CSO Advisory Committee Vows to Monitor Nigeria’s UNCAC Review, Other Processes
Abimbola Akosile
The Civil Society (CSO) Advisory Committee for the European Union (EU) funded Project, ‘Support to Anti-Corruption in Nigeria’ has pledged that it will monitor the Social Intervention Programme (SIP), Nigeria’s review under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the country’s engagement with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) processes.
In a statement issued by the Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraj, at the end of its first meeting for the year 2017, the committee commended the Federal Government for the SIP which, according to President Muhammadu Buhari, is aimed at ameliorating the sufferings of vulnerable people in the country and is expected to generate employment for 500,000 graduates and train over 300,000 Nigerians. The committee, however, vowed to monitor the process in order to ensure that the programme justifies its raison d’être and is free of corruption.
The committee noted that since signing the UNCAC in 2003 and ratifying it in 2004, Nigeria has been actively involved in negotiations leading to the review mechanism but added that having engaged and observed the first review cycle, it recognised the need to improve CSOs engagement in Nigeria’s review process. It therefore reemphasised its commitment to supporting capacity building and policy advocacies that seek to strengthen the engagement of civil society in the second cycle of the review process.
The committee commended Nigeria’s application to join the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s war against corruption. But it noted that it was unfortunate that due to the rehabilitation of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, the high-level delegation from the FATF due to visit Nigeria in March 2017 has now postponed the plans.
The committee urged the Nigerian government to intensify its efforts towards joining the FATF as it would facilitate improvement in Nigeria’s ease of doing business status and enhance the economy generally even as it serves as a framework for fighting corruption.
It also commended the federal government for recovering a significant amount of stolen assets in the fiscal year 2016. It urged the government to ensure that the monies recovered are judiciously used and not looted again.
The Committee encouraged the federal government to make public the details of how the money would be spent including the amount of full and partial forfeitures; the amount that is committed to the consolidated account, the amount that goes back to the states of origin and other important details.
These, it noted, would aid the CSOs in monitoring the assets and ensuring that the government succeeds in its fight against corruption. The committee added that releasing such important information will also build public trust in government, its fight against corruption and all its programmes.
It noted that under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) ‘Support to Anti-Corruption in Nigeria’, 10 grantees were selected from among CSOs and were awarded grants to conduct anti-corruption activities in various parts of the country and across different sectors and stakeholder groups, while the successful grantee organisations are being supported to implement the anti-corruption activities.
The statement said details provided at the meeting showed that CSOs have recorded a number of successes in the foundational work within the first phase of implementation and that the programme is now proceeding to the second phase.
Notable achievements of grantees identified include strategic advocacy visits, the designing of IT platforms for corruption risk assessments, hiring of consultants for added technical support, designing radio and television programmes for citizens’ enlightenment, developing training modules, among others.
