Traditional Method of Checking Corruption in the Pre-Colonial Igbo Society

Abstract

Corruption is possibly as old as the human society. Infact. It can be traced to the biblical story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. According to this story these first man and woman while in the garden fell to temptation and thus became evil in nature.² This affirms that corruption is perhaps inherent in human beings.

A psychologist, J.T. U Nwala has observed that the level of corruption or moral values of any society is a function of the level and character of its social development³. On the other hand, the social development of a society very much depends on the occupational skills and the way and manner the society produces, distributes and exchanges its wealth⁴. These basic components of any economy are indeed the fertile grounds for corrupt practices. For instance the cancerous disease nicknamed corruption can be found among all the religions of the world, government officials, private and public organizations, politicians, businessmen and academics. A corrupt trader would sell inferior items in place of superior ones and pocket the money. A corrupt contractor would supply inferior items to companies and governments as superior items and clain the money. In the academic circle, corruption include plagiarism, sale of hand-outs to students, examination leakage, fake result, corrupt marking and collection of money from students for favour (extortion). Even corrupt farmers would devise ways of confiscating people’s land for farming without adequate compensation.  The list is inexhaustible.  These vices take place in our society today because of a relatively high level of social development without a corresponding level of moral backing in the society.

In this essay the pre-colonial Igbo society is the focus.  Efforts will be made to discuss the nature of corrupt practices prevalent at the time and the traditional method of checking or controlling the social vices.  To do this, the pre-colonial Igbo society has been split into two-the period before the Trans-Atlantic trade and the period of Trans-Atlantic trade between 1600 and 1900.  This split into two broad eras will enable us perceive and understand the nature of corruption at these periods, how they were controlled as well as the obstacles involved in the control of the social monster.