Obaseki: We’re Building Strong Institutions, Leveraging Technology to Fight Corruption in Edo

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday has said his government was building strong institutions and leveraging technology to promote accountability and transparency in governance and fight corruption in the state.

The governor said this in commemoration of this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day, marked by the United Nations and its sister agencies with the theme, “Uniting the World against Corruption.” This year’s event seeks to highlight the crucial link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development.

According to Obaseki, “We want to use the opportunity of this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day celebration to reaffirm our government’s commitment to fighting corruption in all its forms and ensuring probity, transparency and accountability in governance.

“As a government, we understand that corruption undermines the rule of law, erodes trust in institutions, and hinders economic and social development. It is a cancer that must be rooted out wherever it is found.

“This is why in Edo state, we have taken a number of steps, leveraging technology to ensure transparency and accountability in governance and combat corruption, including strengthening our institutions and passing tougher, new laws.”

He continued: “We have signed the Public Financial Management and Fiscal Responsibility Law and subscribed fully to the Open Governance Partnership Principles, ensuring accountability and transparency in governance. We have also ensured that our state’s yearly budget is available to the public, and pursued holistic reforms in the civil and public service, ensuring that government offices and workers are accessible and responsive to the needs of the people.

“These efforts have continued to yield gains with several national and global recognitions in this regard, including the Fiscal Policy and Transparency Star of the Year award by a multimedia news organisation with offices in the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

“Also, with these nuanced steps to accountability, transparency and prudent management of resources, our dear Edo State was not listed of ten most indebted states in Nigeria, in the new data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO).

“While we sustain these efforts in our vision to improve the living standards of our people and ensure economic prosperity for the state, we must reiterate that the fight against corruption cannot be won by the government alone. It requires the active participation of every citizen.”