Corruption In Africa Solutions and Effects

Corruption In Africa Solutions and Effects Africa, a continent abundantly gifted with natural resources and astronomical value of human capital is yet to find its rightful place among the comity of nations. A key cause that has been to blame for her lack of socioeconomic development is the trend of bad leadership and corruption. The essence of the paper rest in the fact that political leadership as well as corruption was entwined and it is alongside this backdrop that it explored the fraudulent trend of the political ruling class in Africa. The paper concludes that for Africa to experience sustainable socio-economic development, reliable and trustworthy leaders must materialize to embed the act of good and selfless governance in the country. INTRODUCTION Africa in recent times is bombarded by an inherent predicament in comparison with other Latin American countries and Asia. In illustration from the practice of other developed Countries, one needs to be cautious in order to escape easy oversimplifications in regard to contemporary determinants for African economic and social makeover. Every significant thought of African development plan must take notice to the crucial matter of good leadership as well as eradication of corruption at all stages. The ruling class in Africa many a times plead ignorance of the fact that they are in power in order to be of service to the citizens and not vice versa ; they exploit their positions to put as much public money as they can in their pockets and even get away with it! Unfortunately most African countries have come to acknowledge corruption as a normal occurrence and often see it as a means to an end. However on the other hand leaders of the developed world, are often placed under a 24 hour watchful scrutiny, their past is vigilantly investigated before ascending to any public office. Transparency International approximates that corruption in Africa robs us 25 to 35 percent of financial support from essential service provision, in addition many research studies and newspapers have proven that African leaders extract billions every year from their economically weak countries. In 1999 the United Nations approximated that the ruling elites drained more than 250billion dollars out of Africa. Ayittey (2004) and Lawal (2007) agree that the summation was more than half the African foreign debt and that it surpassed the quantity of foreign aid to Africa and concluded that policy makers in the region face an overwhelming task of achieving development goals because Africa has large percentages of highly corrupt countries. Over the years, it has become increasingly clear that the former colonial masters cleverly gave up on political power while at the same time retaining economic power. African leaders were ill equipped and began leadership to a false start. Unprepared for the economic ambush that the neocolonialism would unleash consequently our greedy leaders became easy victims for manipulation by the west. The high ideals of being a servant to the citizens remained largely a big part focus for theory and speech-making. In harmony with the aim for political dominance as an ending in itself, African leaders were unable convert freedom from colonial power to the popular beliefs of democracy and liberty. They were unsuccessful in building capacities for the people to engage in meaningful economic and social development. Power was handed over to a specific individual rather than to the political party, and the leader was seen as a renowned wealthy family as opposed to being a representative of the country. Hence religious, cultural and ethnic walls werent synchronized via basis of equitability and fair balance of interests. Discrepancies that ordinarily should have been eliminated after independence were infact made worse by it. Grumbles of unfairness and ill-treatment by the marginalized parties inside these territories were utterly overlooked. As a result defiance to inequality and preeminence of power by influential groups or families or authoritarian leaders was restrained by bigger abuses of power. Consequently, breaches of human rights and suppression of the manpower that could have otherwise been used for nation building and development. In Nigeria for instance, during the reign of President Olesegun Obasanjo, who was entirely in control of petroleum in Nigeria, it was investigated and reported that over 500 million dollars meant for upkeep and renovations of the oil industry had not been put to any use and infact ghost contactors had been tendered the contracts (Adokoye, 2006: 31). Further it revealed that the petroleum industry, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was one of the biggest corrupt bodies in Nigeria. Also in 2004 federal ministers were accused of robbing the public 24 billion naira. Audit by Vincent Azile the auditor general at the time revealed presence of embezzlement, double debiting, inflation of contract figures as well as release of funds without consent from approving authority in at least 15 ministries. Undoubtedly nations in endure effects of poor administration, inadequate judicial infrastructure and insufficient numbers of expertise. But these short-comings cannot explain the abuse and misuse of state power in the continent. For instance, Kenya has a big figure of highly-trained professionals, as well as accountants and constitutional lawyers put down budgetary procedures, with inclusion of provisions for checks and balances. But the fact remains that Kenyan rulers have ignored the provisions of the constitution and put down administrative procedures as irrelevant to the actual workings of government. Omar Al-Bashir, the present President of Sudan, grabbed power in 1989 in a bloodless military coup de ta in opposition to the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi- a government which had been independently elected by the citizens of the country. Shortly after grabbing power, Al-Bashir disintegrated all political parties Sudan, dispersed the countrys parliament and cut out all privately-owned media firms. His time in power has been distinguished by civil conflicts wherein more than one million people have lost their lives not to mention numbers of those who have been rendered refugees by the war and at the same time several millions have lost their livelihoods. Not to mention that Al-Bashir has a warrant of arrest on his head and has been sought after by the International Criminal Court for prompting crimes against humanity, especially with reference to heading and financing acts of carnage against the people of Southern Sudan. Distinctively corrupt, a diplomatic wikileaks cabl e discovered that Al-Bashir had likely siphoned several $10 billion of his Sudans finances into his personal bank accounts in the United Kingdom. Very disconcerting is how corruption leaves the poverty stricken to be perpetually poor at the same time impedes the growth of democracy and societal construction . (Ribada, 2008) and by deflecting away from the original purpose of funds or services, corruption is assumed to be the sole most significant factor to blame for the catastrophe of leadership and the lack of socio economic development in Africa. Africas corruption is a manifestation of its leadership and institutional failure after gaining it freedom from colonialists essentially because of misuse of power mediocre management of economies, corruption, and absence of democracy, personal wealth are what our leaders today embrace. There are also those who worship the Europeans. Where they invest their ill-gotten gains and wealth stolen from their motherland. Africa continues to be poor because politics is considered an easy ticket to prosperity, to add to that the leadership has no continuity agenda and opt for dying in office, being some of the richest people in the world amidst the most poverty-stricken citizens in the world. In open public speeches African leaders criticize control by the west but in reprehensible booked appointments behind closed doors they are otherwise occupied appealing to Europe and China to carry on where they left off pre-independence. Captivatingly, modern china is gradually becoming a colony of Africa given all the contracts they have taken over in Africa. Meanwhile regional Organizations like the African Union (AU) who one would presume have their work cut out for them, have regrettably done nothing to endorse good governance in Africa. Im quite that the difficulties are known but, the answers for them continue to be hypothetical and set aside on computer memory someplace in Addis Ababa. What we possess are heads that split us up instead unifying. Drawing from the example of the late Muammar El Qaddafi, these divisions turn against them and in the end the outcome is a very overpowering catastrophe that is often difficult to deal with. A renowned journalist Aguako Basaid in his address to Nigerians during a leadership conference said that, an African leader finds it difficult to renounce power and in an attempt to perpetuate himself in power, he gets so many people involved in corrupt practices. Most dictatorial leaders in Africa have had tenures spreading for over 30 decades for example are Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe, Cameroons Paul Biya, Angolas Jose dos Santos, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, of Equatorial Guinea and like many of their predecessors these leader spent their whole careers enriching themselves, bullying opponents, circumventing all but the simple ensnares of democracy aggressively frustrating movements gunning for constitutional rule . According to Ayittey (2012) they are successful because they control the major arms of government; civil service, electoral bodies, security forces including the military, the press, media and the central banks in their countries. This trend started with the first generation of African nationalist leaders because they enjoyed great honor and prestige making them feel godly and of course absolute power does infact corrupts absolutely. They also came off successful in eliminating or disregarding checks and balances. Instead of they exercised vast systems of patronage and in the process sported enormous power and authority allowing them to subjugate all relevant institutions consequently they helped lay a bad foundation for governance in Africa and corruption rampant in their economies. Institutions today are unable to control excesses of their dictators. Debatably on, can consider Africa as a continent built on unstable ground. Also observed in present times are the ever present cases of electoral fraud, contested elections, presidents with too much power at their disposal and political upheaval not to mention economic policies introduced by government to sustain their domination and exploitation. Conclusion The misfortune in Africa is not that its countries are poor, that is a condition that is a product of history. The misfortune is that it does not have ruling classes dedicated to prevailing over the state of underdevelopment. Bad governance is not a principal predicament of lack of knowledge or infrastructural competence or even of individual dictators. African countries are wakened by instruments of development because of the rulers, not to mention people within and out of government, are aggravated by goals that do not have the slightest to do with the general good. Until this situation changes there is little hope for Africa. Policies aimed at controlling or reducing corruption in African countries must begin with laying the foundation for a strong institution- economic, political and social- in all sectors of the economy.

Hester Prynne Essay -- essays research papers

Hester Prynne   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, a dark tale of sin and redemption,centers around the small Puritan community of Boston during the 17th century. In the midst of this small community is Hester Prynne. She is a woman that has defied the Puritans, taken the consequences and in the end conformed with the Puritans. It did, however, take great effort to settle down and become a women of honor again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hester Prynne, through the eyes of the Puritans, is an extreme sinner. She has gone against the Puritan ways by committing Adultery. The Puritans believed that Hester was a lost soul that could only be saved by sincere and thorough repentance. For this irrevocably harsh sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, we see that Hester Prynne is a young and beautiful woman who has bought a child into the world with an unknown father. Hester, to the reader, is obviously a woman who has violated a strict social and religious code, but who has sinned in an affirmation of love and life. The Puritans do not take her feelings into account. They are people that take things as being right or wrong. Committing adultery is seen as wrong in the Bible, and therefore Puritans do not care of the circumstances. The Puritans are grim, forbidding people. Nonetheless they have a degree of dignity and authority. They lack sympathy and discrimination. In their eyes all crimes are equal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hester is punished by the Puritan society by wearing the scarlet letter A on the bosom of her dress and standing on “the weather darkened scaffold';(p.234) for three hours. The Scaffold is a painful task to bear. The townspeople have gathered around to gossip and stare at her. They yell horrid things at her. One matron screams “At the very least, they should have put the brand of hot iron to her forehead.'; (p.59) Obviously, the Puritans did not believe that this punishment was cruel enough. The screams of this matron showed just how unforgiving the Puritans were. Here one can see the difference between the Puritans and Hester. She was standing on scaffold shedding her honor because she had sinned in love. Although she had committed a sin, the reasons behind it were because she was truly in love. T... ...athe the ways of her child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As time went by, Hester came more in contact with the Puritans of the town. She had come to conform with their belief that redemption would save her soul. She gave her life to God, by visiting the sick and sowing for the poor. She came to be revered by most members of the community because of her actions. The scarlet letter, for many had come to represent able, not adultery. Her strength to satisfy the needs of others and comfort them was a gift many towns people respected. As time went by, Hester was no longer conforming to Puritan ways of redemption. She was doing kind things because it bought her pleasure and peace of mind. The word in the town was that the letter no longer stood for adultery and indeed stood for able. Hester became strong with the letter. She had let it be a part of her for many years while Pearl’s father, minister Dimesdale, had covered it and it had gnawed at his soul. Hester was no longer hurt by the letter neither did she feel guilt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hester Prynne had committed a sin which the Puritans believed took her soul. In the end, however, her sin had become part of her

The Battle of Algiers (1966): Movie Review

[Author] [Course Code] [Instructor] [Date] The Battle of Algiers (1966): Movie Review On the 1st of November 1954, FLN guerillas attacked civilian and military installations in several parts of Algeria. The FLN hierarchy called on the Muslims in Algeria to restore the dignity and independence of the Algerian state. It was a bad opportunity to negotiate for independence.Just a few months ago, the French government had liquidated its claims in Indochina. On the 12th of November, the French National Assembly voted for the partial militarization of Algeria.The FLN were comprised of nationalist groups which asserted for the independence of Algeria. The FLN was a ‘sick’ organization, as one European observer noted. It was ruthless, subjective, and idealistic. It coerced students, farmers, and the masses to join in the independence movement. It also garnered support from both Communists and right-wing nationalists, without due consideration of repercussions. The movie begins wi th a short narrative of captured guerillas.The civil war between the Muslim Algerians and the Europeans had become a regional conflict. The French government ordered the deployment of French paratroopers to destroy the National Liberation Front. The paratroopers successfully hunted down members of the FLN. Indeed, many of its leaders were either assassinated or illegally detained. The film portrays France as the victor. However, the film ends with a short sequel portraying massive civil unrest and demonstrations against French rule in Algeria.The ruthlessness of the French Army had fueled the anger of the Algerian people. Although France won the Battle of Algiers, it had clearly lost the war. The movie is filmed in black and white. Its visual sense approaches that of a documentary, or rather the movie ‘The Desert Fox’ (1950). The apparent purpose is to create an atmosphere of despair and anxiety – to provoke the viewer to take sides and assert for interpretive au tonomy. Music and sound are important elements of imagery.The director uses classical motifs to highlight important events in the film and to heighten its emotional appeal. This is also done to evoke image parallelism – the elegance of music as representation of mass murder and torture. Indigenous Algerian music is added to emphasize the ‘danger of nationalistic terrorism’ or rather to symbolize the quest for independence. The FLN insurgents used guerilla warfare to wear the French down. But unlike in Vietnam, the French were able to contain FLN attacks.The reason is obvious. Guerilla warfare was not suited in Algerian geography. FLN guerrilla warfare was directed to top French military and political officials. The idea was to destroy the French hierarchy and replace it with a more palpable political organization. French counterinsurgency program was divided into two phases: liquidate the FLN in rural areas, and contain FLN threat in urban areas. Both strategies failed because the FLN were massively supported by the civilian population.

Essay about Wireless Network Security - 3575 Words

Introduction Wireless networks have grown in popularity. This is largely due to the increase in the value of a network as more users are attached to it. The value added to a network by nature of connecting more devices to it, is summarized in Metcalfs law. Metcalfs law states that if you connect any number, n, of machines - whether computers, phones or even cars - and you get n squared potential value.[1] The incredible growth of the Internet seems to validate Metcalfs law. It then seems reasonable that eliminating physical constraints to connecting to a network would provide value by allowing more devices to be connected to a network regardless of physical location. Wireless networks provide that ability. Wireless†¦show more content†¦It has been omitted from them PAN topography. I believe this is an oversight, and I will provide rational for this in a later section. Each wireless technology has unique security risks and concerns. Many of the risks and concerns are shared across technologies. In order to provide even a brief overview of each technology, topography, and the risks inherent to each would require a document far larger than is specified for this project. Therefore, this document will focus on the 802.11 standard as used in the PAN and LAN topographies. Figure 1 ? Types of Wireless Networks [4] The Wireless Market ?Over the past ten years or so an alternative to wired LAN structures has evolved in the form of the Wireless LAN. The first generation Wireless LAN products, operating in unlicensed 900-928 MHz Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band, with low range and throughput offering (500 Kbps), subjected to interference came to market with few successes in some applications. 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