This book examines public oath taking as an anti-corruption strategy that has been implemented with successful results in Nigeria and that has applications for other countries struggling with similar problems. The author of the book is the founder of Association of Nigerians against Corruption (ANAC), the NGO that first piloted the oath taking programin which people swear publically not to either take or receive bribes. Drawing on the experiences of the program and interviews with a number of ANAC participants, the author sheds light on some of the dynamics that underlie corruption, the potential of oath taking, and the importance of grassroots efforts and individual moral agency as forces of change.
Chapter I: Introduction
The Universal Occurrence of Corruption
About the Study
Positionality: How the Oath Has Changed My Life
The Genesis of Corruption in Nigeria: Colonialism to Independence
Nationalism and Independence
Nigerias First Republic Through to the Present
Development and Emergence of Modern Days Corruption
Government and Non-Governmental Initiatives Against Corruption
Chapter II: Theoretical Overview of Corruption
Development, Modernization, and Corruption
Manifestations of Corruption: Different Sectors, Different Agents
How to Counter and Prevent Corruption (Government and Civil Society)
Motivation: What It Means and Why Do People Get Involved in Civil Action?Maslows Theory of Motivation
Ethics and Moral Principles as Motivating Factors
Development of Ethics/Moral Standards
Oath and Religion