Jega advises Africans to restrategise on corruption fight

The former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega, has advised African countries to restrategise their approaches in fighting corruption.

Jega gave the advise while reviewing a book titled: “Curbing Electoral Spending” launched by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Monday in Abuja.

The launched was to mark the 2019 International Anti-Corruption Day organised by the commission in collaboration with Nigeria Shippers Council, Maritime and Transport Stakeholders.

“Here in Nigeria, where corruption is in the increase compared to other African countries, we need to take the fight seriously.

“It is a day for sober reflection for us and for reviewing our experiences and restrategise to find better ways and means of improving the successes in the fight against corruption,” he said.

Jega commended the EFCC for its successes as well as other anti-corruption agencies for their contributions to tackling the crime in Nigeria.

“While we commend them, they also need to intensify their efforts in the fight against corruption because we see that the more effort that is made, the more difficult it becomes.

“The EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies need to continue to demonstrate that there are no sacred cows in the fight against corruption.

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“We will want to see a rededicated effort in terms of effective utilisation in the governance of resource saved from corruption,” Jega added.

The Secretary, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Sadiq Radda, said that fighting corruption required political will and determination of the leaders.

Radda said that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had made remarkable success in the fight so far.

“I believe, first and foremost, we should acknowledge the political will and the determination of the government led by the president to lead the fight.

“Without the support of the president, I think the kind of momentum we have regarding the fight against corruption wouldn’t have been this much,“ he said.

Radda also commended the current synergy between various arms of the government in the fight against corruption.

He said that today, the executive arm of government had said no to corruption, the judiciary was friendly to the executive, while the judiciary also said that corruption must be fought.

Radda said with ongoing efforts to have the electronic declaration of assets and the whistleblower policy yielding result, people no longer hid money in the graveyards or ceiling.

“Nigeria has signed quite a number of mutual legal assistance with countries of the world to ensure that thieves are tracked around the world and brought to face justice.

“Today, a former attorney general of the federal is under arrest because of mutual legal assistance of Nigeria with the UAE; more arrests are coming. A lot of successes has been recorded.

“I can say with the EFCC and ICPC of today, looters will have no hiding place in the world, because wherever they go, they will be arrested and brought back to the country,” Radda said.

(NAN)