Auwal Musa, CISLAC Executive Director made this known at a Seminar on the theme; Fight Against Corruption: Setting Agenda for the 9th House of Representatives organized by the Centre in collaboration with the House of Representatives Press Corps in Abuja.
Musa said it was expedient that the next phase of government’s anti-corruption programme be anchored on clear anti-corruption strategy, active support and involvement of citizens groups and the legislature while the fight must prioritize prevention and sanction to win back public support.
He stressed that there was the need to strengthen anti-corruption institutions, provide adequate protection and encouragement for whistle-blowers, and intensify media and public consciousness in demanding transparency and accountability in governance.
“The role of the National Assembly is clearly defined in the Nigeria constitution; making laws for the well-being and development of the people and our democracy, oversighting the Executive arm, among other things. The biggest threat to these roles is first “the attitude of the lawmakers” followed by the general apathy and distrust for this important arm of government”, Musa said.
Oladayo Olaide, Representative of the McArthur Foundation urged the House of Representatives and the National Assembly generally to pay more attention to its oversight function so as to measure the performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies with regards to budgetary votes so as to identify cases of corruption.
While citing the 2017 budget report which indicated that 20 billion dollars have not been remitted by identified agencies, O said, “just to reinforce the point, the fight against corruption requires strong, measurable commitment, deliberate attention of National Assembly without which the fight against corruption can not succeed”.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House while declaring the Seminar open noted that the success in the fight against corruption requires the building of accountability and transparency into the fabric of the country’s institutions.
Gbajabiamila, who was represented by the House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu urged that, “from the executive to the legislature and even the judiciary, we must let the light into the inner workings of all the branches of government; the ministries, department and agencies through which they operate.
“Budgets should be public; citizens have a right to know who is spending their money and what it is being spent on. Corruption has for too long denied us the resources and the will to invest in our communities and make the radical choices essential to prosperity and progress.
“This needs to change, because as those of us in public office have a mandate to fight corruption by building a culture of transparency within our institutions, and by empowering law enforcement to do its job effectively without fear or favour, you too have an obligation to hold us to account, and to do so honourably”.
