Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

The purpose for which government system is established in any society is to control and safeguard the life and properties of the citizens as well as the development of the society. Relating the expectations and procedures for which government was established in the country Nigeria to the concept of the general will in the J.J. Rousseau's social contract theory, it will be cognate that the reverse is the case. There is crisis everywhere in the country. Corruption and insecurity has become order of the day. The heights of corrupt practices in Nigeria these days, is quite alarming. No sector of life activity in the country is free from corruption. This is what the writer in this context tagged as "overt corruption". A lot of atrocities are happening, human heads are rolling, blood flow is on the higher rate, and peoples’ health is at risk. Everyone behaves the way they want, and no one cares to question. Yet, the leaders and the led are screaming that Nigeria is corrupt. Now the big questions here are, is Nigeria as a society corrupt? Or, are we the citizens corrupt?" What is the cause of this insecurity in the country? Nigeria apparently is not corrupt rather, it's we citizens that are corrupt, and that is why we established the government to take care of us. Therefore applying evaluation method of philosophical inquiry in this paper, the writer finds out that the purpose for which we instituted the government of Nigeria has failed woefully. Our elected leaders are too incompetent to pilot the affairs of the citizens and the country at large. At this point, however, they are only conscious of their pockets and all about the citizens isn't under consideration. In spite of all these, says the writer, Nigeria can still be a better society if and only if Nigerians will realize the power of their votes, and if the leaders will change from their dishonest and selfish mindset

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