CITIZENS CORRUPTION AND NATION BUILDING

Corruption is a canker that is a global concern, but for Africa, it is a critical issue of governance in its economic development and nation building. Corruption is a red flag which shows there is something wrong and there is injustice. Using public office for private benefit and the constant violation of rules or norms of the society for personal or private gains can destroy the fabrics of the society; something that really calls for attention.
Corruption is now at the centre of the development policy agenda for countries on the path of reform. It is however important to discuss citizens corruption interfere with nation building and finding ways to curb it. Corruption is not just about tsking bribes but it entails a whole lot. It is the poor or people who lack that suffer when resources are wasted. The main reason why different kinds of corruption need to be understood in order to build and develop better nation. Citizens are very key in the corruption process. Pathways need to be created to give citizens relevant tools to engage and participate in the policies of their governments. There are a lot of misplaced priorities in the country. Priorities need to be set right and finding solutions to problems.
There is the need to bring together formal and informal processes; thus, working together with the government as well as non-governmental organisations to change behaviour and monitor progress. Furthermore, the power of technology has to be utilized to build dynamic and continuous exchanges between key stakeholders: government, citizens, businesses, civil society groups, media, academia, and so on. Anti-corruption measures need to be aligned by adopting integrity standards that can fight this canker. Also punishing corrupt officials is a vital component of any effective anti-corruption effort.
Finally, citizens have to be engaged in corruption fighting activities at the local, national and international levels. Any good strategy must be continually monitored and evaluated to make sure it can be easily adapted as situations on the ground change.