Nigeria Suffering In Hands Of Corrupt Govt. Officials – ANEEJ

The African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ has accused corrupt government officials of being part of the reasons why the country is still underdeveloped.

Speaking at the 2016 World International Anti Corruption day celebration, theme: “United against Corruption” and with Sub theme: “Niger Delta; Issues and Corruption”, the Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev David Ugolor identified corruption and impunity as responsible for death, improvised and dehumanizing nature of citizens in the country.

Ugolor represented by the Deputy Executive Director, Comrade Leo Atakpu said Nigeria’s rank as the 136 least corrupt nation is tremendously at the increase as government officials have dragged their foots over implementing the anti corruption law and statuses which could block loopholes and leakages in public coffers.

Ugolor said the theme and sub theme of this year’s celebration focuses on the impact of corruption in the Niger Delta region as well as the need for the citizens to be united against corruption.

He noted the amount of money received by some Niger Delta states is not compared with the development on ground, pinpointing corruption as the major cause.

According to him, “Nigeria is the 136 least corrupt nations out of 175 countries, according to the 2015 Corruption Perception Index reported by Transparency International. Corruption rank in Nigeria averaged 118.30 from 1996 until 2015 reaching an all-time high of 152.00 in 2015 and a record low of 52.00 in 1997. This means corruption remains a major problem and obstacle to development in Nigeria.

“Very often focus is on government officials when it comes to the issue of corruption because it is in their position to enforce all anti-corruption laws and statuses irrespective of who is involved. But as we know it takes two to tango in the ill of corruption, it means the people are as guilty as government in allowing corruption to fester in our dear nation over the past years.

“We are much happy that the government of the day led by President Muhammadu Buhari is making frantic efforts to address the issue. Tracing, tracking and recovering looted public funds is one way to go. The other way to fight corruption is to prevent it from happening. It is about plugging loopholes and leakages in public coffers and citizens rising against it in any form or shape it presents itself or manifest.

On the Niger Delta, Ugolor said, “The Nextier report 2015 which looked at inflows to the region from 2010 to 2014 alone put the figure at N7.35 trillion (USD37.31) from various sources of Federal, states and local government. What happened to the trillions of naira that flows to the states, NDDC, Ministry of the Niger Delta and local government? No doubt the level of development in the region is not at all equal to the quantum of funds that have flowed to the region and Corruption is an issue here”.

He said ANEEJ will come up with “recommendations on the way forward for government and citizens alike to drastically reduce corruption in the Niger Delta so as to free resources to enable the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and major infrastructural development direly needed by people of the Niger Delta”.