Citizens, civil society leaders and other stakeholders have raised “serious concerns about the escalating series of kidnappings, killings and insecurity across the country, which are clearly fuelled by years of grand corruption and impunity of perpetrators.”
They said only ambitious and robust anti-corruption fight could end the insecurity in the country.
This was stated at a town hall meeting organised by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in collaboration with UKaid, held in Abuja, yesterday.
Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, in his paper titled Practical Strategies to Mobilise Citizens to Participate in the Fight against Corruption, said: “Corruption is the greatest obstacle to security, development and equality in the Nigerian society. Corruption affects all aspects of human endeavour and permeates all strata of the Nigerian society, starting from the government down to the average citizen. This threatens the existence of the country as one entity by weakening institutions, rendering obsolete the rule of law, undermining good governance and impoverishing the citizenry through a diminishing economy.
“The most visible impact of corruption in the Nigerian society today can be viewed through the lens of the myriad of security challenges the country has to face, which extends from the activities of bandits on almost all major road networks to insurgency in the North. Despite millions allocated to the defence sector, the average Nigerian can hardly travel inter-state without fear for one’s safety.”
He wondered what the various governors do with the security votes allocated to them every month.
“The fact that security votes are generally not accounted for should be no excuse to divert such funds for purposes unrelated to security.”
Hassan Hafiz Mohammed, who represented Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said official oath of secrecy cannot and should never be used as a pretext by public officials not to disclose information on corruption matters within their ministries, departments and agencies.
Mr. Saminu Amadin, representative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the fight against corruption cannot be left for government alone, maintaining that citizens have a critical role to play in preventing and combating corruption in Nigeria.
“We should deploy all means to fight corruption,” he said.
But Mrs. Hassan Ahmed, who represented the National Judicial Council (NJC) argued that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act should, if fully implemented by all the states, will help to fight corruption and help to address the chronic delay in judicial processes.
Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP deputy director, enjoined Nigerians to exert their collective power to get involved in the fight against corruption including cases of corruption that directly affect them.
“While corruption brings out the worst in people, fighting corruption can bring out the best. Citizens don’t fight corruption in the abstract. They do so to overcome poor and unaccountable governance, poverty, displacement, organized crime and other forms of oppression and injustice,” Oluwadare said.