Prebendalism: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
{{unreferenced}} + misc |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{unreferenced}} |
|||
Richard A. Joseph, director of The Program of African Studies at [[Northwestern University]], is usually credited with first using the term '''prebendalism''' to describe patron-client or [[neopatrimonialism]] in [[Nigeria]].<ref>Joseph, Richard A., ''Democracy and Prebendal Politics in Nigeria: The Rise and Fall of the Second Republic'', Cambridge University Press, 1987</ref> Since then the term has commonly been used in scholarly literature and textbooks. |
|||
Nigeria, like other nations throughout the world, deals with corruption. Their unique form of corruption called prebendalism finds similarities in the Nomenklatura system of the Soviet Union and the guanxi system in China. Like these other patron-client systems, pre-bendalism deals with the search for power by and individual who looks to his people for favors or support to get into office. Once in office this individual then repays his supporters with sums of money, land or jobs. More often than not the supporters ask for money. |
|||
This form of corruption does not include everyone however. Many times the favor seeking or repaying is only done in the individuals own ethnic or social class. For example, an Igbo is seeking a position in the federal government so he asks favors of his people to gain this office. In return he sends gifts of money to the people who helped him out, however, if a Faluni had for some reason or another helped him this man would be exempt from the gifts of money given to the supporters. |
|||
''[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]'' defines a prebend as the "right of member of chapter to his share in the revenues of a cathedral."<ref>''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12371a.htm</ref> |
|||
Pre-bendalism is very prevalent in the society of Nigeria. In fact this corruption is so engrained within the societies of Nigeria that little has been done to end the corruption. This corruption is so widespread that it is preventing Nigeria from being able to reach the form of government that it has been striving for. Still being ruled by a strong man this country must destroy pre-bendalism if it wants any chance at becoming a truly legitimate and democratic nation. |
|||
Joseph used the term to describe the sense of entitlement that many people in Nigeria feel they have to the revenues of the Nigerian state. Elected officials, government workers, and members of the ethnic and religious groups to which they belong feel they have a right to a share of government revenues. |
|||
Joseph wrote in 1996, "According to the theory of prebendalism, state offices are regarded as prebends that can be appropriated by officeholders, who use them to generate material benefits for themselves and their constituents and kin groups..."<ref>Joseph, Richard, "Nigeria: Inside the Dismal Tunnel," ''Current History'', May 1996</ref> |
|||
As a result of that kind of patron-client or identity politics, Nigeria has regularly been one of the lowest ranked nations for political transparency by [[Transparency International]] in its Corruption Perceptions Index.<ref>Corruption Perceptions Index 2006, http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2006</ref> |
|||
Other results include the corruption investigations into the activities of 31 out of 36 Nigerian governors,<ref>"Nigerian governors in graft probe" at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5387814.stm</ref> the frequent comments in the Nigerian press about the problems of corruption (for example, Victor E. Dike's article in the ''Daily Champion'' of Lagos, "Nigeria: Governance and Nigeria's Ailing Economy"<ref>Dike, Victor E., "Nigeria: Governance and Nigeria's Ailing Economy," ''Daily Champion'' (Lagos), http://allafrica.com/stories/200612130710.html</ref>) and the common defenses of prebendalism as necessary for justice and equality in government funding (for example Oliver O. Mbamara's editorial, "In Defense of Nigeria: Amidst the Feasting of Critics" at ''Africa Events''.<ref>Mbamara, Oliver O., "In Defense of Nigeria: Amidst the Feasting of Critics," ''Africa Events'', http://www.africanevents.com/Essay-InDefenseOfNigeria0606.htm |
|||
</ref> |
|||
Prebendalism has also been used to describe the nature of state-derived rights over capital held by state officials in parts of India in the early 18th Century. Such rights were equally held to be of a patron-client nature and thus volatile. They were thus converted where possible into hereditary entitlements.<ref> Seema Alavi, The 18th Century in India (New Delhi, 2002), p33 </ref> |
|||
==References== |
|||
<references/> |
|||
[[Category:Subfields of political science]] |
|||
Revision as of 17:38, 15 June 2007
 |
Nigeria, like other nations throughout the world, deals with corruption. Their unique form of corruption called prebendalism finds similarities in the Nomenklatura system of the Soviet Union and the guanxi system in China. Like these other patron-client systems, pre-bendalism deals with the search for power by and individual who looks to his people for favors or support to get into office. Once in office this individual then repays his supporters with sums of money, land or jobs. More often than not the supporters ask for money.
This form of corruption does not include everyone however. Many times the favor seeking or repaying is only done in the individuals own ethnic or social class. For example, an Igbo is seeking a position in the federal government so he asks favors of his people to gain this office. In return he sends gifts of money to the people who helped him out, however, if a Faluni had for some reason or another helped him this man would be exempt from the gifts of money given to the supporters.
Pre-bendalism is very prevalent in the society of Nigeria. In fact this corruption is so engrained within the societies of Nigeria that little has been done to end the corruption. This corruption is so widespread that it is preventing Nigeria from being able to reach the form of government that it has been striving for. Still being ruled by a strong man this country must destroy pre-bendalism if it wants any chance at becoming a truly legitimate and democratic nation.