President of the Nigerian Senate, Mr. Ahmed Lawan said the fight against corruption and insecurity in Nigeria requires the cooperation and support of all the citizens and not institutions of government alone.
The Senate President stated this in Abuja, while declaring open a National Policy Dialogue on corruption and insecurity in Nigeria organized by the Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related offences Commission ICPC.
The policy dialogue is designed to be part of the ICPC’s key performance indicators in implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy of the Nigerian Government, as well as the Policies, Programmes and Projects Audit committee Roadmap (2019 – 2023) adopted by the government at the commencement of its second term in 2019.
Earlier today, The Senate President – Nigeria Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan declared open, the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Insecurity in Nigeria, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). pic.twitter.com/XPGcodEeGy
— President of the Senate (@SPNigeria) September 9, 2022
Senate President lauds military onslaught against terrorists
…says direct investments to Nigeria grossly affected by insecurity pic.twitter.com/nvXd2HfZLD
— President of the Senate (@SPNigeria) September 9, 2022
The Senate president noted that, corruption is at the root of underdevelopment adding that efforts must be made to prevent it by Nigerians.
“While we fight corruption, we should work hard to prevent it.
“We are in this all, and the success in curbing corruption can only be achieved when all of us are in the fight,” Senator Lawan said.
Senator Lawan said, the National Assembly while looking into the possibility of unmasking the perpetrators of insecurity in Nigeria, realised the need for an anticorruption law to stop illicit financial flows suspected to be funding routes for insecurity in Nigeria.
“The 8th Assembly passed the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) Bill, which is one of the major anti-corruption laws that saved the country from being expelled from the global body of the Egmont Group.”
The Senate president identified the collapse of the Local Government System as a serious concern to security.
He urged the Nigerian security agencies to sustain and improve their efforts on successes achieved in fighting insecurity.
Also speaking, the Chief of Defense Staff General Lucky Irabor while attributing insecurity to corruption, assured of the Arm Forces’ support in tackling insecurity.
General Irabor called on NGO’S and civil society organizations to join the anti-corruption crusade through enlightenment of Nigerians on the effects of corruption to development.
The Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related offences Commission ICPC Professor Bolaji Owasanoye said, the policy dialogue “aims to broaden our thinking on causative factors, enabling factors and policy gaps that weaken the country’s capacity to decisively and conclusively eradicate insecurity from within her borders.”
Owasanoye explained that, while ICPC and EFCC are investigating misapplication and misappropriation of funds in the defence and other sectors procurement practices, their efforts will not yield much without proactive prevention measures and a review of extant procurement practices.
He said: “ICPC’s research and investigation findings on the subject matter show that, Public sector corruption, directly and indirectly, enables insecurity, and can sometimes complement it.”
The Emir of Keffi Nasarawa State North Central Nigeria Alhaji Shehu Chindo who represented Traditional rulers called on ICPC to come up with a Policy to tackle Political corruption and protection of whistle-blowers.
It is expected that, the outcomes of the policy dialogues are to assist the ICPC to produce policy briefs with actionable recommendations for stakeholders in all arms of Nigerian government.
