By Palma Ileye
President Muhammadu Buhari has called for the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court to try offenders, as a way of fighting the menacing scourge.
Buhari stated this in his recorded remark to the sixth African Union Anti-Corruption conference in Abuja.
He stressed that all hands must be on deck to intensified and retrieve resources stored in other countries while urging African leaders to intensify the fight against corruption, and create more disincentives for pilfering of public funds.
President Buhari who add that family and religious values will have to be upgraded, and schools have a lot of work to do for a better society emphasized that African leaders must get rid of corruption in Africa if the continent was to realize its full potential and also calls for the empowerment of the Anti-Corruption Agencies to enable them deliver on their mandates.
In his keynote address, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha said the adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption could not have been more appropriate at this time as the government was making assiduous efforts at shaking off the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to National psyche as well as from the shackles of corruption that have engulfed the country.
Speaking on the theme ” Strategies and Mechanisms for the Transparent Management of COVID-19 Funds” Mustapha explained that the shock of the pandemic necessitated government to put in place a multi-sectoral, strategic and sustainable approach to confront the menace of COVID-19 by preventing it further spread within the nation’s borders, safeguard public health and clearly define a path to economic recovery.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Professor Itse Sagay the African union recognizes that corruption and impunity have serious negative impact on the political, economic, social and cultural stability of the African states.
Represented by a member of the Advisory Committee, Prof. Etannibi Alemika, Sagay acknowledged that corruption undermines accountability and transparency in the management of public affairs as well as socio-economic development of the countries on the continent.
” The objectives of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating corruption is to promote and strengthen the development in Africa countries, Mechanisms required to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate corruption and related offences in the public and private sectors.
Sagay emphasized that the annual conference is to create awareness, commitment and collaboration around the objectives of the convention in order to realise it goals.
On his part, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt and other Related Offences Commission, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye the distribution of palliatives during the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t done properly thereby causing chaos across the nation.
Also the Chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Bawa stressed that COVID-19 donations and Funds made to the country were siphoned.
There were good well messages from UNODC, the Senate, Ministry of Justics, Foreign Affairs, NAPTIP, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Code of Conduct Beareau and NEITI.
The conference which was jointly organized by the country’s anti corruption agencies, the Technical unit on governance and anti corruption Research and the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption had participants from Algeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso.
