Centre asks Nigerian govt to fully enforce UN anti-corruption convention

The Nigerian government lacks effective preventive measures to tame corruption, the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch has said.

It asked the government to establish an institutional framework for measuring corruption reduction in public governance.

The Centre, a not-for-profit organisation, made the observation in Abuja on Tuesday while setting an agenda for the government’s anti-corruption efforts in 2024.

Umar Yakubu, who leads the centre, presented what he termed a monitoring mechanism for Nigeria’s implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

His presentation dwelt on UNCAC articles and observable gaps in Nigeria’s implementation of the instrument and how to overcome the challenges in the fight against corruption.

The UNCAC is a global anti-corruption legal instrument that covers broad areas of – preventive measures, criminalisation and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance and information exchange.

Dwelling on several articles of the UNCAC, Mr Yakubu said the poor compliance with domestic laws aimed at combating graft in the public sector “remains a hindrance to Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.”

He pointed out that the absence of a “national anti-corruption strategy inter-ministerial committee” and the lack of an anti-corruption funding framework are obstacles to defeating graft.

“The government at national and sub-national levels must establish corruption reduction monitoring mechanisms with tangible outcomes,” Mr Yakubu said.

Another issue at the heart of Nigeria’s weak anti-corruption fight is the insecurity of the tenure of heads of anti-graft agencies like EFCC, ICPC and Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Mr Yakubu noted that such removals without recourse to the National Assembly as statutorily required, destroy the agency’s independence.

Mr Yakubu said the government’s poor implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, public reporting on compliance with the Public Procurement Act by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and lack of access to public officers records, amongst other issues, have hampered efforts geared at tackling sleaze.

Nigeria signed up to the UNCAC in 2004 but it only became operational in 2005.

Despite being one of the 140 signatories to the global convention, Nigeria has not been able to effectively implement its obligations to the instrument.

Corruption in public offices has blighted Nigeria’s local and international image with revelations of humongous pillaging of government revenues through procurement fraud.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the noncompliance of several MDAs with financial regulations in budgetary implementation in Nigeria.

ICPC pledges partnership with civil society

In a goodwill message at the event, ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, said the centre’s anti-corruption monitoring mechanism “embodies ICPC’s shared commitment to oversight evaluation and participation.”

Mr Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), observed that the monitoring mechanism would serve as a compass guiding the country’s efforts to eradicate the scourge of corruption that has hindered national progress.

He promised to collaborate with civil society organisations as standard bearers in Nigeria’s determination to halt malpractices.

On his part, a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Roland Otaru, a SAN, urged government anti-corruption institutions to deploy recovered proceeds of graft into building edifices that would be named after corrupt persons and organisations.

Mr Otaru disagreed with an assertion that naming and shaming corruption convicts amounts to double jeopardy.

He said corruption is “an insidious plague that undermines democracy and the rule of law.”

How to solve the problem

To address the gaps in Nigeria’s anti-graft efforts, Mr Yakubu called for the establishment of the anti-corruption funding framework within the next 12 months.

Also, he urged the government to publish a yearly report on the effect of anti-corruption transparency units in all MDAs.

He further suggested the enforcement of strict penalties for noncompliance with the Code of Conduct with measurable results within the next 12 months and the implementation of an electronic procurement system for all MDAs in the country.

Background

The Civil Society’s Monitoring Mechanism for Nigeria’s implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) is being spearheaded by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and IntegrityWatch.

Nigeria signed the UNCAC on 9 December 2003 and ratified it on 14 December 2004, becoming one of the first countries to do so.

The UNCAC is an elaborate and universal anti-corruption instrument, covering a wide range of issues such as prevention, criminalization, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance.

It also recognises the vital role of civil societies in promoting transparency, accountability, and participation in the fight against corruption, Tamara Berepubo, a Program officer at Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch said.

Ms Berepubo said it was not enough for Nigeria to sign up to the Convention.

“We need to ensure that Nigeria fully domesticates and implements the provisions of the Convention in its laws, policies, and practices.

“We also need to monitor and evaluate Nigeria’s progress and challenges in compliance with the UNCAC and provide constructive feedback and recommendations to the government and other stakeholders,” she explained.