Anti-corruption conference asks Buhari to protect rule of law
President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to bequeath to the country a functional system where there is respect for the rule of law and where all actors act only in full compliance with the Constitution, Acts of the National Assembly and all other laws of the country.
Delegates from 158 Anti-Corruption Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations, faith-based groups, youth and community-based organisations, who gathered in Abuja at a one-day national conference, yesterday, said the anti-corruption efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari administration would eventually be assessed by the conduct of key officials, especially those saddled with the responsibility of taming corruption in Nigeria.
After exhaustive deliberations by the expanded gathering with keynote address by the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Prof. Wasiu Ademola Oyedokun-Alli, and presentations from speakers, including the Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, among others, the conference adopted a communique, which specifically expressed concern that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), under the leadership of Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, had allegedly become a cesspool of internal corruption, among other diverse issues.
While congratulating Nigerians on the outcome of the various elections, the organisations faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for not keeping strictly to the promises made to Nigerians.
They, however, condemned what they described as the various attempts by some politicians and people of vested interests towards pushing the country dangerously to the edge of the slope, particularly the promotion of ethnic and religious divisions among Nigerians.
Delegates accused the chairman of INEC, Bawa, of being contemptuous of Nigerian courts, while condemning what they called his “deliberate disobedience of court orders.”
On the redesigning of the naira, the communique said: “Conference expressed gross dissatisfaction with the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which, in the last three months, has crippled economic activities and put Nigerians under unprecedented and untold hardship due to the scarcity of the local currency, as well as the incessant failure of the online banking system.”
On anti-corruption efforts, the communique said, “corruption undermines growth, erodes trust in governments, fuels support for extremism and hinders the fight against poverty and inequality. Therefore, we as Nigerians, have a responsibility to prevent, detect and expose any form of corruption. In fighting corruption, we cannot but, also, be mindful of the dictates of our laws, as a country under a democracy.
“The war against corruption in the country, particularly under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has its milestones, prospects and challenges, hence, the need for us to consciously review the same, while also setting an agenda for the incoming administration in the country. The subject of corruption and the war against it is of crucial importance to us, as stakeholders, in the Nigerian project.”
The organisations also demanded that states and other tiers of government must set up genuine machinery towards cooperating and consolidating the efforts of the Federal Government in tackling the various security challenges presently facing the country.
They admonished the incoming administration to work hard to ensure that Nigerians remain united in peace and justice to all. The national conference was convened to discuss the state of the nation, covering several fundamental issues, especially as they affect education, security, corruption challenges and other general interests.
