Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index (Corruption World Cup) was recently published and received with mixed feelings. It is no news some countries are more corrupt compared to other countries, but it is advisable we remind ourselves and view the corruption rankings as an ambitious academic exercise, an ecological fallacy, and as an index of mere perceptions? In fairness to Transparency International, who maybe presumed innocent of desire to deceive, I will like to say they were primarily interested in drawing us a picture of their statistician’s perception of the word ‘corruption’. However, they should have simply realised that to be considered acceptable, perceptions index should be based on one from which every source of bias has been removed; maybe, this is where Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index showed the world its worthlessness.
The ranking is a gross error in interpreting of whatever statistical data they used in the rigmaroled ecological study. They have, as usual make inferences about countries based solely on aggregate statistics, and not the specific individual characteristics. They have only succeeded in stereotyping many countries based the on assumption of homogeneity. People will not be deluded into personalising such statistics to individual nationality. Statistically, they have just concluded that a randomly selected Nigerian would score lower on the faulty ranking than a randomly selected individual from New Zealand. This is the ecological fallacy, and the more reason we should ignore such statistics. If Nigeria is measured, as they have done, to have a lower average ‘corruption index’ than the general population, it is an error to assume that a typical Nigerian have a lower ‘corruption index’ than the whole world combined. Transparency International have only showed us percentage, while rather, the raw data or figures used to arrive at such ranking would have justified such inclusion of some countries. We all know, especially in developing countries there is data scarcity? And if we had dropped in the ranking, can they tell us what factors were missing or caused the drop-down?
According to Transparency International, the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is based on 13 different expert and business surveys (secondary and not primary), using data published in the past two years. We know that data availability is a function of a country’s level of development. Secondly, the fact that developed countries always have higher scores on the TI index shows only bias tendency of the index and proof the fact that CPI is based and intended to measure a country’s progress demographically, economically and politically. Their methodology, which is improbably salubrious, is simply to confuse, sensationalize, and inflate our perception about corruption.
First, the index is population biased, for example, in Africa, Botwan with a population of 1.9miilion people is on position 37 on the index, Mauritius, a population of 1.2 million is on position 42 on the index, while Nigeria with 180miilion people is placed far below this African countries. The following least-corrupt countries exhibit simple Multicolinearity: New Zealand (population 4,268,600); Denmark (population 5,497,525); Sweden (population 9,220,986); and Singapore (population 4,839,400). The pattern is obvious and anyone that is not too idiotic can see this. What will be the index if Britain is divided into smaller population spatial unit (e.g. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland)?
Secondly and politically, Malaysia fell to 56th position out of 180 because of political reason, because of five ruling party politicians and government lawmaker charged recently with corruption in unrelated cases. Nigeria probably slipped because the new EFFC chairman is not load and blowing unnecessary trumpet like the former chairman. UK’s slipped from 12th to 16th place on the index probably because of MPs’ recent expenses scandal.
Lastly, the TI’s index claimed it measures perceptions of corruption in government, politics and the public sector. Why separate the private sector from the public sector? The private sector are definitely the Corruption Referees and Linesman in the Corruption World Cup with the largest lobby work, tax evasions and double roles as private and public personnel. Transparency International’s index has only succeeded in developing a false indicator alarm of a country’s investment climate. How risky it is to do business with a country. It is a shame the index is a key indicator that investors use in assessing how a country is investable, and a parameter that determines charges on interest for loan money to developing countries. Therefore, one might be tempted to infer what Transparency International’s mission in the league is?
Adewumi Rowland
Femi K
7
Dear Mr. Adewunmi…. Quite a nice article that gives us another perspective to TI ratings… Unfortunately, your write up and such like it are the ones that makes us to remian where we are as country and individual. Your write up lacks reals countracting information – statistical or otherwise – that would convince any intelligent reader that I hope you are trying to appeal to. Can you and your likes back home in Nigerian stop playing the goose!
I have lived in many countries in the world and equally visited many. Emperically, I have not witnessed any country or people more openly currupt than Nigerians. I will tell you two stories in two countries that I have lived in recent past (lived not visited). Currently I live in Egypt and I can tell you there is a stack dfference even though I consider the country corrupt. The difference is like day and night. To let bring into perspective what I am sharing with you, I recently went to register my new born baby in one of the Egptian registries, I was surprised at the speed at wish I was attendend to and assumed that this was to get some money off me. Note the service was first rendered and with speed and niceities. After the whole registration had taken place, I asked my driver, if I should give a tip to the clerk for a good job done… Note, this was after the job has been done and this is a tip not a bribe. I was shocked at the man’s comment. The man responded to my driver after a lot of persuation to take the money that “If I were to be Egyptian, he would have taken the money, but as a foreigner, he would not like me to have the impression that Egyptians are corrupt”. The man simply refused to take the money. My other story was when I went for my driver’s licence in Cote D’ivoire – all papers complete, my licence based on the fact that I carry a Nigerian licence already was processed in 1 week, same for my wife and for all other persons that I know, without any one of us parting with anything. Now I will like you to contrast your own experience in your Nigeria with these. Let me give you three recent happenings to me on my short visits to Lagos in 2009.
1. MM Airport. On arrival my passport was referred to be cleared for whatever reasons. I was sent to an officer who explained to me that I was carrying two valid passports which is not supposed to be. I explained to him that I just got a new passport from the embassy in Egypt – as I ran out of leaflets and no one informed me that the old passport has to be cancelled. I equally explained to him that I have valid visas to the US etc on my old passport. The man referred me to a lady who simply insisted that I need to settle them. Please note, I have used my two passports attached to may countries without any problems. Even when such was noticed at Heathrow and I explained to the officer what happened, they simply granted me entry without asking me to cancel my old passport. You can draw your conclusion from this.
2. Sometime in 2009 also, I was travelling back to Cairo and the had some food items I bought for my family. At the baggage clearance section, I was asked to settle for carrying food items. I asked the officer “am I not allowed to carry food items for my family”, he would not answer my question directly so I refused to pay. This was in the open and in loud voices. I asked him over and over again if I had committed any offence and what would be the right proceedure for carrying food items, he just would not respond reasonably and held my bags. Eventually in the edn he said, “Oga, at least make you give your boys something for coffee. I no say you do anyting wrong”. So in a loud voice I told the man, this should by no means be considered a bribe and I am just giving you this for coffee as requested. To my amazement the man collected my N500 and went openly to give it to his boss, while pointing at me saying “That Oga gave us N500″. His boss shamelessly pocked the money and looked another way-
3. In the same 2009, after buying tiles for my new house in Apapa, rented a truck to ship them to lekki, we were stopped at police check point and after presenting receipts and way bill as I bought the tiles from a repuatable company in Apapa, the inspector in charge of the check point openly demanded that I settle his boys even though there was nothing he could find wrong and claimed that even if nothing was wrong with my tile shipment, he could find one thousand and one thing wrong with the truck driver. Well, the conclusion is yours again here.
As I mentioned to you, I have lived in many countries in Africa , Europe and Asia, till date, I have never been accosted by any public officers in those country to pay bribes, nor unreasonably challenged. In 2009 alone, for every visit I made to Nigeria, there were always incidents of open demand for bribes.
Now, please tell us your own experience both in Nigeria and outside, otherwise, please consider this your write up as just and excersie in “English Composition”
Best regards