According to a 2016 study by the JUPREC Project (Justice, Prevention, Reconciliation), 65% of young Malians are passive in the face of corruption. “They are resigned saying they can do nothing to counteract corruption.” 18% of young people in Mali are “ready to corrupt and be corrupted to succeed. They believe that direct or indirect corruption is the only viable alternative to becoming a celebrity.
Corruption is an evil that is eroding Malian society. It wreaks havoc and obstructs the path to sustainable development. Modibo Seydou Sidibé, Professor of economics at Duke University (United States), published an article on the “Jeune Afrique” website under the title: “In Mali, corruption is the source of all our ills.” “Today, corruption extends to all economic and social sectors: customs, taxes, public markets, police, justice, hospitals, etc. It not only leads to the waste of meager public resources, it suffocates the productive system and makes Mali an economic paradox… Although very few people have a stable job, Bamako buys almost everything abroad. Corruption has biased the arbitration of economic actors, making imports almost always more profitable than local production,” writes the academic. A diagnosis without complacency.
The various reports published by anti-corruption structures each year give alarming figures. Colossal sums are embezzled. Billions stashed in tax havens could be used to create jobs and improve the provision of basic social services.
These figures on the perception of young people regarding corruption are chilling. In reality, they reflect a sad reality under our skies where a significant segment of the population thinks that those who do not steal the common good are “cursed children”. There is no point in hiding your face. Mali is sick of its youth. A poorly formed youth who thinks that all that glitters is gold. Young people who cheat at school cannot fight corruption. Young people who buy diplomas and competitive exams cannot fight corruption. Mali needs conscious youth who refuse to compromise. A young person who agrees to train. A youth who refuses to follow. A youth who does not sell his soul to the highest bidders during electoral contests. A youth who rejects corruption in all its forms. A youth who believes in the virtues of work.
Chiaka Doumbia
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2023-12-08 01:48:54
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