IMPACT OF TWITTER BAN ON CORRUPTION GROWTH IN NIGERIA
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IMPACT OF TWITTER BAN ON CORRUPTION GROWTH IN NIGERIA
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Corruption is a global problem that undermines economic progress, political stability, and social integration (Hellman, Jones, Kaufmann, & Schankerman, 1999). The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2008) defines corruption as “misuse of entrusted authority for private benefit.”
Twitter is an external factor in combating corruption in modern civilizations. They have the potential to form a system of checks and balances. Twitter acts as a fourth estate, monitoring conformity to democratic laws, values, and practices.
However, unlike the three institutionalised authorities (legislative, executive, and judicial organisations), Twitter has no legal means of disciplining corrupt public officials’ conduct, therefore they exercise public control indirectly (Stapenhurst, 2000).
First, as a watchdog, Twitter holds politicians accountable for their actions (Norris, 2004). As a result, Twitter could help “prosecutorial institutions by researching and publishing instances of corruption” (Camaj, 2012), culminating in official investigations and convictions of corrupt political figures.
When institutionalised control institutions are corrupted and unable to apply sufficient punishments, independent and critical Twitter frequently perform better as a regulatory body than legislative, executive, and judicial organisations (Stapenhurst, 2000).
Vertical accountability, as defined by Schedler (1999), is facilitated by Twitter’s exposure of corrupt public officials. For example, following public indignation over the Panama Papers disclosures, Iceland’s Prime Minister, Sigmundur Dav Gunnlaugsson, was forced to resign.
This instance shows how Twitter may have an impact when voters demand accountability from political authorities. Because public outrage harms elected leaders’ image, Twitter is more likely to impact private-to-public wrongdoing.
Private-sector actors, on the other hand, rely substantially less on public favours, making bad Twitter coverage less likely to promote private-to-private corruption (Argandoa, 2003).
Second, Twitter improves checks and balances among actors with equal authority (horizontal accountability; Camaj, 2012). Journalists may increase Twitter’s effectiveness in preventing corruption by exposing flaws in anticorruption authorities and advocating for their change (Stapenhurst 2000).
Furthermore, Twitter coverage of control mechanism proceedings enhances the activity and credibility of the state’s anticorruption authorities, so reinforcing the political system’s institutional design, which is seen as “the ultimate determinant of corruption” (Lederman, Loayza, & Soares, 2005).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The ban on Twitter, which might be described as a bad decision by Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has caused concerns among the country’s population. Twitter, as one of the most popular forms of media in Nigeria for a variety of purposes, can lead to individuals engaging in various unscrupulous activities, such as finding other negative ways to access the app.
Additionally, businesses of individuals rely on the advertisements they place on this platform, and as a result of this platform being banned, these individuals may resort to other devious businesses in order to survive.
The government may also use this as an opportunity to commit some dishonest conduct. Twitter also provides a civic platform where citizens may voice their frustrations and assist change public opinion.
Twitter may increase public pressure on corrupt politicians to resign and lose their political influence by “highlighting policy failures, maladministration by public officials, corruption in the courts, and scandals in the business sector” (Norris, 2004).
These naming and shaming activities may have an impact on a corrupt actor’s reputation while also encouraging legal compliance (Fisman & Miguel, 2008).
Twitter promotes an open culture in society by distributing information about corruption, which reduces corruption on both a structural and individual level (Kolstad & Wiig, 2009). Transparency, on the other hand, is ineffective in combating corruption.
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