Why security votes must stop, by Ribadu

Fomer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has listed ways government could checkmate corruption, even as he called for scraping of security votes for elected officials.

He stated this during the Nigerian Institute of Management 2016 Annual Conference in Abuja, yesterday.“The laws may not be faulty, but operators of the system are likely to be. To fight corruption, the umpire has to be clean, honest and sincere. Dishonesty cannot fight dishonesty. If you are corrupt, you cannot lead a successful anti-corruption campaign. Having a corrupt person pretending to fight corruption only creates confusion,” said Ribadu.

He further said government must match words with action by limiting long motorcades for elected and appointed leaders. According to him, cozy government houses for elected officials do not show that authorities are serious about fighting corruption.

To curb corruption, Ribadu added that all stakeholders, especially professionals in the Institute, must come on board, and all government expenditures had to be budgeted. He also advocated use of technology in procurement processes, to ensure transparency and accountability.