TOPIC
Investigative Journalism and the Fight against Corruption

AUTHOR

Eze Chidinma Esther

ABSTRACT
Bribery and corruption seem to be a recurrent decimal in Nigeria. With the culture of impunity in place, there is massive outcry by Nigerians about selective fight against corruption. Besides government’s insensitivity to the plight of the masses, which falls on deaf ears, the Nigerian people are often short-changed. Despite the “total” war on corruption by anti-graft institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and the Related Commission (ICPC) and  the  Code of Conduct Bureau  (CCB), many alleged  cases  of corruption are still rampant/ The situation  implies  that  the  only  hope  for  the  common  man  in  the  fight  against corruption  in  Nigeria  is  the  media.  Hence,  it  is  pertinent  to  note  that  one  of  the  most  critical stakeholders in the fight against corruption is the mass media. The media are supposed to serve as the bridge between the government and the governed as well as the mouthpiece of society. In other words, one of the professional duties of the media in every society is to be a civic watchdog whose mission is to uncover secrets/issues and keep the government accountable to society. The media help to create and maintain a sense of nationhood and undertake developmental tasks through education and building political stability, help in the formation of public opinion and create forum for public  discussions  and,  as well, serve  as  watchdogs  on  government  to prevent  all  forms  of  abuses. Based on the foregoing, this paper posits that the media have a duty to ensure that all actions of government and government officials remain consistent with these objectives.
Keywords: Bribery and corruption, EFCC and CCB.

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PUBLISHED

2023-01-11

HOW TO CITE

Eze Chidinma Esther (2023).Investigative Journalism and the Fight against Corruption. IAA Journal Arts and Humanities 10(1):32-38.