Anti-graft Agencies Vow to Tackle Vote Buying
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Inter-Agency Task Team (IAAT) at the weekend pledged to use their offices to reduce the incidences of vote buying in the 2023 general election.
The Chairman, IAAT, Mr. Olusegun Adekunle made the promise at the 2022 International Anti-Corruption Day in Abuja on Friday.
The day, marked annually to raise awareness of the negative effects of corruption on all areas of life, was commemorated under the theme, “United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) at 20: Uniting the World against Corruption.”
The global programme focuses on strategic approaches to combating corruption to enable sustainable development.
Among others, members of IAAT include Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) , Central Bank on Nigeria (CBN), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
At the commemoration Friday, Adekunle said: “If Nigeria is to make significant progress on developmental issues, corruption must be reduced to the minimum.”
Adekunle, also Chairman of the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), urged members to resist anything that can constitute an impediment to the attainment of the goal.
At the national level, he said: “We will also be focusing on the upcoming 2023 general elections and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2022–2026 recently approved on November 23.
“These discussions are apt at this time as it creates the opportunity for greater synergy in the processes in preparation towards a smooth transition to the next government in 2023.”
While admitting that the country has some corruption challenges, Adekunle said the anti-graft agencies have not been idle in their bid to combat the menace.
“We have continued to strengthen our dedicated institutions to ensure data–policy nexus and inter-agency coordination and collaboration especially via the IATT platform.
“We must exercise our rights as patriotic citizens by engaging in the election process. we must all rise up and play our roles by ensuring we vote and report corruption and any vices we observe to the relevant government agencies.
“We must refuse to be compromised and ensure we fully engage by asking questions and demanding that relevant agencies saddled with the mandate to deliver free, fair, violent free and credible elections are held accountable.
“It is our collective responsibility as institutions and individuals to strengthen the credibility of the 2023 general elections and beyond,” IAAT’s chairman explained.
In his goodwill message, the Executive Secretary, NEITI, Dr Ogbonnaya Orji said NEITI was committed to the fight against corruption, not just as a member of the IATT, but also as a key facilitator in anti-corruption processes in Nigeria.
In the last 20 years, Orji said 13 cycles of oil and gas audit, producing 22 years of data had been conducted, with 11 cycles of solid minerals audit generating 14 years of data and three cycles of Fiscal Allocation and Statutory Disbursement Audit (FASD) covering 13 years of data.
During the period, he added that NEITI’s reports led to significant recoveries of unpaid revenues from oil & gas and solid minerals revenues, including over N2.6 trillion unremitted revenues by 77 oil and gas companies uncovered in 2022.
Also speaking, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami noted that globally, there’s a common goal to fight corruption in the interest of global peace, security and sustainable development.
Malami, represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, said billions in various currencies had been recovered and deployed into funding critical infrastructure projects such as the Abuja-Kano and Lagos-Ibadan expressways and 2nd Niger Bridge, all under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).
He added that the country also took steps to strengthen institutional frameworks on anti-corruption and foster collaboration with the IATT, the impact of which have been acknowledged and commended both locally and internationally.
Head, Technical Unit on Governance And Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) Jane Onwumere, in her remarks, said since the adoption of UNCAC, Nigeria, as one of the early signatories, had shown commitment to the fight against corruption by making sure the treaty obligations were fulfilled.
Due to its importance, she said discussions were currently focused on the need for credible and transparent electoral processes in view of the coming 2023 general elections and the newly approved National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2022 – 2026.
“As a country, there is no doubt that the full implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2022-2026 and a free and fair election in 2023 would be a major boost for development and realisation of the SDGs,” she said.
Country Representative, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), Oliver Stolpe, also speaking, said the cycles of inequality and poverty underscored the need to come together and act to stop corruption.
