Minister of Solid Minerals and Chairman of Inter Agency Task Team, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has called on Nigerians to key into the anti-corruption crusade of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in order to achieve meaningful and sustainable development in the country.
He made the appeal Friday in an address at a seminar to commemorate the International Anti-Corruption Day which was facilitated by the IATT in collaboration with the European Union (EU), US Embassy and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The programme with the theme: “Corruption: An impediment to the Sustainable Development Goal”, was held at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.
Fayemi, who noted that Nigeria was one of the first countries to sign on to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, UNCAC, when the document was opened for signature in Merida, Mexico in 2003 observed that as a people, concerted efforts must be directed at fighting the monster called corruption in Nigeria for it to be tamed.
“There is no denying the fact that our country has massive corruption problems”, he said.
Fayemi, however acknowledged the efforts towards making Nigeria corruption free nation saying, “the current administration is running an anti-corruption agenda anchored on prevention; public engagement; sanctions and enforcement; and recovery of proceeds of corruption. The sanction and enforcement mechanism is ensuring that there are no sacred cows.”
According to him, “Nigeria has an array of legislations and institutions for fighting corruption. The institutions range from the Police, Code of Conduct Bureau, Office of the Auditor-General at the Federal and State levels, to the ones created in this millennium such as the EFCC, ICPC, Bureau of Public Procurement and the NEITI among others.”
He further stressed that the government had signed on to the ‘Open Government Partnership’ and developed an action plan for implementation in order to promote transparency within the polity.
In his goodwill message, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, identifies corruption as a deadly monster that strangles people, communities and nations adding that it weakens education and health, undermines electoral processes and reinforces injustices by perverting criminal justice systems and rule of law.
He enjoined all to reaffirm their commitment to ending the deceit and dishonesty that threatens the 2030 Agenda and the efforts to achieve peace and prosperity for all on a healthy planet.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of UNODC, Yury Fedotov harped on the need to unite to successfully eliminate corruption.
Earlier in the day, Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, as part of activities to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day celebration, led staff of the Commission on a road walk from its headquarters to the venue of the celebration. Dressed in different colourful attires, members of staff carried various banners with messages, urging members of the public to “kill corruption before it kills Nigeria”.
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