Fight against corruption: FG called to intensify action ― IFAS

As Nigeria joins other countries of the world to mark the International Anti-corruption Day, the Federal Government has been called upon to as a matter of urgency intensify the fight against corruption.

The call was made by the Inclusive Forum for Accountability Society (IFAS) which lamented that the country has been ranked as the 144th out of 148 least corrupt nations in the world, a development it declared as unacceptable and must be corrected immediately.

A representative of IFAS who is also the Executive Director of ‘Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative (FAWOYDI) Hajiya Maryam Garba made the revelation on Monday.

She made the revelation during the commemoration of the 2019 International Anti-Corruption Day in Bauchi State organized by the NGO in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria held at Development Exchange Centre (DEC), Bauchi.

She noted that the ranking was done by the Transparency International adding that in view of the resources channelled through the states and local governments to serve the people, check and balance is imperative.

She also said that IFAS had observed shreds of evidence of corruption in Bauchi State due to failed projects on which public funds have been spent, absence of infrastructure especially schools and primary health care facilities in rural areas, lack of safe drinking water in rural communities and lack of equipment, drugs and personnel in most rural health care facilities.

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” IFAS was established in 2015 with the aim of facilitating mutual dialogue between people living in poverty, Civil Society Organizations and the state institutions in order to increase government effectiveness, accountability and transparency at local and state levels, Maryam Garba added.

She further said that “Create an opportunity for sharing and learning best practices in participatory governance, increase citizens’ participation in governance process and increase partnership and collaboration between government and Civil Society Organizations”.

The forum, therefore, demanded that government at states and local government levels should identify, prosecute people who are embezzling public funds in their custody either as civil servants or political officeholders.

They also advocated timely release of funds to ministries, departments and agencies, a monthly publication of government budget allocations, releases and active monitoring and evaluation system to track and publish works executed in line with funds released to the ministries, departments and agencies for public consumption.

” We also demand that government should create a forum for community consultation to ensure that services provided to people are based on their needs and to ensure that services provided are gender-responsive, constituency projects are accounted for”. She said.