Extend anti-corruption fight to states, councils, stakeholders tell FG

Stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to extend the anti-corruption fight to states and local government areas to ensure that its impact is felt at all levels of the polity.

They argued that the effect of the fight against corruption was only being felt at the national level, adding that the government was essentially focusing on ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) at the federal level, leaving out the states and local councils.

Speaking at a Strategic Policy Roundtable on The Roles of Stakeholders in the Implementation of National Anti-Corruption in Abuja, they insisted that so far, the anti-graft fight seemed to be a mere policy document.

Head of Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), Lillian Ekeanyanwu, argued that over the years, there have been cases of looting of public funds in Nigeria.

She noted that the government’s anti-graft war was more visible in public space, insisting that it was mainly focused on MDAs.

“We would engage consultants to monitor and structure corruption cases soon. We have not been able to publish our report because there is no cabinet minister on board,” she said.

Besides, Joseph Amenaghawon of Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) explained that implementation of the anti-corruption crusade was only technical, adding that it should include long and short-term strategies.

He disclosed that the group developed anti-corruption strategies in Anambra State, which the government has promised to rectify and adopt, after which it would be translated to local languages for ownership at the state and local levels.

Also speaking, Executive Director of HEDA Resources Centre in Lagos, Olanrewaju Suraj, noted that the country’s anti-graft laws have no bite, adding that if up to 50 per cent was implemented, corruption would have reduced in the country.

Another speaker, Chris Asok, agreed that the fight against corruption was effective at the federal level, while states and local councils were not being monitored.