The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, Tuesday
in Abuja gave kudos to what he characterised as Nigeria’s rising
profile in the fight against corruption and which he said was now
earning the country international recognition and commendation.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
“These commendations have not only translated into appreciation
by the international community, but it has also led to establishing
their (international community) faith in what we are doing as a
nation,” said Mr Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, while
meeting with officials of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and
Integrity Watch in his office.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
“Nigeria has succeeded in establishing a culture, institutions
as well as laws and legislations associated with the fight against
corruption and has also succeeded in putting in place a conducive
working environment intended and targeted at institutionalizing the
fight against corruption,” the country’s chief law officer
remarked.
While most countries are battling unsuccessfully to retrieve
looted assets from their political elites, a delighted Mr Malami
said it was the goodwill that the country had garnered, which
helped Nigeria’s success in her ‘certain recoveries,’ making her,
according to Mr Malami, an exception at establishing standards.
“I think we are imbibing the culture of transparency and
accountability in what we do,” Mr Malami said, pointing to the
institutionalisation of asset recovery and disposal as indications
of Nigeria’s ethical progress.
However, Mr Malami’s pronouncement came against the background
of a stunning 2020 Transparency
International [TI] Corruption Perception Index (CPI)
report[1] which
scored Nigeria 25/100, one point less than its 26 points earning in
the previous year. The CPI report also had Nigeria at a 149
placement out of 180 sampled countries, a record that is three
steps lower than its rank of 146 in 2019. In the 2018 index,
Nigeria rose by four places on the index from 148 to 144.
Transparency International assesses countries on a scale of 0 to
100, where 0 is “highly corrupt” and 100 is “very clean”.
The latest ranking is an indicator that corruption is perceived
to have worsened in the country within the last year.
Umar Yakubu, chief executive at the Centre for Fiscal
Transparency and Integrity Watch, in an earlier remark, had asked
Mr Malami to provide an enabling environment for the passage and
amendment of several anti-corruption bills.
These bills include the Proceeds of Crime Recovery and
Management Agency Bill; the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill; the
Witness Protection Bill and the Audit Bill; as well as the
amendments of the EFCC, NFIU and ICPC Establishment Acts.
Accepting Mr Yakubu’s challenge, the attorney general said work
was already apace in the direction of reform of some
anti-corruption instruments but asked for patience, adding that
this was where more work still needed to be done in spite of the
progress the nation was already making in many areas around the
fight against corruption.
“…I am happy to state that these policy decisions are paying off
because,” according to him, “from whatever direction you look at it
either from the point of prevention or enforcement, I think we are
not doing very bad as far as the fight against corruption is
concerned but that does not mean that there are no rooms for
improvement.”
He added that “on a daily basis, we are striving and working
hard to see what additional policies, legislations, institutions if
the need arises for the purposes of deepening our transparency,
accountability and integrity ensuring at the end of the day we
address the level of corruption…”
Mr Malami, enthusiastic, accepted that there are a lot of
legislations “which have the capacity to turn things around and
provide additional support” in fighting corruption pending at the
national assembly.
To achieve success with these pending legislations, Mr Malami
believes, his office can work together with the group in
facilitating their passage and acceptance, while registering his
and the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to work with the Centre
for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch. He suggested that the
group should work with the responsible committee within the
ministry to create a road map to ensure a collaborative path in the
quest for this vision.
The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, Tuesday
in Abuja gave kudos to what he characterised as Nigeria’s rising
profile in the fight against corruption and which he said was now
earning the country international recognition and commendation.
“These commendations have not only translated into appreciation
by the international community, but it has also led to establishing
their (international community) faith in what we are doing as a
nation,” said Mr Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, while
meeting with officials of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and
Integrity Watch in his office.
“Nigeria has succeeded in establishing a culture, institutions
as well as laws and legislations associated with the fight against
corruption and has also succeeded in putting in place a conducive
working environment intended and targeted at institutionalizing the
fight against corruption,” the country’s chief law officer
remarked.
While most countries are battling unsuccessfully to retrieve
looted assets from their political elites, a delighted Mr Malami
said it was the goodwill that the country had garnered, which
helped Nigeria’s success in her ‘certain recoveries,’ making her,
according to Mr Malami, an exception at establishing standards.
“I think we are imbibing the culture of transparency and
accountability in what we do,” Mr Malami said, pointing to the
institutionalisation of asset recovery and disposal as indications
of Nigeria’s ethical progress.
However, Mr Malami’s pronouncement came against the background
of a stunning 2020 Transparency
International [TI] Corruption Perception Index (CPI)
report[1] which
scored Nigeria 25/100, one point less than its 26 points earning in
the previous year. The CPI report also had Nigeria at a 149
placement out of 180 sampled countries, a record that is three
steps lower than its rank of 146 in 2019. In the 2018 index,
Nigeria rose by four places on the index from 148 to 144.
Transparency International assesses countries on a scale of 0 to
100, where 0 is “highly corrupt” and 100 is “very clean”.
The latest ranking is an indicator that corruption is perceived
to have worsened in the country within the last year.
Umar Yakubu, chief executive at the Centre for Fiscal
Transparency and Integrity Watch, in an earlier remark, had asked
Mr Malami to provide an enabling environment for the passage and
amendment of several anti-corruption bills.
These bills include the Proceeds of Crime Recovery and
Management Agency Bill; the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill; the
Witness Protection Bill and the Audit Bill; as well as the
amendments of the EFCC, NFIU and ICPC Establishment Acts.
Accepting Mr Yakubu’s challenge, the attorney general said work
was already apace in the direction of reform of some
anti-corruption instruments but asked for patience, adding that
this was where more work still needed to be done in spite of the
progress the nation was already making in many areas around the
fight against corruption.
“…I am happy to state that these policy decisions are paying off
because,” according to him, “from whatever direction you look at it
either from the point of prevention or enforcement, I think we are
not doing very bad as far as the fight against corruption is
concerned but that does not mean that there are no rooms for
improvement.”
He added that “on a daily basis, we are striving and working
hard to see what additional policies, legislations, institutions if
the need arises for the purposes of deepening our transparency,
accountability and integrity ensuring at the end of the day we
address the level of corruption…”
Mr Malami, enthusiastic, accepted that there are a lot of
legislations “which have the capacity to turn things around and
provide additional support” in fighting corruption pending at the
national assembly.
To achieve success with these pending legislations, Mr Malami
believes, his office can work together with the group in
facilitating their passage and acceptance, while registering his
and the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to work with the Centre
for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch. He suggested that the
group should work with the responsible committee within the
ministry to create a road map to ensure a collaborative path in the
quest for this vision.