Abstract
Corruption as a phenomenon has accounted for the dearth of infrastructure as well as most of the social and economic ills that beset Nigeria today. Nearly all administrations, whether military or civilian have muted the idea of dealing with the monster and have indeed enacted laws, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act etc. administrative policies such as the Treasury Single Account, Due Process Departments, Servicom, Whistle Blowing Policy etc. and recently deployed technology as the Integrated Personnel Payroll Scheme –IPPIS. This paper demonstrates that the incidence of corruption has not declined because offenders are not likely to be punished because they are either not properly investigated or charged; where tried, trials go on for years unending and punishment is infinitesimal relative to the crime. This work doctrinally argues that corruption thrives because of the inability of law enforcement agencies and the judicial system to maintain the historical, conceptual and theoretical link between crime and punishment, which is characterized by certainty, adequacy and swiftness of punishment. Quick prescriptions, such as deepening the whistle blowing policy of government and adherence to sentencing guidelines in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act were suggested by the paper.
Keywords: Corruption, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Punishment, perception index, poverty