By Ese Awhotu
Various anti-graft agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions, EFCC and the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, Non-governmental Organisations and civil society today held a brainstorming session to strategise against corruption in the country.
The brainstorming session tagged, “A special forum on anti-corruption situation room” engaged anti-corruption stakeholders on promoting integrity, honesty and accountability in public service and public sector oversight.
Speaking during the brainstorming session held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, the Chairman of the occasion and Director General of the National Orientation Agency,NOA, Dr. Garba Abari said the fight against corruption is now very clear and the anti-corruption situation room is making progress by bringing in both public and private sector.
However, for the fight against corruption to gather more momentum, Abari advocated that, “We need to involve the traditional rulers, institutions in the corruption fight.”
He explained that due to the increased population of Nigeria, there is need to engage traditional rulers so as to get across to a large number Nigerians with the anti-corruption campaign.
In his paper titled,” Consumer Protection Through Regulatory, Accountability and Corporate Responsibility.”, the Director-General of the Consumer Protection Board, CPC, Mr. Tunde Irukera identified corruption as one of the major problems facing Nigeria, saying that if a consequence management system system is put in place would help in stemming the tide of corruption in the country.
He urged consumers to always demand their rights and insist on their rights.
The CPC DG also gave assurance that any fake products dealer that is nab in the country will surely be brought to book.
“We’ll deploy all regulatory tools to hold any company selling fake products accountable. We have limited resources, but this won’t deter us from enforcing the accountability code.”
Representatives of the Human Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA, EFCC, ICPC, Actionaid and other organisations present at the event agreed that the way forward out of the current pervasive corruption situation in the country was to have ownership of the anti-corruption fight.
They also agreed to the strengthening of the personnel in the anti-corruption fight, heighten collaboration between civil society and government as well as allow people suffer the consequences of their corrupt actions
