Jobseeker’s Diary

Are you incorruptible? There was a time I thought I was but I know better now. Before you condemn me, take a look at yourself. A good number of us have committed certain acts of corruption and for those who haven’t done so yet, you most probably will at some point. This article is not meant to condone corruption in any way, just a thought to chew on as we re-evaluate our moral standing. Corruption refers to the abuse of power, office or resources for personal gain through extortion, soliciting or offering bribes. It’s often done to obtain financial benefits but there can also be other personal gains. Wikipedia gives an explicit example of career advancement for a police officer or officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest. You probably already knew all this but I just repeated it for emphasis. This is not to say that only police officers are corrupt. There are many faces of corruption, in public health, education and even sports. My first reaction at the yet unconfirmed reports that some FIFA executives took bribes in exchange for their votes in the recent bids to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was anger. After all, two of those implicated are Africans and that just goes to cement the stereotype that Africans are corrupt. I had really wanted England to win the 2018 slot. After all the money they spent and the great lengths they went to impress the committee, they still didn’t get it. I smelt a rat and now more than ever, I suspect that something or perhaps a number of things did exchange hands. There’s something about the way the Russian delegation seemed so confident. They even applauded before they were announced winners of the 2018 bid. We have to wait for the inquiry into those allegations and pray that someone won’t bribe someone to hush the truth. So what drives us into corruption? Is it greed or simply a desire to better our lives? And who is to blame – the person offering the bribe or the one who takes it? Long before I moved here, I was renting in one of Kampala’s suburbs and everything about that house was nice, except the security guard. The landlord charged us an extra Shs20, 000 so he could pay the guard and I always paid this money on time, which is why I didn’t understand the guard’s “attitude” towards me. Sometimes I would greet him and he wouldn’t respond. He would also take his time to open the gate, even when he was right there by the gate. One time, my then boyfriend and I stayed out a bit late and when we got home, it was the same story of waiting outside. The guard finally opened for us and my boyfriend gave him Shs2, 000. His face lit up and I remember thinking to myself, “But I give you Shs20, 000 and you don’t even greet me.” From that night however, he never gave me a hard time again and I found myself giving him a little extra money now and then. Were we both corrupt? I wonder. There are also those guards at hospital gates (I have nothing against security guards by the way.) For some reason, I’ve never been able to observe visiting hours whenever someone I know is admitted and the guards won’t let you in outside the official hours, until you pull something from your purse. How about getting your child into that prestigious school? Your son or daughter didn’t meet the cut off points but someone tells you they can get them in if you “speak” nicely. Would you do it? There are many things we do that fit right into the description of corruption. It’s not right and we know it but we shake off the guilt, reasoning that it’s not harming anyone and many times, it doesn’t involve obscene amounts of money. To be continued... nsophie77@yahoo.com