The Federal Government is adopting a five-year strategy plan to combat corruption and corrupt tendencies in the country to the barest minimum.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja at the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) validation meeting.
Malami said the five-year strategy plan would serve as the driving force across the board in both private and public sectors.
He expressed optimism that the strategy would be viewed by the international community as Nigeria’s sustainable effort in taking concrete steps to create a sustainable policy framework to tackle corruption.
According to him, the five-year plan will involve prevention of corruption, public engagement, campaign for ethical reorientation, enforcement and sanctions and recovery of proceeds of corruption.
The minister, who was represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mr Taiwo Abidogun, canvassed for unconditional support and cooperation of well meaning Nigerians and the international community for the strategy.
He added that such support was the only way of ensuring that the draft of the strategy was validated and adopted to achieve the vision of a Nigeria free of corruption for sustainable human development.
He said that the collective action of participants at the meeting would assure Nigerians and the international community of the commitment of the incumbent administration to tackle corruption beyond political rhetoric.
Malami said: “it is pertinent to reiterate that one of the cardinal objectives of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is to fight corruption in all its ramified manifestations.
“This includes the adoption of effective preventive measures against corruption, recovery of stolen assets and putting mechanisms, systems and processes in place to profitably manage stolen and recovered assets.
“This five-year strategy will provide a framework to improve the anti-corruption regime in Nigeria.
“This will be by focusing on key areas of policy improvement, institution strengthening and technical support in the public and private sectors as well as society as a whole.”
In his remarks, Prof. Femi Odekunle, a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC) stated that the Buhari administration had proved its commitment to fight corruption.
“This is because the administration can be credited with definitive achievements from direct and consequential efforts in the fight against corruption,’’he said.
Odekunle said that with the renewed effort, the fight against corruption would be fully institutionalised by the government in the best interest of Nigerians.
“It should suffice to state that, besides other indices, the fact that some of our elites who love and worship money are now dumping loads of cash in odd places and denying their ownership is proof-positive that the efforts in the fight against corruption is yielding results.”
Odekunle, a renowned professor of criminology, however, noted that in spite of the sincerity and the determination of the government in the fight against corruption, there were still many hurdles to cross.
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