Stakeholders call for an inter-ministerial council on National Anti-Corruption Strategy

By: Femi Mustapha

Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to establish an inter-ministerial council (IMC) to avoid the mistakes and hurdles in the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2017 – 2021) also known as NACS 1.

They made the call during a two-day stakeholder dialogue on National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS11) and pending anti-corruption bills supported by USAID and Palladium in Abuja from 29th to 30th November 2022.

Speaking earlier the Project Manager of the Anti-corruption cluster of the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project, Mr. Ovie Assurance Erhisohwode said NACS was founded on five pillars of prevention, public engagement, ethical re-orientation, law enforcement, and sanctions, as well as recovery of proceeds of crimes.

According to him, NACS had witnessed a major setback due to the non-formation and inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) as provided for in the NACS document.

In his own remarks, the senior Program officer of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Mr. Innocent Edemhanria stressed that the Inter-Agency rivalry and supremacy battles also undermined effective implementation, working against cooperation, information and intelligence sharing, the effectiveness of operating platforms, and coordination of the anti-graft war.

He pointed out that the lack of adequate knowledge and misinformation by most agencies on their expectations in the implementation of the NACS policy was a drawback.

Similarly, the Chairperson of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) Edo State Chapter, Ann Ojugo, enjoined Stakeholders to do more publicity and enlightenment by organising workshops and campaigns for the intimate workforce in their organisations on the NACS.

Ojugo said people with disabilities suffered the effects of corruption like other Nigerians and therefore calls for a harmonised approach to the fight against corruption, especially the need for NACS to cascade down to more states of the federation.

She pointed out that NACS implementation at the federal level was only a fraction of the deep-rooted problem of corruption nationwide.

She commended ANEEJ and the entire anti-corruption cluster for efforts in the advocacy for the passage of the persons with disabilities bill in Edo State during the learning event organised in Benin City in October 2022.

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