By Joy Odor
21ST Century Community Empowerment for Youth & Women Initiative (CEYWI) has join other anti-corruption stakeholders around the world to call on the Nigeria National Assembly (NASS) to speedily pass the remaining anti-corruption bills before her to provide legal backing to anti-corruption efforts.
CEYWI told relevant government, anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to properly implement the provisions of existing laws while civil society organizations, and media to increase advocacy to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.
CEYWI made it’s position known in a press statement on Friday by the Chief Operating Officer, Lukman Adefolahan and made available to newsmen in Abuja to commemorate 2022 International Anti-Corruption Day, with the Theme: “UNCAC @ 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption”.
CEYWI demanded that Relevant agencies of government fast-track the process of operationalization of the adopted National Anti-Corruption Strategy and review the ongoing Social Investments Programme to identify the corrupt practices the implementers of the scheme are perpetuating.
It called on NASS to move quickly to ensure quick passage and transmission of the pending anti-corruption bills to the President for his assent.
“Therefore, the theme for this year’s anti-corruption day is to make sure that “UNCAC @ 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption” addresses emerging issues towards building integrity and emerging best practices on curbing corruption by leveraging international frameworks to promote sustainable development in Nigeria.
“In recent times, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, the media, and the general public have expressed concerns over the excessive use of money and other resources to influence the voters.
“For example, reports have it that vote trading is a trending and emerging issue in Nigeria’s political landscape. INEC and other relevant stakeholders in the electoral processes have continued to play a central role in the campaign against vote trading and other electoral corruption-related incidences.
“Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the electoral umpire has consistently reiterated its readiness to work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to deploy technology to reduce the incidence of electoral corruption in our electoral processes.
“This is with the determination to highlight the crucial link between anti-corruption, peace, security, and development. It is only together we can create a world free from corruption, where stability, peace, and security of people are not compromised.
“There can be no gainsaying that corruption threatens virtually everything we hold dear and precious in our hard-won constitutional order. It fuels maladministration and deceitfulness and blatantly undermines the democratic ethos, the institutions of democracy, the rule of law, and the foundational values of our emerging democratic project” it said.
CEYWI however informed that it welcomed the announcement of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2022-2026)and enjoined the Federal Government to work closely with media and CSOs to popularise the implementation of the newly extended strategy, ensure that it provides mechanisms for creatively aligning different institutions and agencies in the Nigerian integrity framework, supports private-public partnerships against corruption in a manner that ensures; effective collaboration, coordination, and synergy, as well as delineation of sectoral program priorities, within and outside the public service, whilst serving as the broad umbrella road map under which mass mobilization of citizens behind the crusade is pursued and achieved.
It also called on Nigerians to uphold values of honesty; integrity and transparency as well as resist, discourage and report against practices to the relevant agencies within their environment.
21ST Century Community Empowerment for Youth & Women Initiative is a humanitarian, not-for-profit, and non-governmental organization founded in 2012 and incorporated as a corporate body with Corporate Affairs Commission.
Our target groups cut across Youths, Women, and People with Disability with a special interest in political and economic empowerment for the betterment of society through popular participation in governance.
By resolution 58/4 of October 31, 2003, the UN General Assembly designated December 9 as International Anti-Corruption Day.
This decision aimed to raise people’s awareness of corruption and of the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in combating and preventing it.
The solution to preventing and combating corruption requires a comprehensive approach, but only in a climate of transparency, accountability, and participation by all members of society, such as governments, the private sector, the media, civil society organizations, and the general public need to work together to curb this crime.
International Anti-Corruption Day is a time for political leaders, governments, professional bodies, and advocacy groups to work together against corruption by promoting the day and the issues that surround the event.
Since the issue of corruption remains persistent in Nigeria, putting in place adequate and effective anti-corruption response mechanisms to tackle the menace remains looming.
It is imperative to note that year in, and year out, corruption has continued to undermine the stability and peaceful co-existence of societies, Nigeria inclusive. Reality has revealed that where corruption is rife, criminal networks and conflict prevail.
It increases the risk of conflict and conflict increases the risk of corruption. The two have a symbiotic relationship that threatens peace and stability in states already besieged by violence. As mentioned earlier, several useful tools to tackle it have been developed and some initial progress has been made.
It is therefore crucial that governments, international organizations, and civil society continue to work together as well as separately to implement the lessons learned from these experiences. It is not an easy task to address corruption while trying to balance stability, security, and legitimacy, but there can and needs to be further progress.
