ICPC urges new mindset
FAILURE of leadership, institutions and lack of synergy between anti-corruption agencies are factors responsible for unbridled corruption in the country, the Chairman of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Ledum Mitee, has said.
Mitee spoke as the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, called on Nigerians to develop a new mindset in the anti-corruption war.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) is planning to spend 54.5 million Euros on activities targeted at curbing corrupt tendencies in the country.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the International Anti-Corruption Day, Mitee argued that Nigeria has laws strong enough to combat the menace but there is no strong leadership to bring culprits to book, and a lack of capacity by the implementing agencies.
"Why has corruption remained a hydra-headed problem in Nigeria? The answer to this is certainly not just on the bookshelves nor can a silver bullet solve it," he said.
"Some very possible reasons the problems have remained stagnant are: the institutions are weak in terms of capacity, funding and coordination, and leadership at all levels is yet to genuinely talk the talk and walk the walk, as well as the need for a concerted effort in ensuring synergy in the operations of anti-corruption agencies."
While declaring that Nigeria's performance in tackling corruption has been poor, Mitee expressed optimism that the establishment of Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) has brought about the necessary synergy between all the anti-corruption agencies.
He called for adoption of a holistic national strategy to combat corruption in Nigeria if the country is desirous of improving on its corruption perception index. He also revealed that efforts were on to conduct pilot Corruption Risk Assessments (CRAs) in some key ministries, departments and agencies at the federal and state levels.
Additionally, 100 trainees drawn from anti-corruption agencies, the prioritized MDGs-related ministries such as Education, Health and Water Resources, strategic state level establishments and selected civil society organisations are undergoing training on CRAs.
And to rev up anti-corruption fight and bridge the funding gap in the efforts, the UNDOC Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Mariam Sissoko, has revealed that the UNODC has begun the implementation of a 34.5 million Euros project funded by the European Union to assist anti-corruption agencies, the police, the judiciary and civil society organisations to enhance policy, coordination, institutional and operational capacity in combating corruption.
He advised Nigerians to see their country's recent rating as one of the most corrupt nations in the world by Transparency International as a wake-up call rather than dampening "our enthusiasm", but to spur on the citizens in the anti-corruption war.
ICPC boss, Nta, made his call in Kaduna at the weekend at the inauguration of ICPC's National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corp (NAVC), Kaduna chapter, at Saar Hotel Kaduna.
Speaking through a member of ICPC, Alhaji Abdullai Ado Bayero, Nta said Nigerians should cheer up as the body had embarked on a number of preventive strategies and initiatives, among which was the establishment of NAVC.
He said the ICPC established NAVC nationwide four years ago to domicile the fight against corruption with the people, adding that Nigerians should be enlightened to see corruption as anathema.ICPC urges new mindset
