Ribadu: FG Committed to Building Capacity of Investigators to Enhance Anti-corruption War

•Says Tinubu determined to fight corruption 

•HEDA expresses doubts in govt’s ability to fight corruption

•Corruption: ICPC doubts attainment of MDGs by developing nations 

•EFCC decries high rate of youth involvement in crimes

Adedayo Akinwale and Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has expressed the desire of the federal government to build the capacity of investigators in order to enhance the war against corruption.

Ribadu, who was represented by the Special Adviser in the legal department, Anthony Oluborode, disclosed this yesterday, at a two-day National Conference on Anti-corruption organised by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA).

Ribadu, who also spoke at a High-Level Seminar to commemorate the African Anti-Corruption Day 2023, with the theme, “African Union Convention on Preventing and Combatting Corruption (AUCPCC), 20 Years After: Achievements and Prospects,” in Abuja, organised by Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Task Team (Anti-Corruption Agencies), the United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs (UNODC) and MacArthur Foundation, also assured Nigerians of President Bola Tinubu’s ability to fight corruption.

He said the government would continue to work on reforming the civil service to fight corruption, reduce bureaucracy, decreasing inefficiency and waste.

According to him, a cap would be placed on fiscal expenditure for the construction of government buildings and on salaries related compensation and packages of elected officials.

He said such expenditure would have, “low priority in our administration and that will be transparent, that’s the promise.”

Ribadu added that hard working members of the civil services would be commended for their public service and also protected.

He added: “However, we will continue the process of weeding out ghost workers as well as ghost projects expenditures from the system.

“The government will adhere strictly to the principle that public funds are only to be spent on the public good and shall strive earnestly to reduce the cost of government.”

Ribadu, stressed that the federal government would focus on accountability, saying authority and discretion without accountability creates a door that could lead to corruption.

His words: “There is a need to build the capacity of investigators to enhance the use of world class flexible, tried and tested templates, which the government is committed to.”

Speaking, the Chairman of HEDA, Olarenwaju Suraju decried what he described as the lack of direction of the current administration as regards the war against corruption.

He said at the moment, there was no reason to believe that there was going to be any serious fight against corruption.

Suraju, expressed concern that both the media and the civil society organisations did not put the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio on the spot for alleged corruption cases against him when he was vying for the position he presently occupies.

He said: “I must confess that we should have put the Senate President on the spotlight. He’s not only being investigated for his term as governor in Akwa Ibom but also as Minister of Niger Delta.

“These are very critical issues. This was the person that was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and refused to honour the invitation, claiming that he was sick, only to be junketeering around, campaigning to be Senate President and eventually emerge as the Senate President.”

The chairman stated categorically that this left a sour taste in the mouth of both President Bola Tinubu and for this government.

Suraju, said following the removal of the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, no action had been taken to tell Nigeria what the agenda of this government was in the fight against corruption.

He added: “If we want to go by what has been happening so far in terms of the fight against corruption, we can’t actually for now, say that we have any good reason to believe that there’s going to be any serious fight against corruption.”

He said that was what prompted HEDA to invite the NSA considering the fact that corruption was also at the center of insecurity in the country.

Meanwhile, Ribadu, at the event organised by the CDD in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Agencies, UNODC and MacArthur Foundation, yesterday, expressed confidence in the president’s willingness to tackle the menace of corruption.

In key note address, the NSA, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Brigadier General A.G. Alaka, harped on identifying the root causes of corruption, saying the Tinubu-led administration was more than committed to dealing with the menace of corruption.

He said: “The African Union convention on preventing and combating corruption, 20 years after, achievements and prospects. This forum will no doubt serve as veritable platform for the acquisition of invaluable in put into the ongoing efforts in Nigeria and African continent.

“It is no exaggeration that corruption is a cankerworm that have permeated every segments of our society with attendant consequences on polity, security and economy. In the public sector, it has taken considerable toll on government’s ability to meet its obligations of providing welfare and security to the citizens in fulfilment of the primary purpose of government.

“It is important to focus on the root causes of corruption and how to deal with its impacts on our system. We must also look for a way to re-engineer our honoured value system. We must promote value reorientation and positive attitudinal change amongst citizens that will strengthen their moral character.”

He also assured of the commitment of Tinubu’s government to promote good governance which remains an effective tool to  fight corruption.

Also, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said with the level corruption globally, attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations would remain a mirage.

ICPC boss who was represented by Kayode Adedayo, at the event, “corruption is a global concern but its impact on the developing economies is huge.”

“With corruption, the MDGs will remain a mirage because corruption starve government of fund for development, feed inequality and injustice,” he added.

On his part, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol, represented by Liman Ibrahim, expressed concern  over increasing involvement of youths in crimes and criminality, especially cyber-crimes.

The EFCC who identified the effects of corruption to include poor infrastructure, expressed worries over the involvement of youths, who should be leader of tomorrow in crimes and criminality, especially cybercrimes.

He said: “The future looks bleak. Our hope for tomorrow (youths) are taking to crimes and criminality. If this continues, what hope do we have for tomorrow?”

He restated the commitment of the EFCC towards an all-out fight against financial crimes, emphasising that a corruption-free Nigeria and Africa at large was possible.