FG seeks support of traditional rulers, religious leaders on fight against corruption

 

THE Federal Government has enlisted the support of the traditional rulers and religious organisations in the country in order to win the ongoing war against corruption.

 

Director General of the Nigerian Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari, insisted that for the fight against corruption to be total and effective there must religious leaders and traditional institutions must be involved based on the influence they wield over a large population of the society.

Abari, made the call on Thursday in his opening remarks at a special forum of the Anti-Corruption Situation Room, organized by Human and Environment Development Agency (HEDA).

He noted that the current President Muhammadu Buhari led administration in line with its pledge to rid Nigeria of corruption is determined to win the corruption war, hence the need for all to be involved.

Speaking Thursday in Abuja, on the theme: Consumer Protection through Regulatory Accountability and Corporate Responsibility, the NOA DG said, “We are bringing government and the civil society together in this fight against corruption.

“We also need to involve religious leaders and traditional institutional, as you know they have strong influence over the people within their domain”.

He commended the Consumer Protection Council for being at the vanguard of Nigerians against the unscrupulous and sharp practices of some manufacturers and service providers and urged them not to relent in their efforts.

Director General of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Dr Babatunde Irukera, in his remarks, lamented that at the bane of Nigeria’s development was the absence of character and attitude both at the individual and corporate levels.

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He advocated the need for the entrenchment of what he called the ‘consequence management system’, a mechanism he said would ensure stringent sanction is meted to offenders of the law to discourage them from repeating similar offences.

“We must figure out how to hold people accountable”, he said, “If the consequences for a company that took money away from the country is to return what it took away, it is a risk worth taken but, if the consequences are high then people would have to have a rethink before taken such action.

He said since he assumed duty at the CPC, he made it a point of duty to challenge businesses to place consumers’ satisfaction and wellbeing far above profit maximization.

“We insist protection of the consumer should be key and not profit, businesses should be built around satisfaction of the consumer,” he added.

Similarly, Chairman, Human and Environment Development Agency (HEDA), Olarenwaju Suraj, blamed law enforcement agencies and officers for many of the infractions perpetrated by companies, particularly multinationals.

“We have laws, it is all about enforcement,” he said, “Laws are not meant to respect anybody but people because of their pecuniary motive disregard and circumvent the laws.”

Suraj, maintained that most airlines in Nigeria go scot-free from the arbitrariness they give to Nigerians because the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency (NCAA) is not doing its work the way it ought to.

He said there was also the need to involve students in the anti-corruption crusade, saying this was why students were brought to be part of the discussions at the situation room.