FG adopts five year strategy plan against corruption

A presidential committee set up to address corruption and its tendencies, on Thursday, validated and adopted a five year strategy plan to combat corruption in the country.

The strategic plan will involve prevention of corruption, public engagement, campaign for ethical reorientation, enforcement and sanctions and recovery of proceeds of corruption.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr. Abubakar Malami, who dropped this hint in Abuja on Thursday, disclosed that the five year strategy plan will serve as the driving force across board in both private and public sectors.

The AGF, who spoke on the occasion of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) validation meeting held in Abuja, expressed optimism that the strategy will be viewed by the international community as Nigeria’s supportable and sustainable effort in taking concrete steps in creating a sustainable policy framework to tackle corruption head on in all ramifications.

Malami, who was represented at the occasion by the Solicitor-General of the Federation Mr. Taiwo Abidogun, canvassed for unconditional support and cooperation of all well-meaning Nigerians and the international community in ensuring that the draft of the strategy was validated and adopted to achieve the vision of a Nigeria free of corruption for sustainable human development.

He said that the collective actions of participants would assure Nigerians and the whole world that the present administration was committed to its mandate of tacking the menace of corruption beyond political rhetoric.

“It is pertinent to reiterate that one of the cardinal objectives of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is to fight corruption in all its ramified manifestations including the adoption of effective preventive measures against corruption, recovery of stolen assets and putting mechanisms, systems and processes in place to profitably manage stolen and recovered assets.

“This five year strategy will provide a framework to improve the anti-corruption regime in Nigeria by focusing on key areas of policy improvement, institution strengthening and technical support in the public and private sectors as well as society as a whole, Malami said.

Also speaking at the occasion, Prof. Femi Odekunle, a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), said that the Buhari administration could be credited with definitive achievements from direct and consequential efforts in the fight against corruption unlike previously insincere or half-hearted alleged fights against corruption.

Odekunle said that the renewed efforts to fight against corruption will be fully institutionalised by the present government in the best interest of Nigerians.

“It should suffice to state that, besides other indices, the fact that some of our elites who love and worship money are now dumping loads of cash in odd places and denying their ownership is proof-positive that the efforts in the fight against corruption is yielding efforts,” he said.

Odekunle, who is a renowned professor of criminology, however said that in spite of the sincerity and the determination of the government in the fight against corruption, there were still many rivers to cross, identifiable gaps for closure and emergent hiccups for attention.