From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have slammed President Bola Tinubu on his dead silence on corruption, which they said, had eaten deep into the fabric of the society.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, over 30 organisations, represented by the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, regretted that the newly-sworn-in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not seem to have the issue of anti-corruption as a priority on his agenda, despite the fact that corruption has eaten deeper into every sector of the society and is crippling the country like an epidemic.
From his campaigns to his manifesto, the president has not shown to Nigerians his anti-corruption agenda and clear plans on how his administration intends to fight corruption, he said, adding that Nigeria is the most corrupt country in the African region.
To this effect, Rafsanjani expressed fear that if corruption is not tackled there’s no way investors will come to Nigeria, insisting that Tinubu should not appoint people of questionable character into office.
The Executive Director stated the need to strengthen and improve the funding of anti-corruption agencies such as Independent Corrupt Practice and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) etc.
According to Rafsanjani, ICPC is said to have recovered N117 billion as proceeds of crime in 2022 while
EFCC investigates people in all sectors who appear to be living above their means, and is empowered to investigate and prosecute money laundering, advance fee fraud, counterfeiting, illegal fund transfers; futures market fraud, contract scam, etc; the co-ordination and enforcement of all economic and financial crimes laws.
He said that EFCC has equally recorded very high number of convictions even though convictions of politically exposed persons have remained low.
“In 2022 it recorded a total of 3,785, the highest since inception. Two thousand, two hundred and twenty (2,220) in 2021; 976 in 2020; 1,280 in 2019; 312 in 2018; 189 in 2017; 195 in 2016 and 103 in 2015. There are also several recoveries and forfeitures of assets in Nigeria, United States of America, London and Dubai, belonging to government officials including, former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
“The Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Chapter 58 LFN 1990 gave the bureau the mandate to establish and maintain a high standard of public morality in the conduct of government business and to ensure that the actions and behaviours of public officers conform to the highest standards of public morality and accountability. To implement the above mandate, section 3, part of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended has provided an enabling legal environment for the bureau to, among others, receive declarations by public officers under paragraph 12 of part 1 of the fifth schedule to the constitution” he said.