… Set anti-corruption agenda for incoming government

Participants at a summit have unanimously rejected the recent suggestions for an interim government in the country, just as they also emphasized the importance of preserving the autonomy of anti-corruption agencies, safeguarding democracy and setting an anti-corruption agenda for the incoming government.

These were part of the communiqué issued at the end of a Stakeholders Summit organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) in Lagos with the Support of MacArthur Foundation and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). The summit brought together various stakeholders, including Civil Society Organizations, anti-corruption agencies and media groups to undertake a comprehensive assessment of Buhari’s anti-corruption record and propose solutions to address the problem of corruption in the country.

The communiqué, unequivocally, equally denounced the recent demand for the removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa. It emphasized the significance of safeguarding the independence of anti-corruption agencies and empowering them to discharge their responsibilities impartially and without any undue interference from the political office holders.

The statement further urged all stakeholders to reject any efforts aimed at compromising the autonomy of these agencies, which are pivotal to the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria.

Participants at the summit also voiced their unanimous opposition to the recent suggestions for an interim government, which they deemed unconstitutional and a grave menace to Nigeria’s democracy. The stakeholders acknowledged that a stable democracy is an essential condition for combating corruption effectively, and any measures that destabilize the political structure would considerably hinder the efforts to combat corruption in the country.

The statement signed by the Chairman of HEDA Resource Centre, Olanrewaju Suraju, also called upon pro-democracy movements and activists to remain vigilant and prevent any efforts to subvert the democratic process in Nigeria. It stressed the critical importance of adopting peaceful and democratic measures to address the challenges currently confronting the nation.

The statement also espoused the need for an anti-corruption agenda for the incoming government, stressing the need to make it a top priority to combat corruption in all its forms. The statement called for the creation of a robust legal framework that would facilitate the prosecution of corrupt individuals, and the strengthening of anti-corruption institutions to enable them to carry out their mandates effectively.

It further challenged the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on the scrutiny of assets declaration forms of political office holders exiting offices at the end of Buhari’s regime for any breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers and ensure their prosecution before Code of Conduct Tribunal in record time.

Participants hailed the summit as a crucial step towards addressing the issue of corruption in Nigeria and pledged to work together to achieve a corruption-free Nigeria.