Public Accountability and Moral Ethics: The Quest for Niger Delta Development

Author: Ozy B. Orluwene*

Abstract:
The paper examines the underdevelopment in the Niger Delta and posits lack of public accountability and moral ethics (endemic corruption) as one of the major causes of the underdevelopment. In spite of being a region of gigantic economic reservoir of national and international importance with rich endowment of oil and gas resources that feeds methodologically into international economic system in exchange for massive revenue that carry the promise of rapid socio-economic transformation. The region in reality is suffering from crumbling social infrastructure, services and administrative neglect among others. The methodology adopted for this paper is the use of secondary data. However, personal observations have equally been employed to examine how endemic corruption has withered development in the region. The paper reveals that endemic corruption has heightened poverty, unemployment, social deprivation, filth and squalor and endemic conflicts. It recommends that corruption reduction measures should be emphasized and strengthened, while addressing the issue of infrastructural decay in order to arrest decline in development policies.

Keywords:Public accountability, moral ethics, corruption, development and Niger Delta.

DOI:

International Journal of Trade & Commerce (Vol: 2 Issue:2)