Abstract

The Effect of Organized Crime on Good Governance in Nigeria

Rufus Aisedion, Osimen Goddy Uwa, Aderemi Opeyemi Ade-Ibijola

Volume: 12 Issue: 3 2022

Abstract:

The security, economic, social and political disruptions of the state induced by the activities of organized crime has weakened the state’s authority to carry out its expected functions of good governance. In Nigeria, the illegal activities of criminal cartel groups affect government’s resources and its ability to enhance the welfare, basic human needs and living standard of its citizens. The criminal cartels who in their corrupt practices penetrate political offices to wax their influence, strengthened by the integration of security agencies and judicial organs of the state to shield their illegal activities carried out by violence or threat of violence have become a course for national concern. This is why urgent attention needs to be taken to address the menace. It is against this background that the paper examined the impact of organized crime on good governance and also to proffer ways the menace can be reduced to the barest minimum. The paper adopted the bureaucracy model of organized crime since it is organized like a conventional bureaucracy pyramid shape with members in hierarchical leadership through which its activities are carried out. The paper utilized secondary sources of data and was historically analyzed. The findings of the paper revealed that the ill activities of organized crime undercut government’s transparency, accountability, popular political participation and ability to harness resources for the well-being of the citizens. It is also observe that the infiltration of organized criminals in public affairs subverts government’s welfare policies of its citizens, due to gross corruption all over public office, among others. The recommendations include inter alia: That political and economic agencies should beef up their administrative tentacles and arsenals to stem the tide of organized criminal cartels, leaders should muster the political will to restrict people from lifestyles that encourages organized crime, the government should ensure that welfare dimension of human needs is provided to attract citizens’ patriotism to shun criminal groups and their activities, among others.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.37648/ijrssh.v12i03.030

Back Download

References

• Abadinsky, H. (1990). Organized crime, 4th edition, Chicago.
• Abadinsky, H. (2010). Organized crime, (9th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
• Agere, S. (2000). Promoting good governance. Commonwealth Secretariat.
• Aisedion, R. & Omoregie, E. (eds.) (March 2021). The security implications of human trafficking for national development: The Nigeria experience. In International Journal of Management, Social Science, Peace and Conflict Studies. Vol.4 No.1 Platinum Link Communication Services
• Aisedion, R. & Osimen, G. U. (2021). Democracy, good governance and political leadership misconception in Nigeria. Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15520/jassh.v7i10.658JASS H 07 (10), 19471954Retrieved) 1-4- 2022,3:45pm
• Albanese, J. 1989. Organized crime in America, 2nd Edition, Cincinnati.
• Albini, Joseph L. 1971. The American Mafia: Genesis of a Legend. New York: Appleton.
• Alemika, E.O.E. (2013).Organized crime and governance in West Africa: Overview. In Alemika, E.O.E (ed.) The impact of organized crime on governance in west Africa. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
• Baran, P.A. (1978), The political economy of growth. Monthly Review Inc
• Barnes, B. (1995). The Elements of Social Theory. Princeton University Press.
• Ben-Dor, G. & Pedahzur, A. (2005). The uniqueness of Islamic fundamentalism and the fourth wave of international terrorism, in Leonard Weinberg and Ami Pedahzur (eds), Religious Fundamentalism and Political Extremism. Frank Cass
• Campball, Liz. (2014) “Organized crime and national security: A dubious connection?” New Criminal Law Review, 17:2, p.240 Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, 13, No. 2, Spring.
• Combs, C.C. (2003). Terrorism in the twentyfirst century. Pearson Educational Inc.
• Cressey, D. R., 1969. Theft of the Nation: The structure and operations of organized crime in America. Harper & Row.
• De La Corte, L. (2013). To what Extent do global terrorism and organised criminality converge?general parameters and critical scenarios. Global terrorism and organised crime.pdf
• De La Corte, L. and Gimenez-Salinas, A, (2013). Crime Inc. evolution and key factors in organized criminality. Ariel.
• Daouda, D. B, (2013). Organized crime in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. In Alemika, E.E.O et al (eds.) The impact of organized crime on governance in west Africa. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
• Elshtain, J.B. (2003). Just war against terrorism. Basic Books
• ESCAP (2009). What is good governance? https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/d8files/ knowledge-products/good-governance.pdf. Retrieved 12-4-2022, 10:45am
• Fanon, F. (1968). Black skins and white masks. Grove Press.
• Finckenauer, J. O. & Voronin, Y. A. (2001). The threat of organized crime. National Institute of Justice.
• Francis, D.J. (2011). Africa at war against itself: Civil wars and new security threats. In American Sociological Review, 36, 6.
• Furley, O. (ed.) (1995). Conflict in Africa. I.B. Tauris.
• Ganor, B. (2005). The counter-terrorism puzzle: A guide for decision-makers. Transaction Publishers
• Gere, F. (2007). Suicide operations: Between war and terrorism, in Chaliand G. and Blin A. (eds) The History of Terrorism: From antiquity to Al Qaeda. Translated by Schneider, E, Pulver, K. and Browner, J. Berkeley. University of California Press.
• Gerlach, L.P. & Hine, V.H. (1970). People, power and change: movements of social opposition to modern state system. African Journal of Management, Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol. 2, No. 1, Dec.
• Gomez, J. M. (2010). A financial profile of the terrorism of Al Qaeda and its affiliates, perspectives on terrorism, Vol.4, No 4.
• Gurney, J.N. & Tierney, K.J. (1982). Relative deprivation and social movements: A Critical Look at Twenty Years of Theory and Research, The Sociological Quarterly, 23, 1.
• Gurr, T.R. (1971), Why men rebel, Princeton University Press
• Hacker, F. J. (1976), Crusaders, criminals, crazies: Terror and terrorism in our time. Norton
• Hannigan, J.A. (1991). Social movement theory and the sociology of religion: Toward a New synthesis, Sociological Analysis, 52, 4.
• Harper, C.L. (1993). Exploring social change, (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.
• Hoffman, B. (2007). The changing face of Al Qaeda and the global war on terrorism, in Badey, T.J (ed.) Violence and terrorism 07/08. McGraw Hill.
• Ianni, Francis A.J. & Elizabeth Reuss-Ianni. (1972). A Family Business: Kinship and Social Control in Organized Crime. Routledge and Kegan Paul.
• IIT Research Institute & Chicago Crime Commission (1971), A Study of Organized Crime.
• Ikoh, M.U.(2013). “Organized crime in the Gulf of Guinea with a focus on Nigeria” In Alemika, E.E.O. et al (eds.) The impact of organized crime on governance in west Africa. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
• Ishaku, J. (2018). Boko Haram and armed herdsmen violence: The theory and politics of terrorism and counter terrorism in Nigeria. Courier Communication Ltd.
• Juergensmeyer, M. (2003).Terror in the mind of God: The global rise of religious violence. University of California Press,
• Kleemans, E.R. (2014). “Theoretical perspectives on organized crime” In Paoli, L.(ed.) The OxfordHandbookofOrganizedCrime.OxfordU niversityPressDOI:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199 730445.013.005
• Khan, M. H. (2004). State formation in Palestine: Viability and governance during a social transformation: Volume 2 of Political economy of the Middle East and North Africa. Routledge.
• Kinnan, C.J, Gordon, D.B, Jaquish, D.W. & McAllum, R.S. (2011).Failed state2030 Nigeria-A case study. Occasional Paper No.67 Center for Strategy and Technology, Air University Maxwell Air Force Base
• Kittrie, N.N. (1981). Patriots and terrorists: Reconciling human rights with world order,
• Lacqueur, W. (1999). The new terrorism. Oxford University Press
• Laqueur, W. (2003), No end to war: Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century. Continuum.
• Lewis, B. (2003). The assassins: A radical sect in Islam. Basic Books
• Lutz, J.M. & Lutz, B.J. (2008). Global terrorism. (2nd ed.). Routledge.
• Makarenko, T. (2004). The crime-terror continuum: Tracing the interplay between transnational organised crime and terrorism. Global Crime, Vol. 6, no. 1.
• McCandless, E. & Karbo, T. (eds.) (2011), Peace, conflict, and development in Africa., University for Peace Press
• McPhail, C. (1971). Civil disorder participation: A critical examination of recent research,
• Migaux, P. (2007). AL Qaeda, in Chaliand, G. and Blin, A. (eds), The history of terrorism:from antiquity to Al Qaeda. Translated by Edward Schneider, Kathryn Pulver and JesseBrowner. University of California Press.
• National Security Council ( na). Transnational organized crime: A growing threat to national and International security. In https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/admini stration/eop/nsc/transnational crime/threat,retrieved3-32022, 4:21am
• O’Ballance, E. (1979). The language of violence: The blood politics of terrorism. San Rafael, CA: Presidio.
• Obi, C.K.(2015). Challenges of insecurity and terrorism in Nigeria: Implication for national development. International Journal of Sustainable Development available at http://www.ssrn.com/link/oida-intl-journalsustainable-dev.html ISSN 1923-6654
• Odeh, A. M.(2015). The effects of corruption on good governance in Nigeria. In International Journal of Development and Sustainability ISSN: 2186-8662 – www.isdsnet.com/ijds Volume 4 Number 3: 292-307 ISDS Article ID: IJDS14091801.retrieved 5-4-2022, 7:45pm
• Paoli, L. (2002). The Paradoxes of organized crime.” Crime, Law and Social Change 37(1): 51-97. OxfordUniversityPressDOI:10.1093/oxfordhb /9780199730445.013.005
• Paoli, L. (2003). Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style. Oxford University Press.
• Patkin, T.T. (2007). Explosive baggage: Female Palestinian suicide bombers and the rhetoric of emotion, in Badey, T.J (ed.) Violence and terrorism 07/08. McGraw Hil
• Permultter, D. (2004). Investigating religious terrorism and ritualistic crimes. CRC Press.
• Pettiford, L. & Harding, D. (2010). Terrorism: The new world war. Arcturus Publishing
• Reuter, P.& Petrie, C. (eds.) (1999). Transnational organized crime: Summary of a workshop. National Academy Press
• Sanderson, T.M. (2004). Transnational terror and organized crime: Blurring the lines, SAIS Review Vol. 24, No. 1,
• Shaw, M. & Reitano, T. (Nov 2016). Organised crime has affected politics, but not in the way we have come to expect. In the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/oped.Retrieved 12-3-2022,10:24pm
• Shelley, L. & Picarelli, J.T. (2005). Methods and motives: Exploring links between transnational organized crime and international terrorism. Trends in Organized Crime, 9, Winter.
• Sinai, J. (2010/2011). How to define terrorism. In Badey, T. Violence and Terrorism 10/11, (12thed.). McGraw Hill Higher Education.
• Toch, H. (1965). The social psychology of social movements. Bobbs-Merrill.
• Varese, F. (2011). Mafias on the Move. Princeton University Press.
• Yeung. J. C. (2016). Organized crime as a threat to national security: An analysis of the crime terror' nexus. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3161 47387_Retrieved 12-3-2022, 5:25pm