Barrister Olusegun Adekunle, Chairman Inter Agency Task Force has harped on the need for emphasis on prevention, tackling corruption from the roots and closing the doors to illicit activities before they happen.
Adekunle said this while addressing the stakeholders today at the commemorative event to mark the world Anti-Corruption Day 2021 in Abuja
The Inter-Agency Task Team [IATT], the coordinating forum of agencies with anti-corruption and accountability mandates with its secretariat as the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms [TUGAR)
The Global theme for this year’s commemoration is “Your right, your role: Say no to Corruption”. The theme of the day is to draw attention to the rights and responsibilities of everyone in the fight against corruption
Adekunle who is also the chairman of NEITI noted that the debilitating effects of corruption cannot be over-emphasized.”Corruption impedes the attainment of sustainable development goals, It not only undermines development, but it is an enabler for other crimes and anomalies thereby perpetuating a vicious cycle.
He mainatained that to make significant progress on developmental issues therefore, corruption must be reduced to the barest minimum.
While harping on the need to evaluate the implementation of the policy and chart the way forward for the country Adekunle insisted that “It is important to note that a holistic strategy to combat corruption is an obligation under the United Nations Convention against corruption which Nigeria signed up to in 2003 and ratified on 14th December 2004.
“Ethical Codes and procedures must be deployed and enforced. This will ensure service delivery, increase public confidence, and get citizens involved in the fight against corruption.
” The Anti-corruption agencies must be adequately resourced to engage with the mutating effects of corruption. Different facets of corruption are evolving at an alarming rate. The practitioners combatting it must develop and evolve at a faster rate if they are to make impact.
“They must be adequately equipped with the appropriate financial and human resources. This will be a strong demonstration of our political will to fight corruption.
He however urge citizens to exercise and play their role by saying no to corruption. Citizens must report corruption when they see it and refuse to be compromised. “They must remain engaged by asking questions, demanding accountability and pushing the frontiers of good governance and sustainable development. He concluded
