws failed to keep up with the evolving political situations
in Africa and contributed to the weak legal enforcement.

Besides weak political institutions and enforcement ,another factor that bedevils African states towards
corruption is what is called the"Resource Curse".This is"the phenonema where by a country with an
export-driven natural resources sector,generating large revenues for government,leads paradoxially to
economic stangnation and instability"Having one or two major sources of revenue becomes too
tempting for leaders to not want to control this'Golden Goose' of profits,and to inrich and solidify their
position on power.

The other aspectof it is that governments that can rely on a main source of
revenue(i.e.;commodity)don't have to rely on systematic taxation of its people,which requires a degree
of poitical accountability.The Resource Curse not only fosters an environment whereas leaders can be
autocratic,but it also creates the situation where poverity is aggravated.One example of this is
Angola,which according to the UnitedNations Development Program,"68%of Angola's population lives
below the poverty line,more than a quarter of children die before their fifth birthday,and male life
expectancy is below forty-five years.The income disparity because of the Resource Curse and the reliance
omn oil for government revenueis evident whereas"the poorest 20% of the populatin have only 2% of
the wealth.Angola is ranked 143 out of 182 nations interms of overall human development.

Given the fact that,most African countries have,since independence, failed to engage their citizens in
democratic constitution making to reconstruct the state inherited from the European colonialist and
produce more effective institutional arrangments,the latter virtually all countries throughout the region
remain in effective structures for governance and resource besides weak polittical instiutions and
enforcment ,which traces its roots to the struuggle for independence,remains vibrant and continues to
work toward greater respect for human rights and the depending and institutionalization of democracy
in all countries in the contient

Within less democratic countries, the presence of resources such as diamonds, gold, oil, and forestry
increases the prevalence of corruption. Corruption includes industrial corruption, consisting of large
bribes, as well as petty corruption such as a poacher paying off a park ranger to ignore poaching. The
presence of fuel extraction and export is unambiguously associated with corruption, whereas mineral
exports only increased corruption in poorer countries. In wealthier countries, mineral exports such as
gold and diamonds are actually associated with reduced corruption. The international Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiative seeks to create best practices for good governance of gas, oil, and
minerals, particularly focusing on the state management of revenue from these resources.According to
Transparency International's 2013 Corruption Percipation INdex(CPI),Nigeria ranks it 144 out of 175
nations as most corrupt.Yet Nigeria stands as one of the most potentially economically strong nation of
Africa.As an OPEC member it has more vast proven oil reserves than the United
States.However,according to the World Bank"about 80% of Nigeria's oil and Natural gas revenues accrue
to 1% of the country's population...leaving Nigeria with the lowest per capita oil export earning put at
$212 per person in 2004."

The effect of corruption in infrastructure is to increase costs and construction time, lower the quality and
decrease the benefit.

The presence or perception of corruption also undermines environmental initiatives, including water for
irrigation, land for livestock grazing, forests for hunting and logging, and fisheries. In Kenya, farmers
blame poor agricultural productivity on corruption, and thus are less likely to undertake soil conservation
measures to prevent soil

it is seen that despite all these constaints,it is possible for African to overcome the fere rider problem
and sucessefully reconstruct the neocolonial state to provide themselves with institutional arrangments
that enhance wealth creataton(i.e., minimize corruption) and promote pesacefully coexsistance of the
diverse population groups in eachcountry.The succeseful overthroe of the appartthaid regime in South
Africa , as well as various military and dictatorship throughout the continent by grassroots efforts,with
assistance from extrnal actorss,is testament to the resilience of the prodimocracy.

Corruption vs Human Rights

Corruption can have a devasting impact on the availability,quantity and accessibility of human rights
related goods and services.Moreover,it undermines the functioning and legitimacy of institutions and
processes,the rule of law and ultimately the State itself.

Human rights are indivisible,interdependet and the consequences of corrupt governance are multipl and
touch on all human rights-civil,political,economic,social and cultural righhts,as wll s the right to
devellopment.

International human rights mechanisms,including the Human Rights Council,have paid increasing
attention to the negatilve impact of corruption on the enjoiment of human rights and made numerous
recommendations to member states with the aim to prevent and suppress corruption

Starting in March 2016,the URG is implementing a project that has the folowing three broad objectives:

1.Turn the vague assertion that widespread corruption 'has an increasingly negative impact...on the
enjoyment of all human rights'into hard-hitting,fact-based and objective research into the nature and
extent of that impact,especially for the most vulnerable sections of society.

2.Reflect on four country-speciific case studies(Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras, and Tunisia)to highlight
the ways in which corruption affects human rights, and to provide insight into the potential role of
combat corruption at a national level.

3.Develop concrete ideas,strattegies, and actions to usefully leverage international human rights
law,obligations,institutions and mechanisms to support the global fight against corruption.

Disadvantaged groups and persons suffer disprpopotionality from corruption.They are often more reliant
on public goods and services and have limited means to look for alternative private services.They
typically have fewer oppourtunities to participate in the design and implementation of public policies
and programmes and themselves and seek reparations.

Those involved in effeors to investigate,report,prosecute and try corruption are at heightened risk of
human rights violations and requira effective protection.

Anti-corruption efforts need to comply with human rights standards,othewize they lose their
legitmacy,.HUman righhts standards,principlles and mechanics provide additional entry points to
complement anti-corruption efforts.

OHCHR promotes a human rights-based approach to anti-corruption:an approach that puts the
international human rights entitlements(the 'rights-holdders')and the corresponding obligations of the
state(the'duty-bearer')in the center of the anti-corruptional debate and efforts at all levels.