A study by DataPro, an anti-money laundering and terror financing consultancy firm, has picked holes in President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption and urged the president to immediately review strategies to achieve lasting success.
The report, which is a study of one year of the Buhari administration, however, noted that the present war against corruption has achieved some results because of the strong political will of the administration, adding that for the country to achieve lasting success, there must be institutional reforms.
“The War Against Corruption (WAC) in Nigeria must be fought holistically. The present effort seems disjointed and uncoordinated. Good intention is not enough.
The present administration going forward must come up with definite Policies, Programs, Processes and Procedures to fight the menace,” the report says.
It added that for the anti-corruption war to succeed, there must be a clear-cut reform of the legal system and the anti-corruption agencies. It also advocated that citizens and corporate institutions must be made to understand their roles and functions in the fight against corruption.
The report stated further that the Nigerian people must be made to take ownership of the fight against corruption, noting that “it is only then that appreciable impact can be made.”
The report also called for a review of the reward and punishment system so as to dissuade public servants from engaging in corrupt practices.
Statistics published in the report indicate that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, are currently prosecuting 50 persons for allegedly stealing N13.97 trillion of public funds. Of these stolen funds, a total of N822.7 billion is being investigated by anti-corruption agencies.
The sum of N10.4 billion has also been recovered by the two agencies from some of those under prosecution. They include Jafaru Isa, Wale Oladipo and Nduka Obaigbuna, the Publisher of Thisday Newspaper who has reportedly returned N350 million out of over N600 million he illegally received from former National security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
In the last one year, the report notes, the anti-corruption agencies have also convicted seven persons including Raymond Omatseye, a former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
The report however commended the resolve of the Buhari administration to combat corruption in the country and noted that some of the committees set up were steps in the right direction. Report says Buhari Anti-Corruption War Uncoordinated