Bribery

The decay in our society is now so bad that people no longer hide it. It is done publicly and people call it a “Norm”. At the forefront of this is the ever raging issue of Bribery. It’s common to now see government officials ask for money before they can render any help-which is their duty. When you complain to people in higher authorities, they say things like “Give unto Caesar what belongs ceaser”

In a world of negative politics and social deviance, bribery has become prevalent. Bribery isn't different from stealing. You steal from the person when you don't have the money to pay for the product or service. You bribe the person to have them give the product or service to you for free.

Every person at one point or the other has tried to bribe a policeman or a traffic warden to escape a situation. Society has painted it as something normal but it is very wrong. Bribery is a crime and should be punished as such. Bribery is basically giving someone an incentive or bribe in order to get a service or a favour done. Bribery is also referred to as graft. Most people bribe traffic police officers so that they don't get fined for any kind of violation. Some bribe teachers so that they pass exams, most bribe examiners to gain marks for their papers.

They say that a little bit of bribery is necessary and even good in some cases. However, have the rulers or politicians ever considered that paying a bribe and stealing are the same? Not really, huh? So, are you ready to admit that bribery is wrong? Let's think about it. . When someone asks you to give them money so they can get you a job at a specific workplace, pay their bills, or qualify for some government assistance, most of us say yes. A friend told me “I was usually the first one to say yes to such things. After all, I was desperately trying to find a job and needed some cash to help me with my goal of returning to school”.

However, bribery is different from transacting. All sector of government has established fee structure. And, it's not a bad idea for the government to charge for services rendered. Normally, the fixed charges are called license fees, taxes, fees, land and water charges among others. Government is not the only being that levies fees or charges. A business transaction is different from bribery and corruption. There's nothing bad in charging a fee for a service you render which might not be your duty by law When you take your property to a mechanic that he'll fix it and charge you; that's a business transaction. But, when you take your property to a mechanic knowing he'll help find out any means to rob you, that's corruption and bribery.

If you pay someone because your situation is difficult and you need help, it isn't a bribe. You are simply asking for help. Also, if you pay someone but you made a deal and he must meet his part of the deal, it isn't bribery either. What about gifting someone on his birthday? Also, when you paid for the good or service you received in a restaurant or a market for no additional charge, then it's not a bribe either.

But the payment for the service rendered should be solely based on the quality of the service, the actual work done and the time spent on it and not the colour, race or gender of the person. When people are charged higher and denied many opportunities, it's a form of suppression. Business and commerce should not be used to suppress women and men from any group or ethnicity. Besides, if you have no qualms about taking things for free or for less than it's worth, then you shouldn't be paying anybody no matter what.

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