Kano anti-graft agency treats 4,000 civil cases in 4 years

The Kano state Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission says it has treated more than 4, 000 civil cases in the last four years.

Chairman of the commission, Muhuyi Magaji, disclosed this at a one-day anti-corruption forum in Kano.

The forum was organised by the Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) in collaboration with the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

Magaji said between 60 and 70 per cent of the cases handled by the commission bordered on land disputes, especially land usurpation, disclosing that “you know we have offices in all the 44 local government areas of the state, such cases came from the areas across the state.

“In the course of doing our work, we revoked the title of some lands in order to return them to their rightful owners, while we prosecute a serving commissioner, permanent secretary and directors over land scams.”

According to him, the commission has also recovered money and property valued at billions of naira from individuals and corporate organisations.

“When we came to the commission, all the services were reduced to nothing, so we had to establish the necessary developments to enable the commission operate effectively,” Magaji said.

The anti-graft agency boss said that the commission had also recruited over 120 staff as part of renewed efforts to complement the existing 36 he inherited on assumption of office.

Reviewing the achievements recorded by the anti-graft agency in the last four years, Magaji however, noted that the agency had to grapple with dearth of skilled manpower at inception, political interference and inadequate funding.

He said that the fight against corruption should not be left to the federal government alone if the desired objective was to be achieved, adding that that the state and local governments as well as individuals had significant roles to play in the fight against corruption in the country.

“Even though it is a difficult task to operate at the state level, but that should not be an excuse to leave the crusade to the federal government alone. State governments and all other stakeholders must join hands with the federal government to tackle the menace,” he said.

He commended HEDA for initiating the forum and called on similar NGOs to follow suit.

Earlier, Executive Secretary of HEDA, Sulaimon Arigbabu, stressed the need for all the governors in the country to establish anti-corruption agencies in their respective states to complement federal government effort.

“The anti-corruption situation room is an idea of getting the crusade in the front banner because whether you like it or not corruption will kill Nigeria if Nigeria does not kill corruption,” he warned.

The workshop which had as its theme: “The imperative of state anti-corruption agency, Kano state case study” was attended by various stakeholders, including representatives of civil society organisations and journalists among others.