With corruption rearing its ugly head in the West African Nation of Nigeria, a stiffer penalty for corrupt public servants has been put on the table with Nigeria`s House of Representatives passing for a second read of a bill which is seeking to curb corruption by empowering the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) to set a jail sentence of not less than 20 years behind bars for corrupt public figures and those working in the public office.

In the past, the minimum penalty for corrupt public servants was at 3 or 4 years of imprisonment but the rate at which corruption has been rising prompted Nigeria`s house of Reps to seek for a stiffer penalty. The bill is also pushing for fast-track trials for corruption cases opposing the slow nature in which the courts dealt with criminals charged with the Economic and Financial Crimes.

Corruption in Nigeria is mainly linked with the public sector who are alleged to be mismanaging the state`s resources and abusing the public office for their own gains.  Government officials, civil servants, and public figures are said to be largely contributing to the high levels of corruption in Nigeria. These public servants have come to be known as “fat Cats”, a derogatory term for those who seek to line their pockets at the expense of the public office and the state.

According to a survey by Transparency International, an organization which monitors and fights corruption on a global scale advocating for a corruption free world, Nigeria is ranked 136 on the list of least corrupt countries in the world. Nigeria`s position on Transparency International`s list reflects the high levels of corruption in the west African country. 85% of Nigerians surveyed by Transparency International believe corruption has been on the increase since 2011.

Global Financial Integrity estimates more than USD 157 billion in the past decade has left the country illicitly through corruption. In 2015 alone Nigeria lost up to USD 174 billion to corruption according to a report by Pricewater Cooper, a multinational professional services network headquartered in the United Kingdom. The company also estimates that if measures are not implemented to curb corruption in Nigeria, the country stands to lose more than 37% of its total GDP by 2030.

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