CORRUPTION: BETWEEN
ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM- AN AWARENESS FOR YOUTH CORPS MEMBERS
INTRODUCTION
The word ‘corruption’ and its dimensions have been enormously discussed and
written on among the Nigerian academics, administrators and public speakers.
The discussion still continues. However, this piece looks at the epidemic from
the perspective of ethical and professional standards.
Although corruption has been defined in various ways, for the
purpose of this write up, corruption can be defined as any act that
contradicts ethical and professional standards with a view to gaining undue or
premature advantage or commendations.
ETHICAL AND
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
Ethics is concerned with right and wrong and how conduct
should be judged to be good or bad. It is about how we should live our lives
and, in particular, how we should behave towards other people. Standards are
acceptable or expected minimum level of performance. Ethical standards
therefore are levels of conducts and behaviours that are socially and
culturally accepted to be good or right.
According to Wikipedia, ‘’profession is
a vocation founded on specialized educational training, the purpose of which is
to supply objective counsel and service
to others, for direct and definite
compensation, wholly apart from other business gain.” The bold phrase implies that a profession operates in line
with principle of ethics (ethical standards). The standards of behaviour and
conduct expected of a member of the profession are referred to as professional
standards.
Principles of Ethics:
Two of the major principles of ethics, found in literatures,
are Deontology and Teleology.
Deontology is concerned with the application of
absolute, universal ethical principles in order to arrive at rules of conduct.
The “word deontology” is derived
from the Greek for 'duty'.
Deontology lays down criteria by which actions may be judged
in advance, the outcomes of the actions are not relevant. In other words, there
are rules, regulations and criteria to judge whether and action good or bad at
the time of committing it.
Teleology.also known as consequentialsim is
concerned with making moral judgements about courses of action by reference to
their outcomes or consequences. Right or wrong becomes a question of benefit or
harm rather than observance of universal principles.
CORRUPTION: BETWEEN
ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM
In Nigeria, corrupt
acts are usually judged in accordance with deontological principles i.e based
on rules and regulations: laws rather
than consequences. Corrupt acts are identified and perpetrators sactioned based
on what the rules say. the gravity of
the purnishment or sanctions now depend on expertise of the judges and lawyers.
For instance, reckless
driving is prohibited. Many people obey the rules because it is a law and the
fear of sanction not because of the consequences. Therefore, an offender can
get himself freed or less sanctioned with the engagement of good lawyers taking
advantages of loopholes in the laws. meanwhile should the consequence of his
action had been considered initially he wouldnt have drove in that manner.
Many acts are being practiced which are
considered relatively acceptable among the professionals, which when viewed
from teleological ethical prin iples, they are unacceptable. Some of the practices include (not limited
to):
i.
PR. PR is used to describe
various voluntary gifts and gratuitous being given and received among
professionals and corporate organisations to show appreciation or to press
their demands.
ii.
Creative Financial
Reporting.
This involved producing company’s
financial statements using false information to make it appealing to the
readers/ users. This is usually done to avoid tax; to secure loan and bid for
contracts.
iii.
Nepotism. This is concerned with
rendering of service based on familiarity or relationship. Only those who are
close or familiar to the officer in charge are served (favoured) sometimes at
the expense of others or before others, regardless of their qualification for the service.
All of the above practices are usually considered
normal, among the corporate practitioners, in the course of practicing their
profession. However from standard ethical behaviour, especially from
teleological perspectives, they are socially acceptable. Their consequences are
usually grievous. Hence they are corrupt practices and should not be condoned.
The use of PR in corporate practices will eventually result
in receiver subsequently demanding for certain sum or compensation before a
particular service or act will be carried out. This is bribery (corruption). In
the same vein, creative reporting will make investor to put large sum in the business,
which is distortive, and eventually lost the money when the reality comes up.
This is fraud.Nepotism encourages the parties at the receiving ends(who
are denied of their rights at the due time) to seek alternatives to get their
right. They will be forced to use any unwholesome means, such bribery, stealing
and other shameful acts such as trading their human dignity to get what they
wanted since they are have been denied. These are corrupt practices.
The consequences of the above acts are not for the
individual concerned only but on the general organisation, community, society
and nation at large. This is the view of teleologists.
WAY OUT
As recommendations on the ways to prevent
corruption among professionals and public offcials, in views of ethical
standards. The following as presented by Electoral and Administrative Review
Commission of Australia in their Report on Code of Conducts for Public
Officials:
1.
Respect for the Law and System of government
2.
Respect for persons
3.
Integrity
4.
Diligence
5.
Economy and Efficiency
The following are also suggested for
organisations:
Ø The company conducts all
of its business on ethical principles and expects staff to do likewise.
Ø Employees are seen as the
most important component of the company and are expected to workon a basis of
trust, respect, honesty, fairness, decency and equality. The company will only
employpeople who follow its ethical ideals.
Ø Customers should be
treated courteously and politely at all times, and the company should
alwaysrespond promptly to customer needs by listening, understanding and then
performing to thecustomer requirements.
Ø The company is dedicated
to complying with legal or regulatory standards of the industry, andemployees
are expected to do likewise.
Ø The company's
relationship with suppliers and subcontractors must be based on mutual respect.
Ø The company has a
responsibility to: foster open markets for trade and investment;
promotecompetitive behaviour that is socially and environmentally beneficial
and demonstrates mutualrespect among competitors; and refrain from either
seeking or participating in questionablepayments or favours to secure
competitive advantages.
Ø A business should protect
and, where possible, improve the environment, promote sustainabledevelopment,
and prevent the wasteful use of natural resources.
Ø The company has a
responsibility in the community to: respect human rights and
democraticinstitutions, and promote them wherever practicable; recognise
government's legitimate obligationto the society at large and support public
policies and practices that promote human developmentthrough harmonious
relations between business and other segments of society; collaborate withthose
forces in the community dedicated to raising standards of health, education,
workplacesafety and economic well-being; respect the integrity of local
cultures; and be a good corporatecitizen through charitable donations,
educational and cultural contributions and employee participation in community
and civic affairs.
If all the above suggested ethical guidance and
the previous codes of conducts & corporate governance that have established
by corporate and professional bodies are employed and followed, conscious of
the consequences, corruption will be reduced to bearest minimum or totally
eradicated in the our system.
AWARENESS FOR YOUTH CORPS MEMBERS.
Youth corpsmembers, as prospective practising
proffessionals and administrators, are hereby charged to be ready to embrace
ethical and professional standards taking cognizance of the consequences of
their actions.
References:
BPP Learning Media, UK (2009): ACCA P1:
Professional Accountant-Study text
Criminal Justice Commission, Australia (1993): Corruption
in the work place: How to prevent it; Hoe to detect it; what to do about it.
Written by:
BABAYANJU, ABDULGANIYU AKANJI (OY/13C/3045)
Youth corps member, Oyo State.
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