President Muhammad Buhari
ANEEJ
President Muhammad Buhari
ANEEJ Sets Agenda on Anti-Corruption Fight in the “Next
Level”
The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ)
supported by UK Aid as part of the broader Anti-Corruption fight in
Nigeria (ACORN) programme convokes policy dialogue, setting the
agenda for the Federal Government of Nigeria on how to successfully
prosecute the fight against corruption.
The policy dialogue which came up under ANEEJ MANTRA reviews
progresses made by the current administration’s anti-corruption
agenda as much as major challenges/obstacles to Nigeria’s
Anti-Graft efforts and proffer solutions.
Setting the agenda for the second term of President Muhammadu
Buhari in terms of anti-corruption, the about 35 participants who
attended the event drawn from Federal Ministry of Justice, ICPC,
EFCC and Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, the
academia, CSOs working on anti-corruption issues including youth
and women groups, and journalists come to the conclusion that
corruption remains the cancer eating up the heart and soul of the
nation.
The participants urged the International Community to remove all
blockages to the tracing, recovery and return of looted assets in
line with the London Anti-Corruption Summit and Global Forum on
Asset (GFAR) Commitments and facilitate the return of all looted
assets to finance development initiatives in Nigeria.
Reviewing the fight against corruption so far, the meeting
highlighted a number of achievements where the current
administration has made progress to include; the establishment of
Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption in 2015, the
harmonisation of existing anti-corruption documents into a single
National Anti-Corruption Strategy, enlisting the nation into the
Open Government Partnership (OGP) under which the government is
implementing a two-year National Action Plan (NAP). The benefit of
this is that OGP has provided opportunity for Nigeria to advance
reforms in a number of areas including anti-corruption (review of
CAMA law etc, beneficial ownership, citizen engagement etc).
The government has also introduced the Whistle Blowers Policy
which has supported the recovery of stolen assets both at domestic
and international levels; the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Act
which was passed and signed into law and the establishment of Asset
Recovery and Management Unit set up within the Ministry of Justice
and the development of a draft guideline on asset recovery and
management, pending the passage of POCA.
The meeting lauded the government’s successful prosecution and
conviction of high profile corruption cases including the
conviction of two former governors and the implementation of TSA,
BVN, Presidential Initiative on Continues Audit among others.
However, the meeting frawns at the poor implementation of
Administration of Criminal Justice Act with resultant effort on the
pace of prosecution of corruption cases. It was noted that the
non-constitution of the National Council on Procurement as provided
for by the Public Procurement Act, 2007 is a major setback for the
fight against corruption. Added to that is the poor funding of
anti-corruption institutions and the judiciary, in some cases
leading to ineffective investigations and prosecution.
The participants bemoaned inter agency rivalry among the
Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs) and perceived preponderance of
political partisanship in dealing with corruption issues, which
have been noticed to have dwindled citizens trust in the
process.
In addition, the meeting noted the poor working relationship
between the executive and legislative arms of government in
advancing issues of national interest. Harmonious working relation
was suggested between the two arms of governments to ensure that
pending anti-corruption bills like POCA, Mutual Legal Assistant,
Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, Money Laundry Prohibition Bill etc
are passed and implemented without delay.
The Federal Government was further advised to work closely with
State and Local Governments on the implementation of
anti-corruption strategy for the fight against corruption to be
taken down to the grassroots and subsequently prosecute corruption
government officials at that levels.
The government was also encouraged to step up the level of
funding and strengthen anti-corruption institutions and criminal
justice system to improve the effectiveness of such institutions,
periodically update Nigerians on loots/assets recovered and what
such assets are being used for, as well as work with the National
Assembly to review the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act to
allow the Bureau to make public, assets declared by public office
holders in accordance with the laws establishing it.
In conclusion, the participants agreed that President Buhari
should give priority attention to the consolidation of the fight
against corruption in order to actualize his “Next Level” mantra in
the next fouryears.
By PRNigeria